What's New in Gamezebo
Steals & Deals - Aug. 1, 2008
- --iWin - 20% off all games [use coupon code Newsletter].
- --PlayFirst - 25% off Fashion Dash
- --RealArcade - 50% off G.H.O.S.T. Hunters
- --Worldwide Biggies - 30% off The Princess Bride Game [use coupon code PBG-MAC-700]. Offer ends Aug. 8.
- --Wadjet Eye Games fan art contest
Zeeby videos are up!
Videos for the second annual Zeeby Awards are now online! Click here to view the exclusive broadcast, which was recorded and produced by Lifetime TV Games.
The video features the brilliantly clever banter of host/emcee Bradford How, acceptance speeches and clips from your favorite developers, and interviews with winners by Gamezebo's own Marc Saltzman.
More than 35,000 voters picked the top casual games of 2007, with the People's Choice Award for Casual Game of the Year going to Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile by I-Play and Flood Light Games. The Zeebys also raised $11,000 for the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, a charity that helps the families of seriously ill children.
Coming Soon: The live music of the SomaTone Interactive Band playing 6 of your favorite casual game tunes!
So long Scrabulous
If you've been following the Hasbro vs. Scrabulous saga then what happened this week wasn't all that surprising, but it still came as a kick in the teeth to the 4 million or so Facebook users who enjoyed playing the immensely popular multiplayer take-off on Scrabble.
On Tuesday, fans found that Facebook had shut Scrabulous down in response to a lawsuit that Hasbro, owner of the North American rights to Scrabble, was filing against the makers of the game.
Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy Preview
Hot on the heels of Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice - which is currently the #1 selling PC game in North America - Her Interactive has given us a peak at the next game in the long-running series, Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy, which is coming out this fall.
Governor of Poker Review
Howdy pardner! Y'all love poker, I'm sure, and a new spin on the classic card game has moseyed its way to the casual game space. Yee haw! Governor of Poker folds in a Wild West theme along with a real estate spin, as you can earn enough money to buy buildings in order to become a Texas tycoon.
Gunslinger Solitaire Review
Step through the saloon doors into the Wild West, where you'll try to find the gold mine at the end of the treasure map with your six-shooter in one hand and a deck of cards in the other. Gunslinger Solitaire puts a unique cowboy spin on the old solitaire card game that's fun for a while but ultimately has its fair share of tumbleweeds.
Elven Mists 2 Preview
In the sequel to Intenium's brainteaser Elven Mists, the old Awakener of the Elves has retired after 750 years of faithful servie and nominates you as his successor. But since you're only 99 years old, you'll have to convince the dwellers of the mystical kingdom of Deru that you're qualified to reawaken the Elves, who have been hibernating in their flower beds.
Web Wednesdays: Rollercoaster Rush
My local amusement park is about to open a new rollercoaster called the Behemoth that looks absolutely insane, which is why I chose Rollercoaster Rush as this week's featured web game - that and it's really fun.
Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice Review
Nancy Drew's 18th point-and-click adventure, Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice, takes the teenage sleuth to the canals and palazzos of Italy's famouse water-bound city. She's been enlisted by the GdiF (Italy's FBI) to help capture an art thief known simply as "The Phantom."
Operation Mania Preview
What do you do when you're the doctor and someone comes into your hospital with butterflies in their stomach, water on the knee, and a frog in the throat? Operate of course! Operation Mania is a new twist on Hasbro's classic Operation board game that will be launching soon courtesy of EA's casual games site Pogo.com.
Majesco forays into casual downloads with Orchard
Majesco Entertainment has published several popular casual games on the Nintendo DS and Wii, including versions of Cake Mania, Babysitting Mania and Fish Tycoon, as well as its own popular Cooking Mama series. Majesco's upcoming game Orchard, however, will be the company's first game published for the PC download market.
Gamezebo spoke with Gui Karyo, Executive VP of Operations at Majesco Entertainment, about the company's first foray into the world of casual online gaming.
Casual News - July 29, 2008
Funtactix and Nickelodeon announce new multiplayer online casual games; I-Play and RealNetworks celebrate their Zeeby Award wins; and over at GameSetWatch, Emily Short writes a thoughtful column about storytelling in hidden object games. These headlines and more behind the cut.
Dream Day Wedding: Married in Manhattan Review
Hidden object games that challenge players to find hundreds of well-concealed items in busy scenes is one of the hottest genres in the casual gaming space. This includes plenty of "sequelitis," which is just fine for fans of a particular series. And the latest sequel in the Dream Day franchise, Dream Day Wedding: Married in Manhattan, should satiate long-time fans.
Glyph 2 Review
Visually attractive with more sophisticated gameplay than the original, Glyph 2 is a fantastic sequel that offers 255 new match-three levels to explore as you seek to unlock the mysterious glyphs and put a stop to the darkness that's spreading across Kuros.
All About Farming Preview
Next up to try its hand at a farm-themed time management game is Realore, who will soon be launching All About Farming. You'll plant pumpkins, cabbage and other organic vegetables, buy cows, take care of chickens and pigs, and more as you work to revive your grandfather's farm. Old gramps will even act as your assistant.
Sarah's Emergency Room Preview
Merscom has partnered with Portuguese developer GameInvest to produce the hospital-themed time management game Sarah's Emergency Room. Merscom's production team also worked on the hit Dairy Dash, so hopefully some of the good vibes will rub off - you'll get ot find out when the game launches in September.
Ashtons Family Resort Preview
In Ashtons Family Resort, an upcoming time management game from Realore (makers of Jane's Hotel), you'll get to try your hand at running the family tourist business as you manage four unique camping spots: the shores of a lake, a ski resort in the Apls, a sunny safari in Kenya, and a deep-sea diving camp on an island in the Pacific Ocean.
Pony World Review
Every little girl dreams of having a pony, or so they say. Thankfully for parents, now besotted toddlers can finally get one courtesy of Pony World Deluxe, which lets you raise simulated versions of the friendly critters at a fraction of the real-world cost.
Apple Pie Review
One benefit of reviewing games: It's a great stress reliever. After a rough day, I played Apple Pie with my son so I could write the review. THe match-three game gave us an opportunity to connect by doing something fun together. Unfortunately, the game's benefit stopped there.
Clueless Preview
Along with Mean Girls and Pretty in Pink, Paramount Digital Entertainment and Legacy Interactive are working on a game based on the 1995 Paramount film Clueless, which stars plucky Beverly Hills high school student Cher as she tries to find the perfect boyfriends for all her pals.
Green Valley - Summer Rush Preview
When we last saw everyone's favorite bumbling insect dad, Beetle Bug, he was rescuing his kidnapped kids in Beetle Bug 3. Now the poor guy has inherited a farm and takes his family out to the country only to discover that the "farmhouse" is actually a shack badly in need of repairs. So in Green Valley - Summer Rush, Beetle Bug gets up early every morning to turn the run-down farm into a flourishing business.
Mean Girls Preview
Every high school has its "mean girls" - the clique of the prettiest, most popular girls who always seem to have the most terrible personalities. In Mean Girls: High School Showdown, a game based on the movie that launched Lindsay Lohan's career, you'll take on the role of a high school student trying to restore the balance of power by bringing down the biggest clique of them all: the Plastics.
Little Shop - Road Trip Review
Continuing the tradition of previous Little Shop releases, Little Shop - Road Trip serves up another heapin' helpin' of hidden object heaven. And, aside from a few critters caught in its headlights, it's an enjoyable seek-and-find romp across America, from Seattle to South Beach, in search of rare treasures to stock your little shop back home.
Parking Dash Preview
Meet Karma, the newest arrival in DinerTown and the star of Parking Dash, a new time management game being published by PlayFirst and scheduled to launch in September.
Pretty in Pink Preview
Legacy Interactive and Paramount Digital Entertainment are giving you the chance to relive the story of the classic 80s movie Pretty in Pink in a new hidden object game coming out this fall.
Coyote's Tale: Fire and Water Preview
Merscom announced at Casual Connect Seattle that it will be launching an original hidden object game franchise, with the first title, Coyote's Tale: Fire and Water, scheduled for launch later this year. Coyote's Tale: Fire and Water is being developed by GO! Games, the Siberian studio who also developed Blood Ties.
Yumsters! 2 Review
As a professional game reviewer (I know, I know, no violins please), it's a good sign when you find yourself smiling ear to ear after booting up a new casual game. This is exactly what happened with Yumsters! 2, a new puzzle sequel from the talented developers at Kranx Productions in Russia.
Zeeby Awards - The results are in!
Agatha Christie: Deather on the Nile, Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate, Build-a-lot, Chocolatier, Dream Chronicles and Peggle were among the winners at the Zeeby Awards, which took place Thursday night as part of Casual Connect. Gamezebo's video coverage of the event will be available soon, but in the meantime read on for the full list of winners.
Casual Connect Seattle 2008 - Day 2
Some big games were announced today during Day 2 of the Casual Connect conference in Seattle. PopCap announced that it's bringing Peggle, Mystery P.I. - Portrait of a Thief and Amazing Adventures The Forgotten Ruins to the Nintendo DS this fall, and MumboJumbo announced that the next LUXOR game will be stepping out of Egypt and into Persia, Syria, and five other exotic lands. More show news behind the cut.
PopCap brings Peggle, Mystery P.I. and Amazing Adventures to DS
PopCap has just announced that it will be bringing its mega-hit game Peggle to the Nintendo DS in late 2008, along with the hidden object games Amazing Adventures The Forgotten Ruins and Mystery P.I. - Portrait of a Thief.
The Race Review
Ready for a bit of adventure in your next hidden object fix? Maybe you'd like to travel the globe on a scavenger hunt, beating the pants off other opponents and winning your way to the top? That's the concept behind The Race, a hidden object game with a neat "reality TV" flare.
Righteous Kill Preview
Righteous Kill may not sound like a fitting title for a casual game, but believe it or not it's a hidden object game from Merscom and Starz Media - based on the upcoming feature film of the same name starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
Mystery Stories: Berlin Nights Preview
The sequel to cerasus.media's hidden object adventure Mystery Stories: Island of Hope will take place in the European metropolis of Berlin. As part of Casual Connect, the developer has given us the early scoop on Mystery Stories: Berlin Nights.
4 Elements Preview
Playrix Entertainment, the makers of Fishdom and Around the World in 80 Days, are hard at work on their next game, a fantasy-themed match-three puzzler called 4 Elements.
JeweliX Review
Got a thing for precious stones? Then you're in luck: Mouse-mashing puzzler JeweliX is all about sprucing up an old jewelry store and turning jewels into eye-catching trinkets like rings, necklaces and bracelets. Unfortunately, as good as the game's eye for pairing gems with the right accessories proves, the outing isn't nearly as sharp when it comes to actual play and polish. Bummer.
Just In - Dream Day Wedding: Married in Manhattan
Dream Day Wedding: Married in Manhattan has just launched. Click here to download the game, click here to write a review, and click here to talk about it in our forum. Review and strategy guide coming soon.
Casual Connect Seattle 2008 - Day 1
Day 1 of the Casual Connect conference in Seattle is drawing to a close, and there are already a ton of new games, partnerships and industry reports to announce. Read all of the headlines behind the cut, and check back tomorrow for Day 2 of our coverage.
Just In - Little Shop: Road Trip
The latest game in the Little Shop hidden object game series, Little Shop - Road Trip, has just launched. Click here to download the game, click here to write a review, and click here to discuss it in our forum. Review and strategy guide coming soon.
New study challenges assumptions about casual gamers
"Casual" and "hardcore" gamers were once thought to be two distinct groups, eyeing each other warily from across the wide chasm of the Internet. But a new study conducted by NPD Group on behalf of Big Fish Games has found that there is actually more overlap between the two groups than one might think.
Cake Mania 3 Preview
When we interviewed Sandlot Games CEO Daniel Bernstein last month about Cake Mania 2 being nominated for a couple of Zeeby Awards, he dropped some hints about the upcoming Cake Mania 3 as well. Today we have new information to share with you about the game, including screenshots and a launch date of August, 2008. (Psst, that's next month!)
The Hidden Object Show: Season 2 Preview
Gogii Games' The Hidden Object Show offered seek-and-find gameplay in the setting of a somewhat quirky - and very long - game show. Now, Gogii is boasting that the game's follow-up, The Hidden Object Show: Season 2, is going to be the longest hidden object game to date. Since the first one lasted more than 100 rounds, we're certainly interested - and a little scared, perhaps - to see just what the sequel has in store when it launches next month. It's set in a theme park and features new mini-games and modes, including a ticket redeption store.
Crumb Review
Many Gamezebo readers will remember the old "parking puzzle" games, such as Carm Jam, where the goal is for your car to reach the exit by first moving objects around vertically or horizontally in the right order. This concept now gets a fantasy twist in Reflexive's Crumb, a story about searching for the Forest Mother through an enchanted world during four seasons.
Brain Challenge Review
When the cool and awesome folks at Gamezebo (I didn't overdo that, I hope?) asked if I wanted to review Brain Challenge, I jumped at the chance to turn my flabby brain into a lean thinking machine, since all that yellow tennis ball hitting and doing strange yoga moves won't do much for the little gray cells.
Web Wednesdays: Music Catch
We had to tell you about this relaxing little Web game from Reflexive called Music Catch. As beautiful piano music plays in the background and the screen slowly rotates, your job is to catch gently rolling waves of symbols with your mouse as they pulse onto the screen. Yellow shapes are good - they increase your score multiplier. Red shapes are bad - they decrease it. And purple shapes are really cool, but we'll let you see that for yourself. Click here to play Music Catch.
Cooking Dash Preview
Since establishing her own thriving restaurant chain in Diner Dash, Flo has helped each of her friends start their own successful businesses - whether it's farming, wedding planning or fashion design - in PlayFirst's ever-expanding catalogue of "dash" games. But Cooking Dash will be the first game since the Diner Dash series to put Flo front and center again as the main character.
Burger Island 2: The Missing Ingredient Preview
eGames has given us some exclusive screenshots of the upcoming sequel to Burger Island, Burger Island 2: The Missing Ingredient. When a rival burger franchise opens up and starts stealing business from Patty and Pierre, the pair must keep up with the competition by adding new items to the menu and searching for new ingredients to create recipes in Patty's experimental kitchen. There's no firm release date yet, but the game will definitely be coming out this year.
The Mysterious City: Golden Prague Review
In The Mysterious City: Golden Prague, players take on the role of Dr. Ellis, a woman looking for a professor who's gone missing. If he isn't found within a week, the unveiling of The Golden Clock exhibit at a local museum will be put on hold. Dr. Ellis must examine the places the professor has been for clues left behind in order to discover what has happened to him in this seek-and-find adventure.
Casual News - July 22, 2008
Casual Connect officially kicks off tomorrow in Seattle and we'll be bringing you all the breaking news from the show as it's announced. In the meantime, you can read about the new executives joining Rebel Monkey and Zynga, PopCap's new Asian partnership and more behind the cut.
Just In: Pony World
Pony World, a game described as The Sims meets ponies, has launched on iWin's Web site. Click here to download the game, click here to write your own review, and click here to talk about it in our forum. Our review is coming soon.
Forgotten Riddles: The Moonlight Sonatas Review
It's getting harder for hidden object games to stand out when compared to successful blockbusters like Mystery Case Files and the Dream Day series, but one game that definitely deserves some recognition is Forgotten Riddles: The Moonlight Sonatas. Through clever riddles, compelling gameplay and admirable attention to detail, Blue Team Games and Big Fish Games have created a sweet, if slightly short, seek-and-find adventure.
