Taxonomy
Natalie Brooks - The Treasures of the Lost Kingdom Review
Marc Saltzman in his review of Nightshift Legacy: The Jaguar’s Eye believes 2008 will go down as the year of the “HOG” as in hidden object games. But I think it would be the year HOGs shun the HOG label for point-and-click adventures like in the old PC days. Natalie Brooks: The Treasures of the Lost Kingdom puts a greater emphasis on adventure and less on hidden object finding.
The Treasures of Mystery Island Review
With hidden object games more popular than ever, it’s imperative that each new debut bring something different to the table. In the case of The Treasures of Mystery Island, innovation’s offered by way of the need to assemble inventory items and use them to solve puzzles or spark off engaging mini-games. Albeit an occasionally frustrating experience due to well-concealed clues, the odd presentation hiccup and the inherent need to find small, oddly-shaped playing pieces, one needn’t fret, however. Taken together, the whole of the title adds up to a fun, eye-catching experience that’s considerably more than the sum of its individual parts.
Feelers Review
By all rights, Feelers should have been one incredibly forgettable game. It is, after all, just a 2-D shooting gallery with a name that's ... what's it called again? But -- and you've got to trust me on this one -- the folks at Alawar have hatched a shooter that's so much fun that, well, let's just say that I've battled my way through to level 37 with just two more to go. 'Nuff said?
Fashion Craze Review
Surprise! You don't have to be a snappy dresser, or even able to match a tie with a shirt, to enjoy the sartorially-themed challenges offered by new time management game Fashion Craze. As long as you're a dab hand behind the mouse, and don't mind spastic, click-happy action that's also bound to tax your noggin, you'll find it adds a welcome splash of color to any otherwise drab day.
Heroes of Hellas Review
Heroes of Hellas is proof you don't need to reinvent the wheel in order to create a highly polished and fun casual game. Sure, it's one of those 3-in-a-row gem-swapping games - a la Bejeweled - but it's played in a different way and weaves in an enjoyable Greek Mythology angle.
Stand O' Food Review
Ah, fast food. Americans spend more than $120 billion on it each year (yes, that's billion with a "b"). So, despite any moral dilemmas on contributing to the country's obesity pandemic, why shouldn't you cash in on our hamburger-craving society? This is precisely what you can do in Stand o' Food, a new casual arcade game that challenging players to feed a stream of hungry customers.
The Treasures of Montezuma Review
As if you needed additional proof between recent releases like Luxor 2 and Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst, along comes The Treasures of Montezuma to reinforce the old maxim: Not all casual games are created equal.
Magic Ball 3 Review
If it were measured by graphics alone, Alawar's Magic Ball 3 would receive an undisputed A+ on the Gamezebo report card. It's a visually stunning adventure with colourful 3-D visuals that will truly impress even the most finicky of players.
But after you strip away the eye-candy, the game-play is simply a barely-above-average brick-breaking arcade game that's not too different than similar titles, and with relatively low replayability.
Magic Ball 3 Preview
With Christmas just around the corner, millions of wide-eyed gaming enthusiasts worldwide are already drooling with anticipation, wondering just what goodies Santa will bring.
Ironically enough though, the best gift of all you're likely to receive will come courtesy not of Saint Nick, but rather Alawar Entertainment, who's actually releasing ambitious new brick-basher Magic Ball 3 on December 25th itself.