I am a child of the late 1980s-early 1990s. When I grew up, we played with marbles, we knew there were ways you could play outlined marble games, but we never really played them. My parents had played marbles with a circle around on the ground. They had told us kids that to play you had to hit your opponent’s marbles out of the circle without shooting your own out with them. The last person with one marble in the circle (or more) won the game.

This is the premise for a game developed by Playfirst known as Mythic Marbles. In the game, you aren’t playing with a circle. Instead you will have various game board structures with obstacles to avoid on your way towards being the person with the last marble standing. You can choose to play in two different modes when you play Mythic Marbles; Adventure and Arcade. Both have their own perks and let you explore the world of Mythic Marbles.

The graphics for this game are stunning. The game board is designed with an ancient perhaps Egyptian or Meditteranean type of feel to it. The music until you enter a game board is great. It sounds very Middle Eastern and is soothing on the ears. I actually prefer it to the music in the game board, which has more of a quest like feel to it. The game board music is fine at first, but after a while it can get a tad bit annoying.

In the Adventure mode, you will go through 10 different levels and follow a loosely related story. You play as a youngster who loves marbles. Your dad wants you to get another profession and actually make some sort of living, but you love your marbles so he sends you off to the main town to make it on your own with your marbles. From here, you have the chance to go through levels. You shoot your marbles against other pre-placed marbles. They are placed around obstacles. As you progress the ways to reach the marbles become harder as they are blocked by barriers, near dark hole whirlpools that suck any type of marbles (including your own) in, and morphing circles that send your marbles to other parts of the game board. You must get rid of all the marbles from the board and still have one of yours (at least) on the board.

At the end of each level, you must battle a town marble player who insists their skills are better than yours. To beat them, all you have to do is shoot all of their marbles off the game board before they shoot yours. This is easier said then done as most of them never miss. You will have to battle at the palace for the spot as the ultimate marble shooter when you reach round 10. This is the hardest round as you try to keep just one marble on the board, shooting around barriers on it to hit your opponent’s marbles.

In the Arcade mode, you go through each level and try to beat a player similar to the end of each Adventure level. You can redo levels as you try to get a better record (by having more marbles on the board at the end of each Arcade round). This makes the replayability level high for this part of the game in your quest to keep beating your last score. Ultimately, the entire game is fun to play over and over again, even if you have beaten levels previously.

Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a fun way to spend your free time try Mystic Marbles. It requires skill, practice, and a little luck. Hopefully, you too will soon be a marbles master and have a new appreciation for a game our parents or grandparents once used to play.

Rating:

Technorati Tags: PC Game, Review, Playfirst, Mythic Marbles, games

I am a visual person. In fact, the most visually stimulating games attract me the most. That is why I was entranced when I was given the chance to play the new game out by Playfirst, “Dream Chronicles”. While I must admit, I’m also much more of an action fan when it comes to gaming, it is nice to slow down and play a casual game from time to time. Sometimes I will find a game I enjoy. Other times, I will find a game I’ll want to avoid. With that in mind, I set out on a quest to discover if “Dream Chronicles” was a game I would enjoy…or not.

The Enchanted Plot

In this game, whether you are female or not in real life, you play the role of a young woman named Faye. When the game begins, you have just discovered that an evil woman who has magical powers, Lilith, has cast a sleep spell on your entire kingdom! You also discover that your beloved husband, Fidget, is missing! You deduce that he must have been kidnapped by Lilith. In the meantime, you are the only one who is awake to solve the mystery. Even your daughter, a young and beautiful little girl named Lyra, is entrapped within Lilith’s sleep spell and you are her (and everyone else’s) only hope.

In the meantime, you must find out what secret Fidget has hidden from you, why Lilith has cast the sleep spell and kidnapped Fidget, and several other questions about your past life, to reveal secrets you never knew. You discover these secrets through Fidget’s diary, which he has written, to accompany you on your journey and provide clues to both the present and the past.

At the same time, you must also find hidden gem pieces, which fit into structures called “Dream Pieces”. You will see them as tiny glints of light, which occasionally flash on each screen. There are a total of 115 gems in the game. You can find out how many you have by turning the pages in Fidget’s journal.

You will want to complete the Dream Pieces because they are going to help you defeat Lilith. Until you get to the end of the game, you will need to get through multiple puzzle boards. Some are pretty simple and involve matching shapes together. Others are more complex and have you playing a piano or weighing objects. However, each board brings you one step closer to saving Fidget, removing the spell from the Kingdom and defeating Lilith.

Before you can move on, open a door to head into another room, or leave the village, you must solve each puzzle. The puzzles can be difficult because some objects are hidden incredibly well. On some boards, it can be a little confusing, when you are trying to figure out how to solve the puzzle. In these boards, you can have a little bit of assistance if you wait for the flash of light on the screen. This glint is a clue/hint to the puzzle and clicking on it generally helps you figure out what to do. This was one of the few annoying parts of an otherwise enjoyable game.

Dreamy Graphics

This was perhaps my favorite part of the game. Developed by Playfirst, “Dream Chronicles” is by far, one of the most visually pleasing casual games I have ever played. Each screen has intensive and high resolution graphics that have a dreamlike quality. Each screen is different and looks exciting. The lighting inside the home is a bit dark, but once you get outdoors, the lighting is better. Additionally, lightening your screen resolution helps with the darkness factor.

If I had to rate “Dream Chronicles” just on its graphics, I would give it five out of five stars. From the welcome screen to the puzzles, everything is so visually pleasing it makes the whole game worthwhile.

Soothing and Carefree Audio

The Audio for “Dream Chronicles” is soothing. I’ve played many games where the music becomes incredibly annoying and repetitive. However, this isn’t one of those games. It is quite catchy though. I found myself humming along with the music even when I wasn’t playing the game! You also can hear sounds when you click on objects, complete part of a puzzle, or solve the screen/puzzle completely.

The nice thing about the sound in “Dream Chronicles” is that you can turn down both the music and other sounds individually. If you like the music, but get annoyed by the sounds, you can turn down just the sounds. If you like the sounds, but not the music, you can turn down just the music. You can also mute all of the sounds and play with your own music or background sounds.

I would rank the audio four and a half out of five stars.

Artificial Intelligence

The Artificial Intelligence of the game is done for you. You do not have to move your character, Faye through the game. She is moved for you. All you have to do is use the mouse to click on doors, objects, gems, and various other objects. You may have to drag an object somewhere or guide it to a particular place. Otherwise, everything is done for you.

You would think with such a simple setup, “Dream Chronicles” would get the highest rating. However, the mouse does not always work as it should in the game. It can be hard to click on things just right. Even knowing what I was supposed to do, I had trouble with a few of the clicks. I had others in my house test the click out as well, but they were unsuccessful. After multiple tries, the clicks would eventually work. As a result, the AI received a rating of three stars. This problem only happened on a few boards, and made the game only temporarily annoying.

Replayability

Once the game is solved, you know the secrets and answers to the questions you had to answer from the very beginning of the game. You can replay the game, but it isn’t a game you would play for years to come. I would be willing to play the game on occasion, from time to time, if I was bored. However, since the game has the same exact puzzles, which you already solve the first time you play the game (with little to no variation whatsoever) it really is unnecessary to replay the game at all.

Due to the lower replayability factor, the game only receives two stars in this area. While it might be fun to play it once or twice further down the road, it is not the type of game you want to keep playing over and over again!

Final Thoughts

“Dream Chronicles” is a beautiful, fun game to play with minimal problems when it comes to the artificial intelligence of the game. The sound is enjoyable and the story is unique enough to keep you interested the whole way through. If you’re looking for a little fun, and a chance to relax from your busy life, then consider purchasing “Dream Chronicles” from PlayFirst. Chances are, you won’t regret it.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: PC Game Review, Playfirst, Dream Chronicles, Casual Game, Puzzle, Dreams

If you are a gamer it is likely that you have had those moments when the music to “Zelda” or some other game has gotten stuck in your head. It’s likely these composers felt the same way as this CD that we are giving away is filled with songs that are inspired by some of the greatest games ever played. These games range from “Duke Nukem” all the way to “Super Mario Brothers”.

We have one CD to giveaway and this contest is truly about as easy as it gets. If you want to win this CD here is what you need to do:

1. Write a post telling people about this contest on your blog (Put it on Myspace, Facebook, Live Journal, Blogger, or wherever you want).

2. Make sure you link to us (http://www.literaryillusions.com) so that your readers know where to come if they want to enter, as well.

3. Send us an email and let us know where you linked to the information about the post.

That’s it folks. It cannot get any easier then that. If you would like to be entered more than once you just need to put a new post on a different blog and you will receive an entry for each link we receive from you. We will be drawing a winner for this in two weeks (on June 25) and will contact the winner by email to get their contact information and send them their CD.

For more information you can check out our post on Best of the Best: A Tribute to Game Music. Otherwise check back the week of June 25th concerning this contest because we will be announcing a winner.

Technorati Tags: giveaway, cd, best of the best, game music central, game music, free CD, link contest

Archaeological addicts will love “Jewels of Cleopatra” as this game was made just for them. Travel through each tile matching puzzle to explore the wonders of this Egyptian based game. If you like the excitement of uncovering the next new find then “Jewels of Cleopatra” definitely has something to offer you. From the start you can expect a simple download procedure and a quick install without any problems.

In “Jewels of Cleopatra” you will become Dr. Felicity Turnstone. Your job is to uncover nine different ancient artifacts that were buried in nine different temples along the Nile Valley. Keep in mind though not everyone you deal with in the game will be a help to you. Shady McGrady, the art dealer in the game, is sure to be trouble. It becomes your sole purpose to match as many gems as you can in order to move through the game faster than he can and trust me when I say this is not always the easiest thing to do!

If you have played games such as “Gem Shop” or “Jewel Quest” then you will be right at home when playing “Jewels of Cleopatra”. As you match three stones they will turn gold and allow you to travel along them on your quest to reach the door and finish the level. You do not need to clear the board by turning it all gold. You only need enough gold stones to move to the end of the line. If you clear the board you get more points, but these points don’t do anything more than rack up a higher score.

Despite only having nine major goals there are over 100 levels in total, which offers a lot of game play. On the downside, the game is not extremely challenging, except when you are racing Shady, and there is only one game play mode. While your goal is to uncover the nine artifacts you cannot do that without successfully matching the tiles and moving through the levels. The heart of the game is all about the puzzle and tile matching.

There are puzzles within puzzles that will need to be won in order for you to win the game. These games include scarab races and hieroglyphic based puzzles. These games are fun because they add a little variety to the basic game in “Jewels of Cleopatra”. If you manage to pass the levels faster than the games “shady” art dealer you will receive the winning artifact and you will win the game.

Of course, you can expect some things to stand in your way. There will be things blocking your path. When this happens you will have to create several different jewel combinations to move those things and continue on in your game. If a rock is in your way, you can swap it, but you cannot get rid of it. As you move on, some stones will require you to swap them more than once to turn them gold.

You will also receive tools to help you advance such as rock blockers, dynamite, and gold pieces. It’s important to watch out for bugs, too. If you move too close to one of the bug crypts they will be released and move towards you. All you have to do to get them out of your way is squash them by changing the tiles that they are on. If the tiles are gold you can change them anyway, but if you don’t they will come after you and can cause plenty of trouble.

“Jewels of Cleopatra” ends up being addictive though had there been additional game play options the game could have been even more exciting. Regardless, if you remove the slight flaws, and that’s pretty easy to do when you play the game, you end up with a fun and addictive game that you will want to finish once you start.

You can download “Jewels of Cleopatra” at Arcade Town. Get the Free Download or Own the Game by clicking on the links.

Technorati Tags: Jewels of Cleopatra, Arcade Town, PC Game Review, casual game

If you have ever watched old game shows you are no stranger to Family Feud. This wildly popular show would pit family against family to see who could come up with some of the best responses to unique survey questions. The game is remarkably similar. Based on 100 responses it is the job of each family member to figure out what’s on the board. The beginning of each question starts with a family face off.

You will want to watch out for the time limit. If you aren’t sure of an answer you might find it beneficial to put in anything you can think of in an attempt to stay in the game. If you get it wrong or don’t answer at all you get a strike. So, if you put in something there is at least a chance that you will get one of the answers. If you make it to fast money and get over 200 points you will win a major amount of money (which are really just points) as a prize for having what it takes to rule the “Feud”. Additionally, you can scam some extra points when you get all the number one answers on the fast money boards. Like always, you have two chances to get the answers so you have more than one chance to get it right.

This game will work best for game show fanatics. A major plus is that you can easily play the game in ten minutes. If you’re looking for a quick way to relieve some boredom or want to play a game, but only have a few minutes, “Family Feud II” is an excellent option. Of course, if you want to play all day or play with friends you can use the team mode and play against them. All in all, “Family Feud II” manages to be more fun than the last and is well worth the one minute download.

Check out this game and many others at Arcade Town. You can choose the Free Download or you can Purchase “Family Feud II”.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
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Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.]]> http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/05/29/pc-game-review-family-feud-ii/feed/ 0 http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/05/25/monopoly-here-and-now-review/ http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/05/25/monopoly-here-and-now-review/#comments Sat, 26 May 2007 04:25:00 +0000 Ashtyn http://li-reviews.com/2007/05/25/monopoly-here-and-now-review/

As a lover of board games, it made sense for me to rush right out when the new version of “Monopoly”, “Monopoly Here and Now”, was put on the shelves. Of course, playing games on the computer has its advantages, so when I found out that “Monopoly Here and Now” was available at Arcade Town, I decided to review it to see how it matched up against the hard copy version.

For those of you who are unsure of what this version of “Monopoly” is like, it’s more of a modern-day setting for the classic game “Monopoly”. Instead of receiving $200 when you pass Go, you receive 2 million. Rather than receiving $1500 to start your game you receive $15 million. It’s the classic game with a modern makeover meant to suit the times. It’s also loads of fun. The majority of games that I have downloaded from Arcade Town have downloaded and installed without a problem. From the minute of download to the beginning of play time it did not take more than five minutes with a broadband connection. My first impression of the game was that it offered stunning graphics and would be equal to or better than the actual board game. Of course, with every game, there are ups and downs. For starters, this is not one of those games that you can start and finish in 15 minutes. As most people who play “Monopoly” know, this game can go on for hours. If you’re a diehard “Monopoly” fan you probably won’t have a problem with this, but if you’re looking for something fast-paced and action-packed then Monopoly probably won’t do it for you.

One plus of the PC version, is that you can play this game against the computer. So, if you’re in the mood for some “Monopoly” and have no one to play with you it’s not going to be an issue. This is obviously something that you could never do playing off the computer. However, a downside that some will point out is that this game offers no multiplayer support or options, which could have added an entirely new and interesting aspect to the game.

The computer version of “Monopoly Here and Now” offers advantages such as a game history, which will show every move the players are making in the game. You also get to enjoy entertaining animation and amusing sound effects that accompany trips to jail, rolls of the dice, and other actions on the board.

While the game board and pieces have changed, the rules still remain the same. Instead of the shoe or the car, you can be the running shoe or a hybrid car. Other new additions include McDonald’s French fries, Starbucks coffee, a cell phone, and a laptop. The board game has changed by adding new properties, as well. For example, Boardwalk and Park Place have been replaced with Fenway Park and Times Square. The railroads have become airports that include stops in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

“Monopoly Here and Now” is going to be a smash hit with anyone that loves the game franchise “Monopoly”. The action provided in the animation and the sound effects make the game even more fun then when you play it with friends and family around a table. The music offers a little bit of a jazz feel though you may end up turning that off at some point because there is only one song and it becomes rather repetitive.

“Monopoly Here and Now” is an awesome game all around and well worth playing. You can save your progress in your game so if you do not have time for a full out game, you can always pause it midway and pick it up later. Of course, it’s not like one of those other games that you will want to (or be able to) play for a few minutes and then put it down. This game is a boredom buster. Play it when you have a few hours free or if you are trying to waste time on a rainy afternoon. Then you will be sure to have a great time and the hours will fly by.

You can download the game to try it for free at Arcade Town by clicking here: Play “Monopoly Here and Now” Free. If you are interested in buying Monopoly Here and Now, just click the following Link: Buy “Monopoly Here and Now”.

If you like this site, Donate to help keep us going!

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
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Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.]]> http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/05/25/monopoly-here-and-now-review/feed/ 0 http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/05/23/pc-game-review-chocolatier-by-play-first/ http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/05/23/pc-game-review-chocolatier-by-play-first/#comments Wed, 23 May 2007 10:15:38 +0000 Ashtyn http://li-reviews.com/2007/05/23/pc-game-review-chocolatier-by-play-first/

Play First is known for their excellent casual games. While I may not be a huge gamer when it comes to console games, I have always been fond of casual games that could be played on the computer. So naturally when I got the chance to review something for Play First I jumped at the chance. I was offered one of their newer games, “Chocolatier”.

As soon as I was able to download the game I went over to their website and proceeded to do so. The download itself only took me 30 seconds or so and the install was incredibly smooth. In fact, from the moment of download until I was playing the game, not even 5 minutes had passed. You can choose between two settings, but to start I recommend going with story mode as this will tell you everything you need to know about the game you are playing. Evangeline Baumeister comes from a long line of chocolate makers. However, due to unfortunate management of her family business the various recipes for the Baumeister family have been swept across the globe. Evangeline is hoping to teach you everything she knows about the chocolate business in order to see the family business thrive once again. It is Evangeline who will get you started in the business. She will give you a little bit of money and see that you know how to make your first chocolate recipe. Once you make your first batch of basic chocolate bars you will take them back to Evangeline and soon you’ll be on your way to traveling the globe and creating new and delicious chocolate recipes.

Of course, there is plenty to do besides make chocolate. Once you have acquired new recipes and are setting things up to ensure that the new chocolate is being made you have to make sure that you have enough supplies on hand in order to keep a steady flow of chocolate made. This means that you have to spend some time shopping and bargain hunting to make sure that you have the items you need at the prices you can afford.

You have the option of haggling with the shopkeeper though this is not always recommended as sometimes it upsets them and will end up costing you more. If you do not have enough money to continue making chocolate’s, but you have chocolates already made in storage you can visit any chocolate shop and sell your inventory in order to gain more money for the products that you need.

After you have a few recipes you’ll begin to realize which chocolates you want to make and which recipes you can store in case they are needed. If you switch the recipes you are making in various factories you might find your money will increase dramatically. As you begin to make money you will find that the possibility to buy new factories will open up and you will have a chance to go to different countries. Obviously, the more places you go, the better chance you will have. Otherwise, you may have trouble winning the game.

As you travel you will meet many people that offer you ways to make money. Some of these ways are going to be legitimate, like making and delivering chocolate bars and other way is will be shadier like gambling by rolling the dice. The nice thing about Chocolatier is that the excitement does not die down from beginning to end of the game. In fact, I was addicted to the game from start to finish.

The fact that there are various types of games within the game makes it even more interesting. For example, the main game has you going on the goose chase looking for all of these various chocolate recipes. You need to make enough money to become a master chocolatier and to save the Burmeister family recipes. Meanwhile, when you go to make chocolate bars the first time at any plant you’ll have to set the flow of how many chocolate bars are produced per week.

This is done in puzzle game fashion. All the ingredients that you need are shot out of a canon and you need to line them up and match them in one cylinder as the cylinders spin around. However many cases you make in one minute will equal how many cases are made in one week. If you feel you did not do as well as you could have you can always try to make the chocolates again. In the end, you should end up with at least six factories that are pumping out a mix of chocolate bars, infusions, truffles, and squares.

Once you have played story mode from start to finish there is a free play mode that you might want to check out. If you find the game is addicting as I did this will allow you to play for fun whenever you feel like it without following the basic story.

There are not too many bad things I can say about this game. I normally play my game with the sound off, but I have to say that even the sound of this game was rather pleasant. The music he hinged on a dramatic classical piece which was quite enjoyable and suited the game. All in all, “Chocolatier” makes for an excellent way to waste your day.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
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Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.]]> http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/05/23/pc-game-review-chocolatier-by-play-first/feed/ 0 http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/05/19/attack-on-pearl-harbor-demo/ http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/05/19/attack-on-pearl-harbor-demo/#comments Sat, 19 May 2007 22:57:34 +0000 Ryan the Admin http://li-reviews.com/2007/05/19/attack-on-pearl-harbor-demo/

18th May, 2007 – It’s time for gamers to take to the skies, as Ascaron Entertainment and Legendo Entertainment have released a new single-player demo for their upcoming WWII aerial combat title – “Attack on Pearl Harbor”.

The 150 MB demo contains four playable missions. For the two American missions, the player is first challenged to fly as a P-40 fighter trying to defend against the overwhelming Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The player then pilots a U.S. Navy TBM Avenger on a torpedo bombing run, looking to cripple portions of the Imperial Japanese Navy afloat near Wake Island. The first Japanese mission will launch gamers on bombing runs with the ferocious D3A1 “Val” dive-bomber, while the second will throw them into fast and furious air-to-air action in the nimble A6M1 “Zero” fighter. Battling across two expansive maps, players are given a taste of the white-knuckle arcade combat action in the Pacific Theatre that is the focus of “Attack on Pearl Harbor”. The demo contains a total of four missions (out of more than 50 included in the full game). The demo is available from the game’s official website under the Demo section, and from the mirrors below. Additional game information can be found at the “Attack on Pearl Harbor” Game Website. Attack on Pearl Harbor will be released in the UK on 22nd June 2007. The demo is available at the following mirrors -

Legendo FTP

GamesRadar

WorthPlaying

Attack on Pearl Harbor is an aerial combat game that will allow players to relive the action-filled dogfights of the Pacific Theater of WWII as both Japanese and American pilots. Featuring arcade-styled gameplay, an accessible interface and extensive tutorials, players will be able to quickly jump into the cockpit and take part in exciting aerial battles.

Richly detailed graphics, graphic-novel inspired cut scenes and realistic radio chatter round out the experience. Attack on Pearl Harbor features four solo campaigns, a “quick play” dogfight mode and online multiplayer (12-player LAN and Internet) gameplay. In addition to the initial Japanese attack on Oahu, the game also offers a host of famous and challenging scenarios such as the Battle of Midway, Iwo Jima, Burma and Manila. Each campaign spans several months during 1941-1945, presenting an exciting and
varied selection of missions.

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Written by Ryan the Admin - Visit Website
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Ryan is from California. He graduated from USC with a degree in English. In his free time, when he isn't working as a Literary Illusions gopher (er...editor) he enjoys writing short stories.]]> http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/05/19/attack-on-pearl-harbor-demo/feed/ 0 http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/04/07/game-review-magic-ball-3/ http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/04/07/game-review-magic-ball-3/#comments Sat, 07 Apr 2007 10:47:44 +0000 Dominick http://li-reviews.com/2007/04/07/game-review-magic-ball-3/

I love casual games that let you explore new environments. When I first played the games in the ”Magic Ball” Series I quickly became addicted. I am not sure what it is about the game that is so addicting. However, I just found the game so enjoyable that when given the chance to review ”Magic Ball 3”, I simply could not turn it down!

[eminimall products="Casual Games, Magic Ball 3, Video Games" height="600" width="120"]

”Magic Ball 3” was developed by Alawar Games. This game has several positives and a few negatives. The first thing I noticed was the improved graphics in ”Magic Ball 3”. While the other two games, ”Magic Ball” and ”Magic Ball 2” had a rogue 3D aspect to them, it looks as though Alawar Games worked on the graphics to improve them. That being said, you still have some minor graphic glitches (such as objects falling “through” each other), but overall a vast improvement. I do not think the minor glitches distracted from the fun I was having while playing this game, so this was a definite plus. The object of the game is to use your bat to hit a ball into solid objects. It sort of reminds me of a Lego board and the ball is knocking the Lego pieces off the board. The closer you come to clearing the board the better. A story accompanies the clearing of the board, and you play the hero trying to save the world, which has been converted into these block like pictures. I found the story to be such a back draft of the game that I really didn’t pay attention to it. The back story would not get me to play the game (or not) so it was a pointless addition to an already playable game. As you play, you advance through four levels with four different themes. Each level has multiple rounds you must defeat in order to advance to the next level. With each level comes a new set of music to fit the theme. The first level is an Underwater/Pirate adventure. You have to hit a massive octopus, pirate ships, and other sea fare. The music has a Cabaret-Comedic sound to it, like something out of a Three Stooges movie.

The second level is more medieval. You have princesses, castles, luxurious gardens, and a theme you might hear at Ye Olde Fashioned Dance Competition in Germany. The third level is the old west and the music has an epic movie sound to it. Make sure to blast the dynamite on these levels. Otherwise, parts of the wall cannot be destroyed. Finally, the last level has a Dinosaur/Volcanic theme to it. The music, funnily enough, sounds like it is from the Victorian Renaissance.

As you play through the levels you can hit blocks that contain things to help or hinder you. Some of the good things to get are the spiked Billy club (this makes the ball destroy things easier), the spiked ball filled cannon (self-explanatory), the laser beam (destroys rows of blocks), the blue arrows (makes your bat bigger), the magnetic bat (lets your ball stick to the bat so you can reposition where it is shot), and the heart (it gives you an extra life). A new addition I liked was the big ball. This makes the ball huge and blocks are more easily destroyed. I also liked the split ball, which gives you multiple balls at once and destroys more blocks faster.

Things that can hinder you include the red inverted arrows (this makes the bat smaller), the skull/symbol of death (it’s a bat killer so you die), the sticky string (makes it hard to control the ball, which attach to the bat with a string), and the wine/champagne bottle, which makes your ball drunk and moves erratically. Drunk ball was a new one on me and though funny to watch the first time, by the second or third it is bound to make you annoyed. You can now choose from four different bat colors: green, blue, yellow, and red. This was cool but did not really have an effect on the game play. Other options you have are turning the sound off for both objects and the music. I found it hard to make the music soft without turning it completely off, but this was a minor complaint. My biggest complaint though was in the options menu. I could not make it so the game was not in full screen mode. I have a lot of people who message me on IM throughout the day so having them pause my game and pop up in my screen without being able to minimize my game was really annoying. Going back to the basics, the install of the game was incredibly smooth. I didn’t have any problems with the actual game acting up. This was by far one of the easiest game installs I have ever had for any type of casual game. I wish that the game company did not include extra icons on my desktop though. That is something I find annoying and a lot of game companies do it. However, I think this is my own neurotic OCD-nature and not something many would complain about.

The Bottom Line: Overall, I found ”Magic Ball 3” to be an incredibly fun game to play. The game was easy to continue. With individual level selections, even if you die during a game, you can come back and play the level you were last on. Additionally, your game is automatically saved at the level where you stopped. Of course, there is nothing preventing you from going back to any level you have already won. With its highly addictive nature, I can see myself, though I have already defeated the game, going back and playing ”Magic Ball 3” over and over again.

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
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Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.]]> http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/04/07/game-review-magic-ball-3/feed/ 1 http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/03/30/cartoon-network-all-stars-pc-review/ http://www.li-reviews.com/2007/03/30/cartoon-network-all-stars-pc-review/#comments Fri, 30 Mar 2007 12:25:10 +0000 Dom and Ash http://li-reviews.com/2007/03/30/cartoon-network-all-stars-pc-review/

One of the most popular and celebrated stations on cable television is Cartoon Network. This makes the characters of the long running station perfect for the creation of a computer game. “Cartoon Network All Stars” is four unique games in one awesome package! Even the most simple of games creates hours upon hours of fun as you and/or your child work to raise your score and move on to the next level.

[eminimall products="Cartoon Network, PC Game" height="600" width="120"]

The first game is a mini-game. It features everyone’s favorite dirty, scamming trio, Ed, Edd, & Eddy. This game, known as to the Eds-treme was my favorite of the four. Of course, that being said I have one major pet peeve with this game. It is too short! Nevertheless, I have found that I constantly go back to play this game and try to improve my score in each level. In To the Eds-treme, you play three short levels as Ed, Edd, and Eddy. In the first round, you play as Eddy. He is shorter than Double D and Ed so he goes faster and it is easier to get a large amount of points. You will race back and forth on a skateboard. You get points while doing tricks while air born. You can do single tricks and combination tricks for points. Depending on each trick you do, you win a certain amount of points. However, cracks in the floor and both Edd and Ed appear randomly trying to trip up Eddy. If you trip, you lose the momentum you have been gaining from each successful trick run. Additionally, the more momentum you have, the more tricks you can do in one air born moment without tripping on the edge of the skate track. The game continues this way through two more rounds, the second with a slightly slower, taller, and gawky, Edd (Double D), and the last round is the tall, sluggish Ed. Each level provides more cracks, blockers, and the need to win more points to advance. For the first round, you must clear 3,000 pts., round two is 4,000 pts, and round three is 5,000 pts. For each round, I was eventually able to earn over 8,000 points though the need to score higher and the addictive nature of this game keeps me coming back for more.

The second game you can play in the “Cartoon Network All Stars” game pack is called Dropple. Dropple has four different levels with various methods of performing the same task. You have so many drops of a paint-like substance in your eyedropper. With each drop, a bubble pops and sends more drops flying in different directions.

The color of the drop determines how many drops splash and what direction they go in when the bubbles are popped. Most colors are the same throughout a level though you can get yellow bubbles, which splash in every direction including diagonal and white bubbles, which splash two drops in horizontal and vertical directions.

The four levels you can play include the World Tour (Features all your favorite Cartoon Network Characters as you travel around levels. If you lose a round you do not have to start completely over), puzzle mode (You are given a limited amount of drops and bubbles placed in puzzle formations. If you lose, you can replay the level and continue onward.), Arcade Mode (You are given bubbles and half-formed bubbles in each round with a fair amount of drops to start. How many drops you keep depends on what you have left in the previous round. If you lose, you have to start the entire game over. This game has endless levels, new puzzles, obstacles, and changes every game you play.), and Classic mode (Similar to the Arcade Mode, as you try the same set boards repeatedly. Your game ends if you lose and you only get as many drops as you had the round before.).

Dropple features unlimited rounds, plenty of play, challenging boards, and obstacles such as boulders/blocks that can help or hinder you. This game is fun for the whole family. Even smaller children can get the hang of this game with little difficulty. This is one of the most addicting games “Cartoon Network All Stars” offers. With so many levels, some that change with every round you play, this game is paid for many times over in the time you will spend playing Dropple.

The third “Cartoon Network All Stars” game is Cartoon Cove Mini Golf. This is golf with a cartoon network twist to it. Each level is designed after a Cartoon Network show. Dexter has his own level, as does Ed, Edd, and Eddy (you will get to check out plank in all his glory). As you travel around laser beams, morph from different levels of a course hole, and navigate around obstacles that stand in your way, you will travel through nine exciting holes.

Cartoon Cove lets you chose your own ball color so you can choose a different ball each time. You also have some difficult challenges to try to get around including a suction tube, which puts your ball back at the starting point after it sucks it up, and a laser beam surrounded hole, which may block your balls entrance to score.

This was not the best game on “Cartoon Network All Stars”. I recommend only playing two or three games unless you really like miniature golf. If you do, you will love Cartoon Cove. Otherwise, the other games will definitely make up for the lack of interest you will have with Cartoon Cove Mini Golf.

The final game, Fast and Flurrious, is not only exciting it is so much fun to play. Join Mojo and the Power Puff Girls on the ultimate downhill skiing adventure. Getting the hang of skiing is a little difficult at first, but once you figure it out, you will be doing tricks and moving on to new levels in no time. Of course, once you master the slopes with the beginning level Power Puff Girl you have to move on to intermediate, advanced, and Mojo (we will just call it crazy) play.

The three Powerpuff Girls, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup each have their own difficulty level. You can also choose from different boards and unlock new ones with new levels. Mojo is on a level all his own. As you ski down various slopes, (you can choose from bunny slopes to ones with dangerous curves) you navigate over snow piles and avoid trees. The goal is to get so many points to advance and unlock new boards and levels. The Fast and the Flurrious was my second favorite game. Of all the games, my son, who is 12, enjoyed this one the most. You have the opportunity to pick up bonuses and perform tricks for points. If you do not make enough points, you can try the round again. Since this game has so many difficulty levels with different boards and skiing slopes there is an unlimited amount of time you can spend playing this game. Overall “Cartoon Network All Stars” offers three highly addictive family-friendly games in one great package. With all of this fun you could be having, why wait to purchase this game, which was developed in part by Brighter Minds Media? Even the fourth game is fun to play at least a few times every few months, after you have beaten different rounds in the other three games.

As a family, we rate this game a 4.5 out of 5 with minimum negatives including too short a game for To the Eds-treme and a lack of enjoyable playing time (once you play the first time) for Cartoon Cove Mini Golf. Otherwise, “Cartoon Network All Stars” is the perfect family game you can enjoy together or on your own.

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Written by Dom and Ash - Visit Website
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