What's New in Gamezebo
DS Casual: Bring on the Brainiacs
When you think casual games, Windows is the obvious choice. It offers a veritable smorgasbord of gaming goodness. But, it's not the only platform for casual fans. A less obvious alternative is Nintendo's DS, now available in a "Lite" version (more games, less grams).
Nancy Drew: Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon Review
Originally released in retail stores on a CD-ROM, Last Train to Blue Mountain Canyon is now available as a download online.
It takes over an hour to download and install the hefty 700MB file, but if you can muster up the patience you'll be treated to an intriguing interactive mystery with the depth and production values of a full-fledged adventure game in the tradition of Broken Sword, Sam & Max and Sierra's King's Quest series.
What's New & Hot!
Every week, Gamezebo scours the web searching for the latest and greatest games across the world's leading casual sites so you don't have to.
Xbox Files: Geometry Wars - The Bejeweled of the Xbox Live Arcade
Geometry Wars is a casual game, but it's not the kind of game you play casually. It's the kind of game you play on the edge of your seat, your gnarled hands making visible dents in the controller as the adrenaline pumping through your body makes you shake. It's the kind of game that makes you cry out and throw the controller down when you lose, only to pick it up again and try to beat your high score in just "one more game."
In other words, it's the kind of game they don't make much anymore.
Mysteries of Horus Review
Ah, ancient Egypt. Land of forbidden secrets, towering pyramids, mysterious boy-kings and, uh... hieroglyphic-matching races against the clock?
Hey - go with the flow in Mysteries of Horus, an easily-learned, tough-to-master arcade outing that'll tax both your reflexes and gray matter.
Steals & Deals
Teddy Factory, which we loved (we gave it a 4.5) is 50% off at Yahoo! (hint). Check out this week's Steals & Deals:
Yahoo! Games
Xbox Files: X360 & Casual Games - A Match Made in Heaven?
The Xbox 360 might not seem like the most logical choice to bring a casual game revival to your living room's video game consoles. After all, the 360 is the most powerful console currently available -- home to sprawling, graphically rich. Why would anyone want to use all this power on a casual game? The answer is Xbox Live Arcade.
Bugatron Worlds Review
The more things change, the more they play the same.
Need proof?
See Bugatron Worlds, a frantically-paced spaceship shooter that successfully apes 1981 arcade classic Galaga to excellent effect.
15 Minutes of Game: Featured Web Game of Week
Fruit Fall
Use the mouse or arrow keys to rotate the game screen clockwise or anti-clockwise and gravity will cause the fruit to fall. Thank you to SoGoPlay for this sneak peak.
Know of a good Web game that deserves 15 minutes of fame? Tell us about it at editor@gamezebo.com. If we post the game, we'll mention it came from your tip.
Atlantis - Sky Patrol Review
Two favorite films growing up were First Men in the Moon (1964), starring Edward Judd and Lionel Jeffries, and The Time Machine (1960), with Rod Taylor. Based on the works of H. G. Wells, both employed fantastic Victorian-era tech that simply wasn't possible at the time (or even today).
In like fashion, Atlantis - Sky Patrol offers an alternate-history, sci-fi storyline that could easily serve as the plot for a sequel to Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. But, that's as far as the similarities go.
Behind The Game: How Ricochet Xtreme Brought Reflexive Home to Casual Games
Reflexive Entertainment may have started out much like any small company, but that's where the similarities end. An unlikely road through the hardcore gaming world led them to create Ricochet Xtreme, an addictive brick-buster that would bring a classic idea into the casual games arena.
Super Slyder Review
Sometimes the deepest and most challenging digital diversions are also the simplest.
Case in point: Super Slyder from Sandlot Games. A deceptively shallow outing at first glance, this adorable little cartoon puzzler quickly reveals itself to be one of the most fiendishly diabolical outings in ages.
Friday Casual Games News Round-Up
We knew it was bound to happen. Nothing interesting in casual games happened this week, except for PopCap announcing it will place their games on Valve's Steam (once again, the casual and video games business converge). And of course, there is my hot juicy rumor that has not been announced yet.
The Three Musketeers Review
It's only taken 162 years for Alexandre Dumas' famous story of the Musketeers to become a computer game -- but now you can step into the shoes of Porthos, the heroic swashbuckler from the early 17th century, who vows to save his kidnapped brethren from the evil Count Xavier.
After all, it's "One for all, and all for one!," remember?
What's New & Hot!
Every week, Gamezebo scours the web searching for the latest and greatest games across the world's leading casual sites so you don't have to.
Juicy Casual Game Rumor
It's time for a "blind vice." What's a blind vice, you ask? It's when I give you hints of a juicy casual game rumor and you guess what it is.
Rumor is one of the biggest casual game developers (whose games you've definitely have played if you peruse this Web site) has been acquired by a major video game publisher. It just has not been announced yet. Who has been bought? Who is the buyer? Take your best guess. Rumor is, it'll be announced next week.
1001 Zuma Nights
In 1001 Arabian Nights, Queen Scheherazade tells a new tale every night to her husband, the King Shahryar, to delay her imminent execution.
If we were to modernize this classic tale to the casual game era, I imagine we'd call it 1001 Zuma Nights. That is because every week, a new casual game inspired by Zuma is released on the Internet.
Stones of Khufu Review
Some combinations are hard to beat. For example, the Beach Boys, Mulder and Scully, the Three Stooges, Simon and Garfunkel, Kirk and Spock, and last but not least, Napoleon Dynamite and Pedro.
Okay, you get the idea. But, another great combination is mummies and match-three, and you'll find it in Stones of Khufu.
15 Minutes of Game: Featured Web Game of the Week
SpeedX2: Summer Vacation
It's you against the computer in the fastest and most intense version of Solitaire on both sides of the Mississippi.
Know of a good Web game that deserves 15 minutes of fame? Tell us about it at editor@gamezebo.com. If we post the game, we'll mention it came from your tip.
Chameleon Gems Review
There comes a time in all of our gameplaying lives when even our best-loved games start to feel a little stale. Even the mighty Zuma from PopCap? Yes, even Zuma. Which is why we so appreciated what Dekovir Entertainment has done with its Chameleon Gems, a knockoff with a twist.
SandScript Preview
What's a genie without his magical powers? Not much apparently, which is why you have to help the little purple guy get his mojo back in SandScript, the latest word game from PlayFirst and Viqua Games.
Jurassic Realm Review
Anyone who's ever dreamed of becoming an archaeologist will feel an instant affinity for Jurassic Realm.
Your objective: Match patterns of three or more objects - crystals, bones, bugs, fossilized fangs, idols, stone axes, etc. - to excavate a whopping 151 levels by removing these items from the board.
Rack 'Em Up Road Trip Preview
You might enjoy shooting a game of pool against your friends, but wait until you get a load of guys like Apollo Wozlowski, Rafferty McDougall and Hendricks Muttenfeld.
You'll soon have an opportunity to meet these colorful characters in Rack 'Em Up Road Trip, a fun and accessible billiards simulation from Garage and Oberon Games.
Friday Casual Games News Round-Up
This week, more game companies are bought, new publishers jump in the fray, and more people are saved by the elixir of life that is casual games. And that was just in the beginning of the week.
Interview with Michael Schutzler, Real Arcade: Part 2
In Part 1 of our Interview with Michael Schutzler, senior vice president, Games Division at RealNetworks, we discussed about how how RealArcade got started in casual games and how a game gets picked to be offered to its millions of users. Today, we talk about what's new coming from RealArcade in the future, casual games on multiple platforms, and most importantly --- how casual games will save the world. That's right, the WORLD. Read on.
Atlantis - Sky Patrol Preview
If you dig "steampunk" - that special blend of widget-happy, Victorian-era science-fiction immortalized in films like Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and the works of author H.G. Wells - then get ready to rejoice.
Chances are you'll love Atlantis - Sky Patrol, an eye-catching new diversion debuting next week from Big Fish Studios that celebrates the joys of the genre's singular, neo-industrialized aesthetic and eye for wild, wacky inventions.
What's New & Hot!
Every week, Gamezebo scours the web searching for the latest and greatest games across the world's leading casual sites so you don't have to.
Interview with Michael Schutzler, RealArcade
In the world of casual games, RealArcade is huge. Since pioneering the space back in 2001 (RealNetworks was one of the first companies to sell casual games as downloads), RealArcade has evolved from a distribution channel into developer, publisher, and distributor of games across multiple platforms (PC and mobile) and worldwide. Every day, over 700,000 games are downloaded through the RealArcade network, including RealArcade, GameHouse, and Zylom.
We sat down to talk with Michael Schutzler, senior vice president, Games Division at RealNetworks, about everything related to casual games --- how RealArcade started, how a game gets picked to be offered to its millions of users, even how casual games will change the world (for the better of course).
Word Monaco Review
Too busy to read a lengthy review of this game? No problem. Here's the 22-word version: Word Monaco can best be described as a cross between Klondike, the popular solitaire card game, and Scrabble. And we like it.
Caramba Review
If you're a fan of The Simpsons, you know Bart's famous exclamations. "Don't have a cow, man!" "Eat my shorts!" And, my favorite, a derivative of the oft-used Spanish interjection of surprise, "Aye Carumba!"
Okay. So, Bart's not entirely correct. It's actually spelled "¡Ay, caramba!" No matter, Zylom has the mariachi band warmed up and ready to hit the streets with their unique puzzler, Caramba.
Dream Vacation Solitaire Review
If you think Windows Solitaire is as good as it gets, wait 'til you click through Dream Vacation Solitaire.
Rather than play your favorite solitaire card games against a plain green background, this digital diversion lets you set sail throughout the world and travel to five beautiful destinations - Bora-Bora, Barbados, Fregate Island, Dubai and Monaco - as you tackle 30 different solitaire games in total.
Friday Casual Game News Round-Up
Due to popular demand, Gamezebo surfs the web and collects all newsworthy items related to casual games. This week: MTV buys Shockwave, brand-new Mac casual game site launches, and casual games are good for you.
Interview with Arthur Humphrey: Last Day of Work
If there is a "Cinderella" story in casual games, it would be Last Day of Work ("LDW"). Starting with handheld games, LDW have launched not one, but two PC casual game hits, Fish Tycoon and Virtual Villagers, in the past year. And no one can accuse LDW of creating clones. Fish Tycoon and Virtual Villagers are both based on LDW's proprietary real-time game environment, so the game plays even when you are not there. We walked the 12 blocks to LDW's office (literally, Gamezebo and LDW's offices are that close) to talk to Arthur Humphrey, CEO and Lead Designer, to discover their secret of their success, the inspiration behind their games, and what future tricks they have up their sleeve.
What's New & Hot
Every week, Gamezebo scours the web searching for the latest and greatest games across the world's leading casual sites so you don't have to.
I want my MTV-Shockwave?
Viacom announced today they are buying Atom Shockwave, one of your favorite places to play casual games (well, one of my favorite places, at least) for $200 million.
Lotus Review
Casual game fans bored of swapping gems, rotating puzzle pieces or clicking through another card solitaire game may find solace in Lotus Deluxe, a new and unique downloadable diversion.
15 Minutes of Game: Featured Web Game of the Week
The Dudesons Bonebreaker
What's a Dudeson? Don't know, but they sure are more fun to throw than a penguin. Click the link above to go to Spike TV's Dudeson page and then click on the lower right hand module to play the game.
Sweetopia Review
Rumor has it the only thing more addictive than videogames is candy.
As for Sweetopia, a charming little reflex-intensive arcade puzzler that combines both? Let's just say the title's magically delicious, color-matching antics should prove a hit with enthusiasts hungry for finger-blistering fun.
Steals & Deals
It's Monday, so it's time to download and buy casual games on on the cheap. Check out this week's Steals & Deals:
iWin
Friday Casual Games News Round-Up
Gamezebo is not just the home to people passionate about casual games. A lot of people who create and distribute casual games (or, "industry folks," as we like to call them) peruse our site as well.
In honor of them, we introduce our newest feature --- Gamezebo's Week in Review. Every Friday, we will surf the Web and collect all newsworthy items related to casual games. Dig in!
Talismania Review
PopCap, makers of Bejeweled, Bookworm, Zuma, Chuzzle (and the list goes on and on) launched their latest opus today and Gamezebo, being rock stars, already have our review for you. Read our review and download Talismania for yourself.
What's New & Hot!
Every week, Gamezebo scours the web searching for the latest and greatest games across the world's leading casual sites so you don't have to.
Luck Charm Deluxe Review
May the luck of the Irish be with you: You'll need it to get ahead at pattern-matching puzzler Luck Charm Deluxe.
The challenge here - seeing if you've got what it takes to be a real-life leprechaun. (Minus, of course, that goofy beard, gruff accent and Scrooge-like obsession with a certain treasure hoard...)
Galapago Review
Perhaps it's fitting the latest 3-in-a-row puzzler takes place where Darwin solidified his theory on evolution; Galapago is built on the popular casual game formula but adds a slew of new features to keep the game-play fun and fresh.
Connect 4 Cities Review
This ain't your daddy's Connect Four.
Of course you remember the Hasbro four-in-a-row tabletop game from your youth - sit across from an opponent at table and drop black or red checkers into a upright-standing yellow board.
15 Minutes of Game: Featured Web Game of the Week
Swap Job
Swap while you get your groove on (note: if you are in an office, keep the sound down. Or, if you are in the office and don't care about your boss, turn the volume up. Kudos to Free Games News, where we found this game.
Know of a good Web game that deserves 15 minutes of fame? Tell us about it at editor@gamezebo.com. If we post the game, we'll mention it came from your tip.