What's New in Gamezebo
G.H.O.S.T. Hunters: The Haunting of Majesty Manor Review
Troubled by things that go bump in the night? Not sure if it's a haunting or a hoax? A specter or a spoof? A phantom or phony? If you're uncertain, don't take chances. Dial Ghost Hunter, Inc. instead!
G.H.O.S.T. Hunters: The Haunting of Majesty Manor, the latest offering in the hidden-object genre, blends macabre and mystery in a tale of "supposed" spectral taunting. Your job, as a newly-hired investigator, is to figure out whether the haunting is genuine or a cruel deception.
Dream Chronicles Screen Shots & Contest
What do you get when you mix a hidden-object game with Myst and a bit of Gaudi (for anyone who has ever been to Barcelona)? The answer is Dream Chronicles by PlayFirst and KatGames.
We are working on a preview. But, we wanted to show you screen shots now and tell you about the contest PlayFirst is running in anticipation of the game.
Submit your strangest dream here and PlayFirst will award you with a 25% discount to buy games on their Web site. Rules and more info on the PlayFirst site. Also, be sure to sign up for Gamezebo To Go, daily updates of Gamezebo to your email box, to be first to know when this game is released.
Hidden Expedition: Everest Review
Have any plans this summer? How about joining a race to see who can be first to reach the summit of Everest?
I can assure you, daring gamers, this will be no easy feat. You see, I already know this to be true because Gamezebo was granted some serious hands-on time with Hidden Expedition: Everest from Big Fish Games, the latest seek-and-find puzzler with a great story, impressive graphics and many bonus levels and secrets to be found.
How much is your favorite casual game company making?
Curious how much your favorite casual game company is making? If that company is public such as Real, it's easy to figure. If they are private, it's still not too hard, if they have or are raising money:
We have no clue how much Oberon is making, but we do know that they keep on hiring seasoned executives to their management team. Know how much others are making? Tip us or add to comments below.
Rainforest Cascade Review
GameHouse's Rainforest Cascade is kind of like a good movie sequel: you more or less know what to expect when you walk in, and you enjoy it while you're there, but it does very little to push the creative envelope.
In other words, this new 3-in-a-row puzzler is fun and relaxing, but will hardly win awards for ingenuity.
ZoomBook: Temple of the Sun Preview
MumboJumbo's and QB9's ZoomBook: The Temple of the Sun is either an interactive storybook or a jigsaw puzzle with one heck of a plot. We'll leave it up to you to decide when the game launches in June. Either way, the idea is a neat one, and we were pretty intrigued when we got to test drive the game a little early.
15 Minutes of Game: Featured Web Game of the Week
Who knew racing mammoths would be so fun? Use your space bar to jump in the lead in Crazy Mammoths. This is really a cool Web game because its different than anyone we've seen in a while.
Thanks to FreeGameNews and Pepere.org for finding this game.
Mayawaka Review
Take an '80s arcade hit like Q*Bert, add a Mayan theme, and then throw in some classic mini-games such as Memory (a.k.a. Concentration) and Whack-A-Mole and you'll end up with something like Mayawaka, a new casual game that - while unoriginal in its design - ends up being more than the sum of its mediocre parts.
Arcadia Remix Review
If you thought your food-serving or gem-swapping puzzle games were tough exercises, wait until you're asked to play four different games - all at the same time.
And you will, if you've downloaded and played Arcadia Remix, a very clever - and increasingly challenging - retro arcade game with a few new and fun twists. One thing's for sure - you haven't played anything like it before.
Kudos: Rock Star Preview
With insanely popular television shows such as Fox's American Idol and CBS's Rock Star - not to mention our celebrity-obsessed culture - it's no wonder video games are also allowing us to let our hair down and vie to become famous musicians.
Arguably the most-talked about video game on the planet is RedOctane's Guitar Hero series, where you can plug in a guitar-shaped controller into your video game system and jam along with some of rock's classic tracks.
But coming soon is a more strategic game for PC gamers, also designed to give wannabe stars a glimpse at what it takes to reach the top. Put your hands together and welcome Kudos: Rock Legend.
Gamezebo News: Welcome to the Bandwagon
Yet another video game publisher, Ubisoft, announces they are jumping on the casual game bandwagon. This follows news from last week that Eidos has announced they are developing casual games.
Question is: will all these games be for the Nintendo DS and Wii, or any offered as free trials for the PC? Gamezebo shall investigate!
15 Minutes of Game: Featured Web Game of the Week
Nitrome, one of our favorite developers of free Web-based casual games of all time, has launched a new game, and Gamezebo rejoices.
In Space Hopper, you hop between orbiting planets collecting stars and avoiding aliens!
Downbeat Review
For many, the 80's was a golden era, a decade when pop was king, action movie stars could blow up a car with a single bullet and women wore shoulder pads so huge that NFL quarterbacks would gaze enviously at them before getting squished by William 'The Fridge' Perry's supersized gut.
Harking back to the era of Madonna and Jackson's heydays, Downbeat resurrects several classic tracks from the 80's and places them into a colorful and entertaining game that'll test your rhythmical skills to their max and have you grinning with joyous nostalgia for countless fun-filled hours.
Her Interactive Interview
While the industry continues to debate the question of how to attract more girls to gaming, the actions of one particular developer have been speaking louder than words. Her Interactive has been creating quality "girl games" for more than 10 years, and is best known for its long-running Nancy Drew PC adventure game series. We spoke with Jessica Chiang, Marketing Producer, to learn more about the unique perspective that Her Interactive brings to gaming.
Nanny Mania Review
I've often fantasized about being rich enough to own a nanny - someone to cook my meals, do my laundry, clean up after my pets, and generally leave me to enjoy the carefree high life where chores are things of the past. Nanny Mania offers a glimpse into that life, but not from the perspective of the leisure class. Instead, you'll be down in the trenches with the hard-working nanny herself.
Combining some of the time management features of games like Diner Dash with the look and feel of The Sims, Nanny Mania is an interesting concept that is certainly fun for a while, but that has trouble maintaining interest across its 150 levels.
Escape from Paradise Review
A cruise is supposed to offer a fun, relaxing experience. Sunning on the deck, sipping a refreshing beverage and inland excursions at exotic ports. You know, Love Boat kinda stuff, a paradise at sea.
Book passage on the SS Fantasy, however, and a different kind of paradise awaits. One that strands you and your fellow passengers on an uncharted island in the South Pacific.
Uncle Dave's Board Game Closet
My name is Dave, and I love games. Probably more than I should. Not only have I been producing and designing games full time since 1995, but I also have a LOT of board games and card games around the house. A closet full. About 500 all together. Much to my wife's chagrin.
Profitville Review
Profitville, like many other towns in America (and no doubt elsewhere), are experiencing the "mega mart" pinch - a huge, do-it-all store with dirt-cheap prices that is single-handedly shutting down mom and pop stores one by one. We don't need to name names, but we all know which corporation we're dealing with here. Ahem.
And so it's your job to save these smaller stores in the fictitious town of Profitville, a new casual game from savvy developer Myth People.
Merriam Webster's Spell-Jam Review
I'll never forget flipping through the TV channels one afternoon and coming across a televised National Spelling Bee for middle-school children. An hour later I was still transfixed to the screen like a sports fan whose team is fighting for its life in the finals, cheering every time my star player spelled a word correctly to advance another round, and biting my nails anxiously every time she hesitated.
Who Needs Stories
Seventeen years. That's how long I've been pondering this question, since 1990 when games still came on floppies that actually were floppy. Games were small and crude and there room for preludes and cut-sequences or movies. But still we dreamed. We imagined interactive technologies could supplant video and film and that a new medium of story-telling would emerge, a more powerful medium that would engage people of all ages. We liked to use the term interactive story-telling, but we had no idea what that meant so we made it up as we went along and failed more often than we succeeded. Games could tell a story, but not a very compelling one. The adventure games of the mid-90's came pretty darn close though, and people like Tim Schaffer and the Miller brothers did a helluva job trying, but in the end even MYST and Grim Fandango are more game than story. The same is true of today's casual games.
Interview with Joshua Howard, Carbonated Games
As Microsoft's in-house casual games studio, Carbonated Games does everything from rebuilding classic Windows games like Hearts for the MSN Games portal to creating original content like Solitaire in Motion and Hexic. The studio's newest project, UNO, is currently the #1 download on Xbox Live Arcade and will also be the first Live Anywhere casual game playable across Xbox 360, PC, Windows Live Messenger, and mobile devices. Joshua Howard, head of production at Carbonated Games, walked us through UNO's development and shared his thoughts on what Live Anywhere means for casual gaming. (And, because we couldn't resist, he also tells us what it was like to work with Tetris's creator Alexey Pajitnov on Hexic.)
Happy Hour Review
Congratulations! You've just won the Bar-o-Matic lottery! You're now the proud own of the Cocktail-o-Matic 6000, an experimental cocktail-mixing machine and a rundown bar called John Doe's.
And so this is how iWin.com's Happy Hour begins, a new downloadable micromanagement "serving" game a la Diner Dash or Burger Island - but this time you're slinging cocktails instead of food. The end result is a "refreshing" bartending simulation that proves both fun and challenging.
15 Minutes of Game: Featured Web Game of the Week
Last week I had dinner at Red Robin with Rich from Yahoo!, and over tasty hamburgers and kids food, he told me about Yahoo's new web game, Yahoo! Buzz Popularity Contest.
Basically, you can test your knowledge on what is hotter based on the millions of searches conducted on Yahoo! each day. The game is never the same twice (pretty cool idea).
Exocubes Review
Playing Gameeel's Exocubes is kind of like seeing a flick starring Samuel L. Jackson: it can be fun at times, sure, but it's by no means an extraordinary experience.
Forgive the strange and biased analogy, but a game reviewer such as yours truly is trying to make a point that mediocrity exists in the interactive entertainment world just as it does in Hollywood.
Steals & Deals: Mother's Day
It's Mother's Day this weekend and your friends in casual games remembered. At PopCap, sign up for the newsletter to win a free Mother's Day gift of Bejeweled. Over at PlayFirst, the staff has picked 5 games to offer at 25% off to celebrate.
Just In: All games are 30% off this Mother's Day Weekend at Big FIsh Games.
Yahtzee Review
It's hard to screw up a computerized version of Yahtzee. Translate the rules, render decent graphics, make sure the interface is clean, and you've done your job. What isn't easy, however, is creating a digitized version of the Milton Bradley classic that adds cool twists without losing the heart of what makes the real world version enjoyable. The good news is, Zylom has done just that with its new Yahtzee offering for casual gamers.
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.
Nanny Mania Preview
Most of the people who enjoy time-management games probably have a type-A personality. There's something about going into a chaotic situation and creating order that appeals to me. In fact, the thrill that comes with clearing the last table in Diner Dash is similar to what I feel after cleaning my own house. If that sounds like you, check out Nanny Mania from Gogii Games when it appears online next week.
It'll Never Fly: How Snapshot Adventures Proved Them All Wrong
"We went out to [the Game Developer's Conference] and we showed it to a few publishers, and there were a couple who thought we were completely crazy. They said 'We think it's an interesting idea, we just don't think it will go.' They didn't think it would fly...so to speak."
Though designer Wade Tinney admits his company's game Snapshot Adventures may have not received the warmest of welcomes, just a year later, the game is proving that its concept doesn't just fly: It soars.
Ice Cream Tycoon Review
It's that time of year again. Sunny skies, warm weather, kids playing out-of-doors, the sound of canned music in the air. Yep, you guessed it. The ice cream truck is headed this way. Fudgesicles, ice cream sandwiches, cones and other frozen treats await!
However, though almost everyone enjoys ice-cold treats (too much, in fact), maybe you've always dreamed of creating an ice cream empire. If so, Ice Cream Tycoon lets you give it a whirl.
Burger Island Review
Hungry for excitement and adventure?
Dig into Burger Island, the coolest electronic exercise in slinging food to unruly patrons we've spied in several weeks. Despite the frantic pace at which the game unfolds, and the inevitable onset of repetition, it's a surprisingly polished and gratifying experience that's sure to satisfy any craving for spastic, arcade-style fun.
Text Express 2 Review
Wordsmiths looking for a new challenge after finishing Bookworm Adventures Deluxe should definitely take a spin with Text Express 2.
Zylom's latest is a fun and frantic word creation game that builds upon hits like Text Twist, but adds multiple game modes, power-ups and, well, lots of trains. Climb aboard, because it's a blast.
A Pirate's Legend Review
I've been sitting here for 20 minutes trying to think of a clever way to open this review of A Pirate's Legend. I've already scrapped, "Ahoy mates! We've dug up a new matching game," and, "Shiver me timbers! Will it walk the plank?" Now I'm stumped, so how about you read the review and I keep the cheesy wordplay to a minimum?
Arctic Quest 2 Review
Even though the Snow King was defeated at the end of the first Arctic Quest, his son is back to finish the job in Arctic Quest 2, the sequel to the popular puzzle game. So once again, the Earth is in danger of being turned into a frozen wasteland with all living creatures encased in ice unless you can travel to the Snow Prince's lair to break the spell.
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.
Inca Ball Review
This time of year, as a good chunk of the country is still waiting for spring to, er, spring, nothing beats lazing away on a damp Sunday afternoon than by clicking through a fun casual game. Why, you ask? They're simple to pick up and play but somehow impossible to put down. The latest time-waster is Inca Ball, a game that resembles the popular Zuma game from PopCap, but with a few new twists.
Escape from Paradise Preview
The latest title from Gogii Games and Big Fish Games is Escape from Paradise, a "life simulation" set on a lush tropical island where a handful of castaways are trying to survive and find a way home.
15 Minutes of Game: Featured Web Game of the Week
Every week, we scour the Internet for the most fun-filled free Web-based game. But on weeks we are lazy, we just go to JayisGames, one of our favorite game sites.
Today, we feature Sunday Lawn from Donut Games. Thanks to Jay and team for finding this one.
Burger Island Preview
While restaurant management games, such as the Diner Dash series, seem to be all the rage these days, your responsibilities usually take place outside of the kitchen, such as seating and serving customers and bussing tables after eaters have left the establishment.
But in Burger Island, the upcoming title by eGames and Sandlot Games, you can leave the dishrag for someone else and get behind the grill and deep fryer to take care of business.
The Apprentice: Los Angeles Review
Even if you've not watched an episode of the TV show The Apprentice, you've probably seen clips in which Donald Trump points a beefy finger at some unlucky schlep and barks, "You're fired!" In fact, Trump's catchphrase has become almost as famous as his comb over. It was just a matter of time, then, until the show went interactive, as it does in The Apprentice: Los Angeles.