Monday, October 29, 2007

Game Cafe Forum Update!



Well, the Game Cafe forum is up and running now, going into week three! I'm very pleased with the progress so far and the traffic is picking up. In just two short weeks we've added almost 1000 articles (posts) and started amassing lots of content on all the greatest games that we play!

We've upgraded the forum software, added new avatars, post count ranks, lots of new topics and discussions, live tech support for our posters and today we unveiled our new Chat Room!

Come over to the Game Cafe and check out the real time chat! Meet me and all the other game fans who have already transformed the cafe from an empty message board to a warm, welcoming community!

Click here to visit Game Cafe!

Note, you must register on the board to access the chat room and have the Java runtime environment enabled!

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Skyrates - Free Browser Flash Game


(click image above for more screen shots!)

Skyrates is a game design and development project exploring different types of gameplay and multiple platforms such as a Flash client, AIM, and a web forum.

In Skyrates, we are experimenting with sporadic play. A good way to think of your interaction with the game is much like checking your email. A few minutes here and there, spread throughout your entire day.

Skyrates isn't just you, though. It's a multiplayer online game that has you taking on the role of an ace pilot trying to conquer the skies. Whether you are a peaceful trader, a careful diplomat, or a bold fighter, the sky's the limit!


I've been playing this game for 2 days now and it's quite intriguing! For anyone who enjoys real time simulation games with the added bonus of a multiplayer environment, Skyrates has a lot of appeal! As I go through the game and learn more about it (there's a lot to learn!) I'll update the blog, but it's worth checking out! Even now there are over 3000 players online, so it's definitely getting a lot of interest!

Try it out here!

Saturday, October 27, 2007

MCF Ravenhearst - 99 Cent Sale!




Now through October 31, 2007, you can purchase the full version of Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst for 99 cents at Big Fish Games!

Click here to go to their website. On the home page, there is an advertisement for the game sale. Click on that to get the coupon code and click "buy now". Download the game and you're all set!

Even though we do not partner with Big Fish Games, we just HAD to pass along this great deal to you! For anyone who has been waffling about buying this game, now is the time! :)

Happy Gaming!

Friday, October 26, 2007

Pirateville


Download the free demo or purchase the game here.

Pirateville is a new hidden object puzzle game from NevoSoft (the creators of games such as Mysteryville, Mysteryville 2 and Magic Academy).

The object of the game is to travel through over 160 levels and collect clues, talk to a wide variety of characters and unravel the secret of an ancient casket.

The game mechanics and overall gameplay is very similar to Mysteryville, with an engaging storyline and lovely graphics. (There is a skip conversation feature for those who just want to play and not go through the extensive chat sequences)

The difficulty of Pirateville is again similar to Mysteryville and Magic Academy - not too hard, but not too easy either. I found it much easier than Magician's Handbook but harder than Little Shop of Treasures, if that helps.

Fans of Mysteryville will most likely appreciate this game as well!

I give it a 6 out of 10.

To download the free trial or purchase this game, please click here.

Sneak Peek! MCF Madame Fate




I know I haven't posted anything in a few days, I've been sick! Hopefully I'll be back to normal tomorrow and can get a few new reviews done!

In the meantime, click on the image above (or click here) for a sneak peek of Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate!

Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Card, Poker, Gambling Games

5 Realms of Cards - 5 Realms of Cards interweaves revolutionary new solitaire gameplay with a fairy-tale story. Explore over 70 levels to help a young princess named Jokerine restore peace and beauty in the card realms and learn a secret!

Ancient Hearts and Spades
- Love to play Hearts or Spades? Play anytime, anywhere without dragging along three other friends. Hearts and Spades are universal card games that are simple to learn, yet challenging to master. Get two games and discover world-class card playing action!

Ancient Spiders Solitaire - With 8 unique versions, multipliers, combo bars and more, you'll love this souped up version of Spider Solitaire! In-game tutorials allow players of all skill levels to join in on the fun. While beautiful graphics and exotic sounds enhance the game, the real treat is that this is one solitaire game your entire family will enjoy.

Dream Vacation Solitaire - Take your dream vacation, sailing from one beautiful location to the next as you play solitaire for points and prizes. Make matches and combinations to unlock power moves and earn medals, trophies, and even new yachts to sail to the next vacation paradise!

Hoyle Miami Solitaire - Inspired by Miami's vibrant style and culture, this solitaire game will mesmerize players of all levels! Play a single game, or compete in a solitaire tournament to unlock game variations, while you earn money to buy your own mansion.

Jackpot Match-up - Penny's Vegas Adventure - Meet Penny; she's worked loyally at the paper factory for five years only to get fired for throwing her co-worker a birthday party! Now it's off to Vegas to help Penny turn her life around in this easy-to-learn puzzle game.

Jewel Quest Solitaire
- Join Professor Pack on the ultimate jewel-matching adventure across the world's richest continent! The dangers of the safari, the history of the Zimbabwe ruins, and the majesty of Victoria Falls await your discovery.

Lottso! Deluxe
- Match, scratch and win! Race against the clock to match as many numbered balls to the numbered spaces on your Lottso! Cards. Cover all the spaces and "Lottso!" - it flips over and activates the scratcher game for bonus points. Download the winning combo now!

Mystery Solitaire - Secret Island - Collect clues and find your way off Secret Island! Explore 12 intriguing island locations and discover hidden objects to help you find your way home. To unlock the clues and continue to the next location you must first "seek and find" the hidden objects lost underwater and on land.

NBC Heads Up Championship Poker - Create your own unique character and compete against powerful and cunning opponents in a traditional 64-player bracket. Any Poker player worth their salt will enjoy this difficult and fun experience. Do you have what it takes to make it to the final showdown?

Nertz® Solitaire - Competitive solitaire at its best! Play Nutzy and his squirrelly family in this new twist on the all-time favorite card game. Just like traditional solitaire, build piles of cards in ascending and descending order. Win by scoring the most points and getting rid of your Nertz pile before your opponent. Go nuts with Nertz!

Poker Superstars III Gold Chip Challenge - Are you ready for the next challenge?! The stakes have been raised with new superstars, new gold chips to win for great plays, and a brand new challenge play mode. The superstars are up for the new challenge. Are you?

Saints and Sinners Bingo
- Compete against a colorful cast of characters and use your lucky charms to get bingo. Outsmart this motley crew and win the jackpot!

Slingo Quest - Are you ready for the next Slingo challenge? Discover brand new ways to play in Slingo Quest! From multi-card games to arcade styles, this game has a little something for everyone.

Solitaire Cruise
- Embark on a round-the-world cruise of card matching action! Over 200 unique levels will take you across the globe from USA to Japan. Cross vast oceans, see the world and play solitaire!

Solitaire Pop™
- Brace yourself for a whirlwind expedition that will have you digging your way through ancient ruins all over the globe! Satisfy your pursuit of the mysterious and discover intriguing facts along the way. Create solitaire hands, earn power-ups and dodge perils to unearth rare artifacts from the oracle of Delphi to the excavation sites of Birka and beyond.

Tik's Texas Hold 'em
- Take a seat and let the Poker begin! Enjoy the thrill of the perfect hand, or the perfect bluff. Test your skills in Cash Games and Tournaments, or fine-tune your skills playing the Scenario you always wanted to be in. Tik's Texas Hold 'em has it all!

Waterscape Solitaire: American Falls
- Experience this entirely new twist on solitaire! Traverse across North America enjoying the splendor of the magical waterfalls. Match cards to clear them from the play field and uncover tranquil scenes. Featuring 15 landmark waterfalls and calming music, this soothing game provides hours of challenging relaxation.

Gamezebo Interview with Angel Ikonon from PlayFirst

Gamezebo published a wonderful interview with Angel Ikonon, producer from PlayFirst!

Here is an excerpt:

Welcome to the fifth instalment of our Women in Gaming series, where we introduce you to some of the women who are working behind the scenes to create the games you love to play. As an associate producer at PlayFirst, Angel Inokon's impressive c.v. includes working on the hits Wedding Dash and Diner Dash: Hometown Heroes.
You can read the full article at the Gamezebo website, HERE!

Arcade Game Downloads

Big Money - Cash in with Big Money! Collect coins, score big and strike it rich in this golden puzzle game. What are you waiting for? Grab your money bags and work your way through each exciting level!

Bubble Bay - Underwater puzzles await you in this nautical game! Help the octopus pop bubbles and collect colorful and exotic reef fish while searching for the lost Atlantis. Visit 6 reef locations and explore 30 fun levels!

Chicken Chase
- Feeling clucky? Save your grandparent's chicken farm by completing a mix of missions and earning enough for useful upgrades. Prove your chicken-hood by looking after your brood, hatching eggs, selling chickens, fending off ravens, and more.

Cosmic Bugs - Stop these creepy critters and put an end to their destructive path in this outer space adventure! Set the trap, fill the map and advance to the next level! Simple, addictive and fun to play, the free version comes with a full set of 50 levels.

Digby's Donuts - Join Digby as he opens a chain of donut shops in major cities across the country! Catch, stack and drop colorful donuts to form matches and combos while avoiding blunders. Travel to 20 different cities across more than 80 levels.

D.N.A.
- Help biologist Dr. Rose Thompson with her experiments. Combine different colored proteins and create entirely new cells, which grow into a variety of amazing flowers!

Drop 'Em Deluxe
- Plunk down your bet in the aptly named drop zone and watch the chips bounce in this wacky game show! Drop'em gives you 4 different games rolled into one: classic, poker, blingo and rollem'.

Exocubes - Aha! So you wish to escape from the seemingly endless barrage of rooms? You will need to form combinations from magical cubes, energize them with scanners, and blast the walls blocking your way to freedom! The world is populated with 49 different rooms, each with different hazards and challenges.

Feeding Frenzy™ - It's survival of the biggest in this action packed deep-sea challenge. Eat your way to the top of the food chain as you swim through stunning underwater environments and encounter deadly predators. Use power-ups to unseat the vicious Shark King!

Feeding Frenzy® 2 - Shipwreck Showdown -
Chomp your way through an underwater mystery. Dodge predators and eat your way up the food chain to experience a feeding more frenzied than ever. The highly anticipated follow-up to Feeding Frenzy™ has more fish, more levels, and more power-ups!

Fireworks Extravaganza
- Ever wanted to create your own fireworks show? Now you can! Voyage around the world and send crowds into a frenzy of excitement to proceed to the next location. With its incredibly addictive gameplay, stunning graphics and explosive sound effects, you'll have a blast producing your own personalized fireworks extravaganza!

Granny in Paradise™ - While on a well deserved vacation, Super Granny's kitties are abducted. Run, dig, climb, swing, float and tumble through 5 worlds and over 150 levels, as you rescue Granny's missing cats and outwit the minions of the nefarious Dr. Meow.

Hammer Heads Deluxe - You are cordially invited to a gnome-smashing fiesta! Be ready to bash these gnomes and help bring their population under control. Explore different game modes and earn trophies along the way!

Heavy Weapon
- It's shoot-'em-up arcade action at its best! Use an incredible assortment of heavy artillery to blast away enemy tanks and planes, and fight your way to victory. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get into the action!

Iggle Pop!™ - The Land of Fuzz is being invaded! The evil Zoogs are rounding up peaceful Iggles for some mysterious, diabolical purpose. Iggle Pop takes familiar elements from addictive classics like Pac-Man and Snake and combines them with a cast of irresistibly cute characters.

Insaniquarium™ Deluxe
- Explore this captivating underwater world of fish, aliens and more! It's the craziest aquarium you have ever seen and it's all yours to play with. Be sure to stock your virtual tank with fish to create your own personal screensaver!

LEGO Fever - Help the LEGO Brothers battle the forces of boredom and bring a bit of color back to the grey, grey world. Control the world around them by placing LEGO bricks to make sure our heroes don't wind up stepping in black ink and ruining their track suits

Motherload - Experience exciting gameplay in the substrata of Mars, where you'll search for the motherload: a fabled cache of rare and valuable minerals. Navigate the dangers of Martian soil, complete with hidden gas pockets, earthquakes, and other surprises. Purchase powerful upgrades for your Mining Pod with the fruits of your labour.

Mythic Marbles - Use skills and smarts to master Mythic Marbles! A bright mind and cool temper are the keys to success; use them wisely and you may just become the city champion! Be sure Mount Olympus is on your side, because the final challenge could alter the course of your life!

Ouba: The Great Journey
- Garouba's dark magic has devastated the tropical paradise village the Ouba have called home. Help the fleeing Ouba rebuild their village and protect them from evil Garouba. It's not an easy task but we've made sure you'll have fun doing it!

Out of Your Mind
- Ready for some mental flossing? At the Blissful Brain Holistic Luxury Spa, your job is to clean the minds of the spa guests - literally! Across more than 70 levels of totally unique gameplay, capture Nega-Tics, the nasty little creatures in our heads that make us do bad things.

Platypus 2
- Fly the famed Platypus fighter through a fantastic landscape of carefully molded clay to protect inhabitants of Mungola from the Collosatropolians! Collect power-ups and bonus stars to give your Platypus the boost you need.

Poppit To Go - Pop groups of colored balloons, clear the screen, and earn prizes with Spike the thorny cactus. Enjoy 3 great game modes, over 100 custom designed puzzles, and hilarious animations in this prickly puzzle challenge!

The Poppit!™ Show
- Play the hit game that is taking the world by storm! The Poppit! Show combines balloon-popping action and 3D graphics to deliver one exciting puzzle-adventure.

Professor Fizzwizzle - Help Professor Fizzwizzle find his way back to his lab. Take control of the diminutive genius and use his brains and gadgets to solve each exciting level in this mind-expanding puzzle game!

Rocket Mania® Deluxe
- This pyrotechnic puzzler is a rocket-full of fun! Twist and turn fuses to link a burning match to one or more rockets and watch the sparks fly! Upgrade your rockets for bigger bangs by collecting coins along the way.

Shopping Marathon
- Enjoy a marathon session of shopping! Test your bargain hunting skills in this non-stop shopping spree and see what valuable goods you can bring home.

Slyder Adventures™ - The spherical hero Slyder returns in his latest topsy-turvy adventure. Guide Slyder and three of his friends through worlds packed with fun, excitement, and danger! Explore four huge worlds, each with unique characters and items to interact with.

Snail Mail™ - Guide Turbo the Snail through the furthest reaches of the universe to deliver Intergalactic Mail in this fast-paced racing game. Play through all 50 levels in Postal Mode, test your reflexes in Challenge Mode, and get the fastest time in Time Trials.

Steam
- The Octapone Gang is up to no good once again! This time, they seem to have scrambled all the train lines across the lands in order to highjack all the candy they can, rubbing off the blame on the Mayor while they're at it.

Super Collapse!™ Puzzle Gallery
- Exercise your mental muscle in this game of colorful blocks and fast clicks! Try your hand at 300 new puzzle challenges and see if you can remove all the blocks in the fewest possible moves!

Super Collapse!™ Puzzle Gallery 2
-Tackle 300 all-new puzzle challenges! Can you remove all the blocks from the screen in the fewest possible moves? The hint power-up is still on hand to help, but only those with strategic sense and careful clicks will be labeled a Puzzle Genius.

Super Collapse™ 3
- Super Collapse is back again - and you won't believe the fun! The third installment of this highly addictive series holds more action and surprise than ever before. Whether you're already a fan of Collapse or new to the frenzied fun, once you start clicking you won't be able to stop!

Super Slyder - Welcome to Super Slyder! Our lovable, blue, spherical hero is back in this all-new addictive adventure game. With new level-altering items, unique characters, and over 280 challenging levels, Super Slyder is sure to please!

Swarm - Swarm provides fast-paced, adrenaline pumping action in an explosive shoot 'em up style! Visually tantalizing, intense, and absorbing, Swarm provides fun-filled action you won't want to miss!

Sveerz™ Deluxe - Get your groove on and bounce to the beat in this far-out musical puzzler! Click on the little Sveerz to reproduce the harmonic rhythms and clear them from the board.

Tasty Planet™ - A home grown experiment and the search for the ultimate bathroom cleaner goes awry! Created to chomp up germs and bacteria, your appetite proves to be insatiable. Will the universe be enough to satisfy you? You'll have to eat it to find out!

Water Bugs - Can you stop the invasion? Dive undersea and battle these dangerous underwater crawlers! Use your skills and smarts to stop their invasion. The free version features a full set of 50 levels to play, and does not require any special hardware.

Wobbly Bobbly™ - Help! The local gelatin factory has gone out of control and can't stop producing mutinous gelatin cubes! Your goal is to destroy them before they take over the world.

XAvenger - Your day to save the world has come. Defend our peaceful planet and defeat the Orion invaders! Counterattack and follow them to Dimension-X using your cutting-edge spacecraft, X-Avenger. The peace of all humanity rests in your hands!

Yumsters! - Yumsters are cute, stretchy creatures mad about fruit and music. In order to earn money for their musical band, they have to clean up gardens of fruits. Help them win a major musical contest and get the Grand Prix!

Zodiac - Enjoy this action puzzler of celestial proportions! Use your cannon to clear away Zodiac clusters and match your way through 150 levels. Earn powerups like Novas, Asteroids, and Meteors as you progress to help you in your journey.

Zzed
- Help Zzed build a career in space waste management and win the hand of his lovely green sweetheart! Destroy space junk before it destroys you by shooting garbage into a group of 3 or more of the same color.

Adventure Game Downloads

Aveyond - Embark on a spellbinding adventure and accomplish quests and missions to protect your village! As the "chosen one," you must put an end to Ahriman's dark prophecy. Uncover secret places, solve intriguing mysteries, and discover amazing treasures in Aveyond!

The Blackwell Legacy - Help Rosangela Blackwell and Joey Mallone solve a case involving a series of suicides at a local university. Something unnatural has forced the students to kill themselves and nobody knows why. Rosangela, who is just coming to terms with her new status as a medium, finds herself cast as the unwilling detective in this gruesome mystery.

Granny in Paradise™
- While on a well deserved vacation, Super Granny's kitties are abducted. Run, dig, climb, swing, float and tumble through 5 worlds and over 150 levels, as you rescue Granny's missing cats and outwit the minions of the nefarious Dr. Meow.

Magus: In Search of Adventure
- One day, Magus journeys into an enchanted wood and sees glittering jewels scattered everywhere! Through three beautiful game worlds and 90 challenging levels, you must help Magus collect treasure, cast spells and outsmart the enemies standing in his way!

Mortimer and the Enchanted Castle
- The MacFear family jewels are missing! Guide Mortimer through the infamous Castle MacFear to unlock the mystery behind it. He'll need plenty of help to overcome all the obstacles in his way in this original and intriguing puzzle game. Relish the atmospheric graphics and sound while you discover the hidden secrets of the enchanted castle.

Slyder Adventures™ - The spherical hero Slyder returns in his latest topsy-turvy adventure. Guide Slyder and three of his friends through worlds packed with fun, excitement, and danger! Explore four huge worlds, each with unique characters and items to interact with.

Supercow
- Stop Professor Duriarti's diabolical plan of destruction! The escaped criminal has cloned all the animals on the farm and forced them to do his evil bidding. Help Supercow save them from becoming instruments of doom in this fun and family-friendly game!

Super Granny™ 3 - After her troubled tropical trip and wild winter retreat, Super Granny is embarking on her most ambitious adventure yet, a run-down European theme park where she must rescue her arch-nemesis, the evil Dr. Meow, from the clutches of his even-more dastardly master, Mr. Fang!

Tradewinds 2 - Be a master commander, defeating pirates and plundering their gold or play it safe and trade goods, gradually amassing wealth and power. Trade contraband for larger returns but risk seizures, it's up to you. Play Tradewinds 2 and explore your new world.

Tradewinds Legends™
- Enter a world of danger and intrigue as you complete over 100 unique tasks in the mythical Far East. Build a flotilla of ships armed with weaponry, both man-made and magic. Sail into the sky to discover new ports and engage in aerial combat with other magical sky ships.

Wik & the Fable of Souls - A delightfully dark adventure game, Wik & the Fable of Souls has over 120 jaw-dropping levels, atmospheric music, stunning effects and never-before-seen game play. This is an enchanting game featuring superbly detailed graphics that will keep you spellbound with amazement.

Game Downloads Part 3

Arcade Games

Feeding Frenzy® 2 - Shipwreck Showdown
-
Chomp your way through an underwater mystery. Dodge predators and eat your way up the food chain to experience a feeding more frenzied than ever. The highly anticipated follow-up to Feeding Frenzy™ has more fish, more levels, and more power-ups!

Cards, Vegas, Gambling Games


Puzzle Solitaire - Fill in the open tiles of an interesting shape with cards using one simple rule - cards must be placed next to another card with a value of one less or one greater, regardless of the suit! It's so easy to learn you'll be placing cards in no time. Fun for the whole family!

Poker Superstars II
- Poker Superstars II raises the stakes with bigger stars, a better tournament and a brand new poker AI. Battle against 15 of poker's top players through an exciting new tournament structure. The Superstars are ready to win, are you?

Saints and Sinners Bingo
- Compete against a colorful cast of characters and use your lucky charms to get bingo. Outsmart this motley crew and win the jackpot!

Hidden Object Games

Mystery Case Files: Huntsville
- Stop the Huntsville crime spree! Use your attention to detail to locate clues and solve each Mystery Case File. There are picture puzzles to ponder, strange crimes scenes to explore and much, much more!

Mystery Case Files: Prime Suspects
- The Queen's Hope Diamond has been stolen and it's up to you to recover this priceless gem! Search for clues throughout 22 levels, find the offending culprit and recover the stolen gem.

MahJong and Tile Matching Games

Mah Jong Adventures
- Find the priceless treasure left to you by an eccentric uncle in this globe spanning adventure. Use his humorous journal to locate gold tiles with the grace and swiftness of a Canadian Mountie! Your adventure spans 18 engaging destinations and immerses you in the local culture through unique tile-sets and backgrounds.

Poker Pop™ - Match tiles and globe hop in Poker Pop! Create winning card combinations and avoid perils to embark on a global journey to Australia, Fiji, Japan and more. Gain powerups, collect souvenirs and send postcards home along the way.

Match-3 and Matching Games

InSepheration
- A colorful twist on brain-bending fun, InSpheration provides a kaleidoscope of vibrant puzzle goodness. Combine three matching spheres for an explosive effect! With stunning backgrounds, addictive gameplay and exciting game modes, InSpheration is inspired fun!

Tino's Fruit Stand
- Save Tino's fruit stand in this juicy puzzler game! Use Rikki, your furry little helper, to pick bananas, berries and other tasty fruit to keep your customers happy. Make the right decisions, use power-ups wisely, and you'll grow more than fruit ... you'll grow an empire!

Marble Shooter Games

Karu - Stop the slithering menace in this entertaining twist on color matching action-puzzlers. Catch balls and launch them back at the serpentine slider! Create matching groups of three or more and they'll disappear, taking the slinking snakes with them!

Puzzle Games

Inspector Parker
- A murder has been committed at Misanthorpe Manor! With your mentor, Inspector Parker, by your side, sort through suspects, motives, weapons and evidence to crack this murder mystery. Work your way through the ranks of Scotland Yard to become Chief Inspector.

BeTrapped! - As Inspector Parker, it is your job to find the culprit in this murder mystery! Investigate 12 suspects and a castle full of booby-trapped rooms in this engaging whodunit! Deep in story and rich in graphic detail, BeTrapped is the perfect way to wile away a stormy night in your own castle.

Sveerz™ Deluxe
- Get your groove on and bounce to the beat in this far-out musical puzzler! Click on the little Sveerz to reproduce the harmonic rhythms and clear them from the board.

A Series of Unfortunate Events
- Help the Baudelaire orphans escape evil Count Olaf! Dodge snakes, leeches and fire in this game of deductive reasoning. Based on the series by Lemony Snicket, this game will keep you on your toes as you help the orphans avoid disaster and reap rewards.

Sports Games

Saints and Sinners Bowling
- Experience the thrills and spills of life on the Bowlers Tour! Compete for trophies and stardom and collect good luck charms along the way.

Time / Assembly Management Games

Cake Mania™ - Help Jill, a recent culinary school graduate, earn enough money to re-open the bake shop that belonged to her grandparents. The fun never stops in this frosting filled adventure so see if you have what it takes to save the Evans Bakery!

Mystic Inn - Break the curse and set Daphne free! Keep the patrons of Mystic Inn happy and you'll be rewarded with enough magic to upgrade the inn and break the spell. Create potions in the mini-game and unlock cool power-ups for an entrancing adventure!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Game Downloads Part 2

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
Adventure Games

Wik & the Fable of Souls
- A delightfully dark adventure game, Wik & the Fable of Souls has over 120 jaw-dropping levels, atmospheric music, stunning effects and never-before-seen game play. This is an enchanting game featuring superbly detailed graphics that will keep you spellbound with amazement.

Tradewinds Legends™
- Enter a world of danger and intrigue as you complete over 100 unique tasks in the mythical Far East. Build a flotilla of ships armed with weaponry, both man-made and magic. Sail into the sky to discover new ports and engage in aerial combat with other magical sky ships.

Arcade Games


Slyder Adventures™ - The spherical hero Slyder returns in his latest topsy-turvy adventure. Guide Slyder and three of his friends through worlds packed with fun, excitement, and danger! Explore four huge worlds, each with unique characters and items to interact with.

Digby's Donuts
- Join Digby as he opens a chain of donut shops in major cities across the country! Catch, stack and drop colorful donuts to form matches and combos while avoiding blunders. Travel to 20 different cities across more than 80 levels.

Water Bugs - Can you stop the invasion? Dive undersea and battle these dangerous underwater crawlers! Use your skills and smarts to stop their invasion. The free version features a full set of 50 levels to play, and does not require any special hardware.

Granny in Paradise™ - While on a well deserved vacation, Super Granny's kitties are abducted. Run, dig, climb, swing, float and tumble through 5 worlds and over 150 levels, as you rescue Granny's missing cats and outwit the minions of the nefarious Dr. Meow.

Professor Fizzwizzle - Help Professor Fizzwizzle find his way back to his lab. Take control of the diminutive genius and use his brains and gadgets to solve each exciting level in this mind-expanding puzzle game!

Swarm - Swarm provides fast-paced, adrenaline pumping action in an explosive shoot 'em up style! Visually tantalizing, intense, and absorbing, Swarm provides fun-filled action you won't want to miss!

Brick Buster / Breakout Games

Ricochet Xtreme - Do you have what it takes to be a Champion? Ricochet Xtreme is full of amazing power-ups and challenging obstacles that will keep you busting bricks for hours! This Breakout style game features lots of new twists on the old classic.

Ricochet Lost Worlds
- The sequel to Ricochet Xtreme is here! With stunning visual effects, gripping soundtrack, and compelling level design, Ricochet Lost Worlds might be the most addictive breakout game ever made. You may never leave your computer again!

Ricochet Lost Worlds Recharged - The award-winning game play of Ricochet Lost Worlds is back! From the talented minds of designers from all over the world comes one of the most dynamic brick-busting experience ever!

Funkiball Adventure
- The world's most famous paintings have been stolen and it's up to you to recover them in this addictive brick-buster adventure. Smash your way through levels of non-stop arcade fun in Funkiball Adventure!

Cards, Vegas, Gambling Games

Ancient Tripeaks
- Explore addictive and easy Solitaire fun with Ancient Tripeaks. Whether you are looking for a challenging round of cards or need a quick break from a stressful day, eight unique modes of play means you can always find a game to match your mood.

Five Card Deluxe
- Place cards from the deck onto the table to form poker hands and score points. Earn wild cards in "Joker's Wild" or compare your scores with others from around the world in "Tournament" mode. Can you score enough points to advance to the next level?

Match 3 Games

Gem Shop - Match colorful gems to keep your customers happy! Sell gems and jewelry to smiling customers, but watch out - keep them waiting too long and they will start to grumble.

Big Kahuna Reef - Go Hawaiian in this underwater adventure, diving from reef to reef as gorgeous fish surround you. Discover Sea Turtles and other aquatic life as you break open boxes in this classic style matching game, questing for the fabled Mask of the Tiki.

Marble Shooter Games

Tumblebugs
- In a deep dark lair, in Any Backyard USA, creep the Evil Black Bugs. Save your colorful beetle friends from being enslaved by the Black Bug Empire by matching beetles of the same color in groups of three or more. Save them all before they fall into the lair!

Pirate Poppers™
- Climb aboard for some swashbucklin' pirate popping fun! Aim your cannonballs to clear away menacing chains and unlock trinkets and jewels that rain down from above. Begin as a lowly Landlubber and plunder your way up the ranks!

Shape Sorting Games

Puzzle Express
- Grab the colorful puzzle pieces and place them together to fill up the train cars. The more you fill up the car, the more of the picture you get to see. Fill up the entire train and send it to the next city for a new batch of pictures!

Holiday Express
- Celebrate the holidays by delivering colorful presents on the Holiday Express! Arrange the gifts to fill up the train and reveal festive photos! Enjoy falling snow, bonus rounds and jolly music in this wonderful holiday-themed game.

MahJong and Tile Matching Games

WordJong - Enter the lush world of WordJong, a colorful mix of MahJong and spelling games! WordJong gives you letter tiles to remove from the board MahJong-style. Each set of tiles is a new game to play, with dozens of tile layouts to enjoy.

Ancient Tri-Jong
- Love Ancient Tripeaks and Mahjong? Then Ancient Tri-Jong is the game for you! Combining the best features from Tripeaks with the fun loving style of Mahjong, Ancient Tri-Jong is sure to please!

Puzzle Games

Egg vs. Chicken™ - From the team that created Diner Dash, here's a new hit game! Which came first, the Chicken or the Egg? Find out in this eggsterically funny action puzzler!

Ancient Sudoku
- Lateral thinking skills will help solve this addictive brain teaser puzzle. Ancient Sudoku spices up the classic game with an endless number of levels and multiple puzzle types. You can even use the Puzzle Creator to help solve your newspaper's daily puzzle!

QBeez™ 2 - Join the colorful QBeez on Q's Quest where you'll be introduced to twelve all-new puzzle elements including explosive bombs, buzzing bees, and chomping sharks. Challenge your matching skills in Classic Mode or bend your brain in Puzzle mode. You can even create your own QBeez puzzles in the easy-to-use Puzzle Maker.

GameHouse Sudoku
- Calling all math-magicians! There is only one rule: Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains all digits 1-9 only once. A simple, addictive game of logic that will leave you begging for mercy. Let the brain teasing begin!

Sports Games

Gutterball™
- Get your shoes at the counter and grab a ball! Gutterball is the amazing true-to-life 3D bowling game that has been enjoyed by millions worldwide. How many pins can you knock over?

Word Games

Big Kahuna Words - Travel back to the Islands in this brilliant word game of adventure! Dive between the Hammerhead Sharks and other aquatic life, breaking stone blocks with your words in an explosive twist on puzzle game play.

Trivia Machine - Test your smarts in the Trivia Machine! Answer trivia questions across 9 fun categories and see if you can move up the ladder. The unique game play involves strategy as well as trivia knowledge for non stop entertainment!

Flip Words
- Click on letters to make words and solve familiar phrases. The first letter of each word you make will be revealed in the secret phrase. You'll never run out of phrases because you can create your own and download new phrases created by others!

Greedy Words
- Greed and fun rolled into one great word game, available in three languages! Use your imagination to come up with different words. Just roll 8 dice and select the letters. The more rolls you make, the higher the risk. Push yourself to the edge and score big!

JigWords
- Click on letters, create words and reveal fun photos! JigWords is a fun-filled word puzzle that you can share with friends. Make new words and slowly reveal hundreds of fun photos. For a personal touch, add your own favorite photos into the game!

Acropolis - Travel across mythical lands and unearth stunning relics in this lexical adventure from the creators of Word Slinger. Link letters to find words hidden in the grid and glorious treasures will dazzle your eyes. Find long words and unleash electrifying power-ups to aid your quest.

Game Downloads

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I'm not going to write lengthy reviews for many of the older games that have been released for some time. However, for those that would like to download or purchase them, I'll add the links here in this post with a brief description of each game.



Adventure Games

Tradewinds 2 - Be a master commander, defeating pirates and plundering their gold or play it safe and trade goods, gradually amassing wealth and power. Trade contraband for larger returns but risk seizures, it's up to you. Play Tradewinds 2 and explore your new world.

Puzzle Games

Subway Scramble™ -This fast-paced thinking puzzle puts you at the switch guiding subway cars through miles of mazes as you tunnel your way around the world from New York to Seoul.

Oasis™
- Discover Ancient Egypt from the comfort of your chair - take five minutes and travel back in time 5,000 years! With every click of the mouse, your empire grows stronger. Spend your turns wisely to conquer the barbarians and reunite your kingdom. Will your empire stand the test of time?

Cubology
- Beautiful minerals, which have helped this Mars mining colony stay in power, are beamed from the surface of Mars to the orbiting station. Help the aging I-ZAC droid sort minerals so he can take a break and be restored to operational capacity.

Circulate - Zip the spheres through the puzzle by deftly turning it this way and that and master gravity as you guide spheres through a spinning chamber. Like marble mazes of old, Circulate lets you tip, twist and spin your way to winning!

TriJinx-A Kristine Kross Mystery™ - Join Kristine Kross, adventurer, world-traveler and puzzle-master, as she winds her way through a mysterious labyrinth of ancient tombs in search of her missing father. Puzzle your way through 68 unique levels and unlock the ancient gates of TriJinx.

Cubis® Gold - Move fast as you skillfully make chains of three or more cubes to remove them from the board before time runs out. Score big with a chain that sets off another chain and you have a Cubis. 200 exciting levels will keep you busy for hours!

Cubis® Gold 2 - With two new game play modes, new difficultly settings, beautiful new cube sets and amazing new level designs...you'll be hooked all over again. Use the Bomb Cube to rearrange level layouts but watch out for the teleporting Ghost Cubes!

Splash - Splash is an action, puzzle and strategy packed game that is both addictive and fun. Control Squirt, your water shooting super fish, to keep those pesky wooden balls out of your serene pond. Amazing backgrounds and special effects abound!

Diner Dash Games

Diner Dash®
- Ditch your desk job and serve up some grub! Help Flo™ grow her fledgling diner into a five-star restaurant in this game of skill, speed and savvy.

Diner Dash 2 - Restaurant Rescue™ - Join Flo™ as she returns from Nirvana to help four fellow restaurant owners defeat the greedy tycoon, Mr. Big. Seat customers, take orders, serve drinks, deliver food, and collect tips - expert scores earn you more decor upgrades!

SpongeBob™ Diner Dash®
- SpongeBob SquarePants is here with an undersea diner twist! Mr. Krabs is expanding his Krabby Patty kingdom one restaurant at a time. With 50 levels of culinary chaos in five unique underwater restaurants, it's up to you and SpongeBob to seat, serve and satisfy even the squirmiest of patrons.

Word Games

Spellagories™
- Weave your magic words to save the kingdom! Spellagories combines immersive fantasy with classic puzzles that provide a fresh twist for word game fans. 3 different levels of difficulty exist for wordsmiths of every caliber.

Super Text Twist™ - Make as many words as you can with the letters you're given. Use all your letters to make a word and you'll move on to the next round. If you get stuck, just click on Twist for a hint. Don't worry, we've already thought of all the words, just tell us what they are!

Word Slinger™
- Word Slinger combines elements of Scrabble with a crossword style puzzle to form an unforgettable gaming experience. Word Slinger is packed with bonuses and power-ups and is fit for puzzle and word game lovers alike, Word Slinger will have you hooked!

Word Mojo™ Gold
- Prepare yourself for an exciting new word game that takes spelling and creating chains of words to new levels of fun. Create intersecting words over the random colored tiles to acquire 3 or more Mega Mojo Letters, and you'll advance to the Mega Mojo round!


Board Games

Chessmaster® Challenge - Based on the award-winning Chessmaster® series, with over 5 million copies sold, Chessmaster Challenge is your teacher, mentor, and ultimate opponent. Improve your game and discover the chess genius in you!

Collapse Games

SpongeBob™ Collapse™
-What's more fun than watching SpongeBob SquarePants, or playing Collapse!? SpongeBob SquarePants Collapse, of course! Our latest game offers you the best of both! Think Super Collapse, but with SpongeBob and all his whacky friends!

Super Collapse II® - Those little cubes you see in your sleep are back in three amazing new versions to take you to even greater heights of fun and excitement. Play Collapse! in Puzzle, Strategy, or Relapse mode and, if you're feeling nostalgic, there's Traditional mode as well.

Cards, Vegas, Gambling Games

Slingo - Slingo is the exciting combination of classic favorites Bingo and Slots. It features sharp graphics, saved stats, top ten lists, custom backgrounds plus a brand new challenging "pattern" mode. Slingo appeals to anyone who enjoys having fun!

Super GameHouse Solitaire Vol. 3
- This collection of Solitaire games will keep you occupied for hours! Games include: Scorpion, Clover, 40 Thieves, Concentration, Towers, Tricky, Ocean's 11, Osmosis, Sultan of Turkey, and Kings and Aces.

Aloha Solitaire
- Immerse yourself in the idyllic Hawaiian Islands of Aloha Solitaire. Relax with a mix of classic card games and Mahjong on the golden sands of Hawaii. Power-up cards will help you get to the next level, but use them wisely, as they are limited.

Shape Sorting Games

Shape Shifter - Ladies and gentlemen, step right up and witness a delightful convergence of action, intrigue and fun. Drag shapes into matching cutouts and clear the screen before time runs out or before the shapes get too high. The action never stops!

Puzzle Inlay™ - Puzzle Inlay is the game that lets you make beautiful creations while you solve puzzles. Just place the interlocking colored tiles to form shapes, but move quick because the tiles are coming fast and you don't want to let them get stacked up.

Magic Inlay™ - Choose from three environments inhabited by magical creatures to challenge your jewel arrangement skills. Play one of three difficulty levels with a choice of three game speeds in one of three different environments and save your progress as you go.

Adventure Inlay™ - Take the trip of a lifetime! Adventure Inlay has levels that span from the Serengeti to the ocean floor. Over 60 gorgeously rendered wildlife scenes fill the Adventure Inlay landscape and four unique game modes provide hours of game play.

Marble Shooter Games

Luxor - Isis has enlisted you to battle Set and his evil minions. Use your mystical winged scarab to shoot magical spheres and destroy the approaching spheres by making matches of three or more. Stop them before they reach the pyramids...or all of Egypt is doomed!

Arcade Games

Feeding Frenzy™ - It's survival of the biggest in this action packed deep-sea challenge. Eat your way to the top of the food chain as you swim through stunning underwater environments and encounter deadly predators. Use power-ups to unseat the vicious Shark King!

Pizza Frenzy™ - Pizza Frenzy is a wacky action puzzle that puts you in charge of your own pizza delivery empire! Match incoming orders with your pizza kitchens to deliver your pizzas fresh and on time. Careful, if customer satisfaction gets too low, it's Game Over!

Iggle Pop!™ - The Land of Fuzz is being invaded! The evil Zoogs are rounding up peaceful Iggles for some mysterious, diabolical purpose. Iggle Pop takes familiar elements from addictive classics like Pac-Man and Snake and combines them with a cast of irresistibly cute characters.

Snail Mail™ - Guide Turbo the Snail through the furthest reaches of the universe to deliver Intergalactic Mail in this fast-paced racing game. Play through all 50 levels in Postal Mode, test your reflexes in Challenge Mode, and get the fastest time in Time Trials.

Cosmic Bugs
- Stop these creepy critters and put an end to their destructive path in this outer space adventure! Set the trap, fill the map and advance to the next level! Simple, addictive and fun to play, the free version comes with a full set of 50 levels.

MahJong and Tile Matching Games

Mah Jong Medley™ - The long-awaited successor to Super Mah Jong has arrived! Choose from over 300 layouts, all distinctly original, ranging from super easy to extremely challenging. This is not the Mah Jong your mother grew up with but she'll love it anyway!

Plant Tycoon



Download the free trial or purchase the game HERE.

I really love the games produced by Last Day of Work. I own every single one of them! Plant Tycoon is their latest release and it is as good, if not better, than their other titles.

The object of this game is to grow plants in your nursery and sell them, cross-breed them and discover the magic plants of Isola!

This is a wonderfully slow simulation game that requires patience and perseverance. Like Fish Tycoon and Virtual Villagers, Plant Tycoon takes place in real time. It takes several hours (depending on which time setting you choose) for a plant to grow from seed to bloom. I tend to start the game off and leave it running in the background, checking on it every 30 minutes or so.

You also can collect insects that happen to be crawling or buzzing around your nursery. Once you catch an insect and add it to your collection, any subsequent similar insects are turned into cash. This can be a GREAT help early in the game, when money is tight.

With over 500 possible plant breeds to grow and very limited storage space for your seed collection, keeping track of what you're planting is a must. The peeps at the LDW forums have uploaded different tracking charts and even a virtual seed container that can really help! You can also find walk-throughs and other hints there.

Some tips and tricks -

  • Get some paper and pencils ready. I found it necessary to track all of my cross breed attempts in order to find the secret to the magic plants.
  • Be patient! This is a slow game and that is part of it's beauty. Unless you know exactly which plants you need and how to breed them, completing the game in a few hours is impossible - which is great!
  • Adjust the prices! Some plants can sell for $600 or more! Find out which ones they are and breed a lot of them to boost your income!
  • Buy the seeds from the shop! Often, some of the magic plants can be grown from those seeds.
  • Upgrade your soil as soon as you can. Higher level soils allow you to grow those fragile hybrids.
For more information, tips, tricks and hints about this game, please visit the following forums:

I truly love this game and give it a 10 out of 10!

Cake Mania 2




The long awaited sequel to Cake Mania and Cake Mania - Back to the Bakery was released by Sandlot games recently. Be sure to check out my post about the Cake Mania Halloween Contest!

Help Jill save her friends' bakeries in this much anticipated assembly-management game! Bake a wide variety of cakes and decorate them with fancy icings and cake toppers! Fill the orders quickly before the customers run out of patience and leave!

Some new features for this installment of the Cake Mania series include new bakeries, each with their own theme, such as under the sea, arctic winter and outer space. A new cast of customers with unique personalities, likes and dislikes. New cake shapes, icings and toppers. New upgrades including a very useful multi-tiered cake display stand! You can even swap the cake in your hand with one on the frosting station, cake stand or oven by right-clicking! This was VERY useful!

A choose-your-own path style storyline allows you to collect a series of trophies depending on which path you take. You can replay the game and choose alternate paths to collect them all!

I found this game slightly more challenging than the original, though the expert scores for all of the levels was attainable with a little effort.

Some tips and tricks:

  • Get to know your customers! Each type of customer has a particular set of likes and dislikes. Understanding them will help you keep them happy in line!
  • Use the cake display stand! The old ladies with the cats are particularly prone to buying the cakes on display and this can save a lot of time!
  • Use the treats. Giving the treats to the customers in line can really help, especially in the later levels.
  • Plan your actions. Collect menus on your way to the ovens or the frosting stations. Try not to waste steps, as Jill moves very slowly at first!
  • Use the right-click cake swapping feature. Grab a cake from the oven and take it to the frosting table, right click to switch with a finished cake to save a lot of walking!
  • Use the television. Figure out which characters prefer which channels and keep that TV going.
For more information, tips and tricks visit the Game Cafe and PlayFirst forums!

You can download and / or purchase the game from PlayFirst by clicking HERE.

I give this game an 8 out of 10!

Supercow




Supercow is a cute, action packed side-scroller by NevoSoft Games is great family-friendly fun!

The evil Professor Duriarti has escaped from prison! He is launching a plan to take over the world and has cloned the farm animals. Can you stop him before his minions destroy the planet? Guide Supercow through a series of levels, each with increasing difficulty, hidden areas, new challenges and dangerous foes.

Travel through each level and find all of the gems, coins and secrets! Avoid traps and defeat the evil doctor to save your barnyard friends, and the world!

The graphics are fantastic and really help make this an engaging and exciting game. The soundtrack, storyline and characters create a rich environment that kept me giggling all the way through.

Very similar to games like Turtle Odyssey, fans of side-scrolling adventures will undoubtedly find Supercow a quality, entertaining game. The game play is very easy to learn, even offering a choice of mouse or keyboard control.

For more information, tips and tricks, visit Game Cafe and the PlayFirst forums!

You can download and / or purchase the game HERE.

I give this game a 7 out of 10!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Puzzle City







I was able to play the new game Puzzle City today, courtesy of eGames. Puzzle City incorporates aspects of many of my favorite games and I had a great time playing it!

The object of the game is to build up 48 different cityscapes by constructing a variety of buildings, homes and businesses. Using a series of differently shaped blocks that can be sorted into the city grid, you can construct factories, police stations, hospitals, schools and more! After placing the blocks, your construction team gets to work and completed buildings pop up! Complete the scenario's requirements before time runs out (or before the block conveyor belt explodes!) to win the level, or play in the untimed relax mode to build at your own pace!

I enjoyed this game for the unique blend: logic puzzle meets tetris meets construction game. The graphics are very good and change quite often, keeping the player interested to discover what will be revealed in the next city.

48 different levels makes this game a lengthy puzzler - you won't finish it in an hour, that's for sure. That is always a good thing, in my book!

Some tips and tricks:

  • Keep a close eye on your level's goals. Often I found myself building away content to create a lovely housing district and forgot that I had to build something specific in that area. (Oops, lol)
  • Try to save the single blocks to fill in the spaces later on. So many times you'll end up needing one or two single pieces and they can be hard to come by!
  • Use the power-ups freely. You can earn a LOT of power-ups but you can only store 10 at a time. Use them often to keep new ones coming in.
  • The Bulldozer can be your best friend! Use it to clear placed blocks and open up space for larger pieces that may be stuck on your conveyor belt!
The game can be downloaded from several websites, including eGames! (Click here to download from eGames.com)

I give this game a 9 out of 10!

Delicious 2 Deluxe


I'm always a little nervous when a sequel game comes out. Just as with movies, the game sequels can sometimes lose the magic of a successful premier game. Thankfully, that is not the case with Delicious 2 Deluxe from Zylom Games!

The original Delicious Deluxe and the Winter Edition were very good games and I enjoyed them immensely. Delicious 2 Deluxe was so much better!

The object of the game is to serve customers in a variety of restaurants to earn enough money to bail out your struggling relative. As the income increases, you can buy upgrades and eventually open new restaurants. If you pick the right combinations of upgrades, you'll even earn bigger bonuses from the customers.

New helpers and improved graphics make the second (third?) installment of Delicious Deluxe a pleasure to play. The storyline is engaging and the characters are intriguing. This is one of my top ten favorite games!

The game is available from several game portal sites, including Zylom, but we must say that the game is $29.95 at Zylom and $19.95 elsewhere... just sayin'.

Downloads available at:
Yahoo Games! D2D Download
GameHouse D2D Download
GameFools D2D Download
Zylom Games


Some tips and tricks:

  • Chain actions whenever possible. If you have someone waiting to pay their bill at the counter, if you can wait until someone else is ready to pay as well, you can chain the action and make a bonus!
  • Use the helpers! They can keep the customers happy at their tables while you focus on getting the orders out as quickly as possible. Also, the helper that will clean the dirty tables is one of your biggest assets!
  • Choose your upgrades carefully. If you pick the right ones, you will get an extra bonus tip from the customers.
I give this game a 9 out of 10!

The Scruffs




There are a lot of hidden object games out there and I've played most of them. The Scruffs, from developer Sweet Tooth Games, is definitely the one that I will remember the best!

The object of the game is to find missing, valuable artifacts to save the Scruffs' family home. Explore twenty different locations and search for over a thousand different items! Unique mini game puzzles in between levels keeps the game flowing and fresh. Though, in my opinion, one of the best aspects of the game are the video scenes of the family and the storyline!

The items are not impossible to find, but they aren't so easy as to make the game boring either. The Scruff's creators have found just the right balance of difficulty to keep the player interested but not too frustrated!

You can earn extra hints in each location by finding a snack for the family pet who can be very helpful and sniff out those hard to find objects!

If you're having trouble and need some tips, check out the PlayFirst forums thread and the Game Cafe forums!

The game is available from many game websites now, and will be at The Diamond Games soon!

I give this game an 8 out of 10!

Friday, October 19, 2007

Magic Shop


Magic Shop is a relatively new matching game that's just been added to the PlayFirst website.

In the game you play as a young magician who begins work in a magic shop. The object of the game is to clear matching gems in order to collect enough magic to create the special treasure items that your customers want to purchase.

During the game you earn rubies that enable you to sell bigger and better treasures and increase the profits - points you earn towards level completion. A memory style match game in between levels allows you to unlock helpful characters that will visit your store and aid you in your quest.

I found the game to be enjoyable and creative. Although the style of game play is not new, the graphics and storyline are engaging. Creative power-ups are easy to obtain and I was able to complete each level easily.

If you're looking for a new puzzle game, this just might do the trick!

The game is available from several websites, including PlayFirst. Click here to be taken to the download page!

I give this game a 6 out of 10.

Big Island Blends


Big Island Blends is a new time management / service game. You play as a young woman who has inherited an orchard. Deciding to make a profit from this orchard, you open a series of fruit drink juice bars.

The object of the game is to mix and serve drinks to waiting customers as quickly and efficiently as possible, purchasing upgrades to improve your business along the way.

Very similar concept to "Cathy's Carribean Club", Big Island Blends is far from an original or unique game.

The game mechanics are clumsy and until speed upgrades are purchased, frustratingly slow. I had some trouble getting the game to run smoothly and the music kept stopping and starting in odd places.

Although I like the idea of this game, it just isn't very good.

If you'd like to download it and give it a try, you can get it HERE.

I give this game a 2 out of 10.

Announcement! Game Fairy at The Diamond Games!

Another exciting announcement to make!

My reviews will now have a home at The Diamond Games! I'm so excited about this as I'm a frequent visitor to that website and always look there for sneak peaks of upcoming games! The reviews on The Diamond Games are fantastic and I am honored to soon count myself among their writers! I hope to get started writing there this afternoon and I'll add links right here as soon as there is some content ready!

By the way, if you haven't checked it out yet, please head over to the Game Cafe Forum and register! It's hard to get a new board started but it's tons of fun too! Hope to see you there!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Game Cafe - Open for Business!


Game Cafe Forum Now Open!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, part of the partnership with Enigmadness.com involves their brand new Game Cafe forum! The forum is free for all users and it's just gone live! Yay! You can click the image above to be taken to the site!

Bear in mind that the forum just started and though there isn't a lot of content yet, or a lot of users, I'm going to do my best to ensure it's growth into the best free casual game discussion board ever!

Although the forum is geared towards casual games, there are areas for other games, IQ tests, and general discussion! Anything (within reason) goes! I'll be posting all of my sneak previews there, tips, tricks, hints, cheats (though not the kind of cheats that allow you to crack a game!), and everything else I can think of to post!

I'm also going to be looking for some forum moderators once the site picks up. If you'd be interested in helping out with the forum, providing assistance to new users, reviewing content and more, please let me know! You can email me at gamefairy@gmail.com or visit the forum and send me a private message!

Many of you know me from the PlayFirst Community boards and I assure you, that is my "home away from home" and I will not cease to post there! I'm a HUGE fan of PlayFirst, their games and their staff and I'll continue to post there as much as ever!

Hope to see you all there!

Sneak Peak! Luxor 3




Luxor 3 is a new game by Mumbo Jumbo Games! I was able to play the demo this afternoon and really enjoyed it!

First, the theme, the graphics and the sounds are truly astounding. As far as the marble shooter games go, the Luxor series has consistently been the best! This one does not disappoint!

Along with the usual levels, Luxor 3 offers a new style of bonus puzzle levels that become quite challenging (but don't worry, you can skip them and continue the game!), as well as unique upgrades! The upgrades include items like new marble sets, better launchers and power-ups.

If you are a fan of Luxor and Luxor 2, I have no doubt you'll be thrilled with Luxor 3!

For now, the only place to get it is RIGHT HERE.

Sneak Peak! Fashion Fits!




I tried a preview of the new game Fashion Fits! today, courtesy of Real Arcade Evaluations.

In the game, you play a sales clerk in a series of clothing stores. Your duties include stocking the clothing displays, removing clothes from the changing rooms and serving the customers in a timely manner.

Upgrades are plentiful and creative and the overall game plays very well, though not it's not too easy! I had to replay several levels to get the expert score.

The game can quickly get out of hand if you're not paying very close attention, which I liked, challenging though it was, lol.

Some tips and tricks -

  • Not many yet, as I was only able to play a limited time demo, but...
  • Restock the clothing shelves as soon as possible.
  • Don't try to wait and see if the customers leave the clothes in the changing rooms, hoping to use those to restock, that takes far too long and it is much faster to dump those on the other rack!
  • For upgrades, save up to buy the speed increase first. This will really help! The second upgrade you should get is the dresses as there is a certain level that the customers will prefer that item over the others.
I give this game a 6 out of 10, at least until I can play the full version!

No download link available yet, though if you are a member of Real Arcade's Evaluation program, you can get it there!

Build-a-Lot




Click the image above to be taken to the download page or click HERE.

I really enjoyed this game! I tried the evaluation version from Real Arcade and didn't think it looked that exciting, but once I got started, I did not want to stop!

You play as a real estate developer who works with the local towns to improve their real estate markets. In the career mode of the game, each level has it's own set of requirements and a time limit. Build a variety of homes and other buildings, meet rental and cash requirements and meet the level goals before time runs out!

Although the game begins easy, it soon becomes quite challenging. Attaining expert goal on every level is definitely not easy, but I enjoyed every moment of the game.

As you progress through the levels, you unlock new buildings and homes. Draft the new blueprints and build on!

The game also offers a relaxed mode, which I found quite enjoyable - great for learning the game play as well!

Some tips and tricks -

  • Build 2 banks and set one to donate, so you don't have to pay taxes, and leave the other to collect interest. Although this uses up a lot that could be a home, you can make a LOT of money this way!
  • For most levels, building the most expensive home you can and selling it right away can give you a good financial base with which to expand!
  • Upgrade all of your homes! The upgrade value can significantly increase your rental income and the sale value of the home!
  • Do not put your houses up for sale while other homes are selling. You won't get the full value.
  • Buy homes that come up for sale if you can afford it. When they need to be repaired, demolish them and build a more expensive home on that lot.
I give this game an 8 out of 10!
For more information and tips, visit the PlayFirst forums and Game Cafe!

Little Shop of Treasures 2




I definitely enjoyed the first Little Shop of Treasures game and this one didn't disappoint me either! I did a focus test for this game for Real Arcade awhile back and I'm glad to see that PlayFirst has picked the game up!

Little Shop of Treasures 2 is very much the same as the first version, though with new images, locations and the ability to customize the upgrades for your shop! That is one addition that I really like.

The gameplay is a bit easier than most other hidden-object games, which is good news for me! I get easily frustrated with the hidden-object games that make the items impossible to see!

Because of the similarity to the first LSOT game, any fans of that one are sure to enjoy part 2 as well!

You can find the download by clicking on the image above or visiting the PlayFirst website!

I give this game a 6 out of 10!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Partnership with Enigmadness.com!



I'm SO excited to share this!

The Game Fairy blog is now partnering with the Enigmadness.com website! I'll be heading up their brand new Game Cafe forum, too!

Enigmadness is a large website featuring IQ tests, games, puzzles and so much more! I hope to bring the world of casual gaming to the Enigmadness family and spread the word about these great games!

All of my updates, reviews, and game information will be available right here and also on the Enigmadness website! I'll be posting in the forums there with all the insider game info I can find! Please come on over and register for the boards - check out the arcade they have on the website - over 300 browser games! There are a few that I'm almost hooked on already, lol. This could be bad!

Check It Out Here!