What's New in Gamezebo
Just In - Miss Teri Tale
Someone has kidnapped a prize-winning show dog and it's up to you to figure out who in the latest hidden object game from Reflexive, Miss Teri Tale. The game launched today on Big Fish Games. Click here to try it out, and stay tuned for Gamezebo's review.
Steals & Deals
Friday Casual Games Weekly News Roundup
Welcome to Friday's casual games news roundup. Among the top headline this week: RealNetworks acquires Trymedia, Jagex launches the online gaming community FunOrb Games, and GameSpot interviews gaming legends Sid Meier (Civilization, Railroad Tycoon) and Nolan Bushnell (founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese restaurants.)
Candace Kane's Candy Factory Review
Did you know that dark chocolate has nearly five times the antioxidants of blueberries? Or that sugar is one of the few naturally fat-free foods? Not that I'm advocating a candy binge, but its nice to know the good stuff isn't completely off the menu. Candace Kane's Candy Factory is an assembly line game which has you producing more of the sweet stuff by the dozens.
DragonStone Review
Young Baldric's in love... with the King's daughter no less. And she loves him, too. However, as with any chivalrous tale, Baldric can't marry her on the spot. A heroic deed must first be performed to qualify him as suitor. Thus, the king has sent him on a quest to recover a special artifact, the DragonStone. To win the princesses' hand, Baldric must retrieve the relic and return victorious.
How Madame Fate got her voice: an audio post-mortem
Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate was one of those games that raised the bar for production values in hidden object games, thanks in no small part to the contributions of SomaTone Interactive Audio. (Who could forget Madame Fate's distinctive lilt, or the ambient sounds that brought the carnival atmosphere to life?) SomaTone's co-founder Kane Minkus takes us through the process of creating the game's distinctive soundtrack in Gamezebo's first audio post-mortem.
RuneScape's creator launches portal for Web games
Community and web-based gaming were two of the biggest buzz words at this year's GDC, so we weren't surprised to learn that Jagex, the company behind the RuneScape virtual world, has just launched the FunOrb Games portal. The site offers a variety of games that can be played in a Web browser thus bypassing long download times. Many of the games are free to play, but for a small monthly fee ($3) players unlock additional game levels, achievements and community features.
Production company Endemol is also getting in on the action, developing Web games based on TV game shows Deal or No Deal and 1 Vs. 100.
Coffee Rush Review
Oh no! The overly-aggressive Smokestack Coffee Company is stamping out local competition with its overpriced coffee that tastes like mud. Um, that's the Smokestack company - though you might have thought they go by another name. Ahem.
In Anarchy Entertainment's Coffee Rush, it's up to you to open your own coffee shop and take back all the areas of town dominated by the evil corporation's trendy cafes. Up for the challenge? While it lacks in the originality department, Coffee Rush can be as addictive as the drink itself.
Merv Griffin's Crosswords Review
For those who don't know, according to Wikipedia, Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. was an "American talk show host, game show host, entertainer, television personality and raconteur." He also happens to be the creator of Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy and several other noteworthy TV programs, including the one on which this shallow and somewhat disappointing new word game for desktop PCs is based. Bummer!
Family Feud Dream Home Review
Alright game show groupies - how many of you play along at home and yell at the TV? Family Feud has been on the air since 1976, and was the first U.S. game show to air 10 times a week in its heyday. Family Feud Dream Home tries to bring this game show classic to our home computers, "and the survey says" its good news.
