Peggle (iPhone)

Developer: PopCap
Publisher: PopCap
Release Date: May 12, 2009
System: iPhone/iPod Touch
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Now easier than ever to play on the toilet.

0:00 Having played through versions of Peggle on PC, Nintendo DS and Xbox Live already, I'm not expecting a lot of surprises in this one. Basically I just want to see how well the addictive peg-popping experience translates to the iPhone's touch-screen.

0:01 I turn my iPod sideways to orient the PopCap logo correctly. As the game loads, it tells me it's "Cranking Awesomeness, Summoning Zen," etc. Before I know it, we're ready to go. That was fast!

0:02 I enter my name on a Peggle Academy "Certificate of Admission" using the iPod's crappy on-screen keyboard, and Bjorn the Unicorn makes his familiar introduction: "Ten Peggle masters are ready to teach you how to get the most out of your Peggle experience, and since I'm the boss, I get to go first!" Well la dee freakin' da!

0:03 Yup ... looks a lot like the first level of Peggle, all right. If you don't know somehow, the object is to use a bouncing pinball to hit the few orange pegs amid a sea of blue pegs. Interesting ... there's a wheel along the right edge of the screen that I flick with my thumb to aim my ball cannon at the pegs. I can also aim more directly by tapping anywhere on the playfield. Makes me wonder why the wheel is there at all...

0:04 Hey, where's the background music? Everything seems oddly quiet without it. Do they want me to go into iTunes to make my own soundtrack or something?

0:05 So far, this reminds me of Peggle: Dual Shot a whole lot. The resolution is a little better than it was on the DS, but it still doesn't compare to a full-size computer monitor or TV screen. Everything's just a little grainy and the animation is just a little jumpy.

***-->CONTINUE READING AT CRISPY GAMER<--***

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Hysteria Hospital: Emergency Ward

Developer: Blue Star Studio
Publisher: O Games
Release Date: June 16, 2009
System: PC (reviewed), Wii
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Diner Dash with less food and more sick people.

0:00 Usually I'd stay far, far away from what looks like a simple Diner Dash clone, but I got a preview copy in my e-mail box and I'm in the mood for something mindless this morning.

0:01 Funky muzak-style '70s synth plays on the menu screen, with a male and female nurse standing at the ready and staring at me with creepy eyes.

0:02 I enter my name and choose the male nurse character. The female looks so dejected that I didn't choose her. We're talking "slit your wrists" levels of dejected here.

0:03 "Congratulations to all the graduate nurses from the University of California," says a bullhorn addressing a bunch of robed graduates. They throw their hats in the air. Dissolve to a montage of want ads and response letters: "Need experience," "No vacancies," "We apologize." But wait! Maryville Hospital needs nurses urgently! He calls them up. "We've been looking for someone to take my place for ages," says the fat nurse at the counter. I'm hired sight unseen! I fly off to North Carolina and before I know it it's "Day 1, Level 1."

0:04 "First days on the job are always nerve racking [sic]. But if you pay attention to your patients' needs, then you'll do great!" I need to treat five patients and get 600 "Funds." "We're happy to have you on board, let's get started," says the nurse.

0:06 Patients come in and sit and wait on some plastic chairs. I drag them to the diagnostic counter first, then over to the single, "quick treatment" bed. Once I make the nurse get the chart and bring it over, the bandaging up can start. Once it's done, I clean up and take the sheets to the laundry bin. Repeat as necessary. Seems a lot like Diner Dash to me!

***-->CONTINUE READING AT CRISPY GAMER<--***

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Reel Deal Slots Adventure

Developer: Phantom EFX
Publisher: Phantom EFX
Release Date: April 5, 2009
System: PC
ESRB Rating: T

In a nutshell: Press... that... BUTTON!

0:00 I generally hate slot machines and all they represent as far as "gaming," but when I got a PR e-mail about an "Adventure" game based on the one-armed bandits, morbid curiosity forced me to find out what the hell was going on.

0:01 My pre-game research has revealed that this is currently the No. 1-selling PC casino game on Amazon. So it must be good, right?

0:07 The past seven minutes were spent installing copious amounts of data from this DVD onto my hard drive. I can't imagine the slot machine logic requires a lot of coding, so there must be a lot of flashy animations and sounds coming, huh?

0:08 "Welcome to Reel Deal Slot Adventure!" says an incredibly cheery voice. "Please fill out your VIP card to continue." In the background, sounds of chattering gamblers and ... birds? "Now that your VIP Card is ready, click on the PLAY button to start your adventure." This guy is so friendly and bubbly. I just want to stay with him forever!

***-->CONTINUE READING AT CRISPY GAMER<--***

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Gardening Mama

Developer: Cooking Mama Limited
Publisher: Majesco
Release Date: March 31, 2009
System: Nintendo DS
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site

In a nutshell: All of the pretty flowers, none of the messy dirt.

0:00 I feel a liberal amount of liberal guilt for not celebrating Earth Day this week, so I'm doing a belated observance by playing this Earth-focused game ... on an electricity-guzzling system. Er...

0:01 A bright sun on a blue sky. Chirpy music as the camera pans down to an insanely happy gardener and little kids hopping in and out of the scene. Blooming flowers bop along to the music in the background. CUTE!

0:02 "Let's Get Growing!" Cut to an overhead view of a green field, with Mama's face smiling in the middle. I can choose from one of two growing stations: red tulips or yellow pansies. I ain't no pansie -- even though I'm playing a gardening game -- so I'll start with tulips.

0:03 Bulb-planting time! I choose the practice mode to figure out what's going on. First I have to open the bag o' bulbs with a few staple-removing swipes. Then I have to pick out the blemish-free bulbs that match the sample. A bit too simple for me, but the tinny "Perfect! Better than Mama!" chirping out of the speakers makes it plenty rewarding.

0:05 Next up is the always pleasant fertilizer pouring. I have to tilt the bag just long enough to fill in a white dotted line area in the soil. I pour too much at first, but quickly get into the rhythm of the thing. Requires a kind of deft touch and some decent timing. I'm digging it.

***-->CONTINUE READING AT CRISPY GAMER<--***

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Blush

Developer: Blurst
Publisher: Blurst
Release Date: March 2, 2009
System: PC
ESRB Rating: N/A
Official Web site

In a nutshell: The first stage of Spore, minus the evolution and plus a time limit.

0:00 I enjoyed the developer's previous Off-Road Velociraptor Safari and Minotaur China Shop, but found they didn't have much staying power. Been hearing good stuff about this one, though, so looking forward to trying it out.

0:01 This minute spent downloading and installing the "Unity Web Player," which I was relatively sure I already had. I guess I played the others on my laptop...

0:02 I'm all logged in and confronted with a tranquil underwater scene, complete with transparent mushrooms resting on rocks and ethereal, Auditorium-style music.

0:03 I click "Play" and a purple jellyfish appears in the middle of the water. Clicking anywhere on the screen makes him swim towards the pointer with his spindly tentacles. Oh, shoot, I just noticed there's a time limit ticking down in the corner and I can't figure out how to pause. I'll be back in roughly 3:13.

0:07 Time's up. The game is all about attacking the other cephalopods by spinning my body and whipping my tentacles at them. Then I have to pick up the eggs they drop and drop them off at glowing white "collection points," which I have the darndest time finding, actually. Near the end of my time I'm pursued by a giant, transparent blue hydra, who manages to bite off a bunch of my tentacles. This is followed by the most "No duh" pop-up tip I've ever seen: "Enemies can hurt you." My performance gets me 68,300 points and #28,322 on the leaderboards.

Read the full review at Crispy Gamer

Chore Wars

Developer: Kevan Davis
Publisher: Kevan Davis
Release Date: July 2007
System: Web browser
ESRB Rating: N/A
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Kyle and the Quest for Cleanliness

0:00 Even though it's not strictly a videogame, I've heard a lot of good things about this as a fun way to keep up with household tasks. I'm hoping it can motivate my wife and me to actually keep up with our chores.

0:01 "Honey, can you help me with a Game for Lunch?" I ask my wife, Michelle. "I guess so ... what is it?" she replies. "It's called Chore Wars," I reply back. She already sounds incredulous. "Are you serious?"

0:05 We start by paging through the FAQ together. Michelle: "This is very silly." Me: "I think it could be fun." Upon further reading, Michelle repeats: "This seems very silly." Uh oh ... I'm already losing her!

Read the full review at Crispy Gamer

CSI: NY The Game

Developer: Legacy Interactive
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: Nov. 18, 2008
System: PC
ESRB Rating: T
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Like a TV show with a bunch of simple puzzles during the commercials.

0:00 I've never actually watched any CSI show or even contemplated there being a game version of the same. I do like Law & Order, though, and Ubisoft was willing to send me a copy, so I'm willing to play it for an hour.

0:05 If I take off time for PS3 installs, it's only fair that I do the same for PC games. Plus this one required me to install a new version of DirectX and restart my computer, which is always annoying.

0:06 "GARY SINISE as Mac Taylor." A bunch of other people as ... other people. Lots of guns, a freaky looking skeleton, large fingerprints, a slow-mo flying bullet and the "CSI: NY" logo in front of a skyscraper. I like the cel animation, but where's the music by The Who?

0:07 The game asks me to enter my name, but I can't type a space. I guess they just want a first name?

0:08 "TIP: Select Episode 1 to begin your investigation as Mac Taylor." Oh, dear lord ... if this is the level of help they think players need, I'm in for a dull experience.

Read the full review at Crispy Gamer

Animal Crossing: City Folk

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Nov. 16, 2008
System: Wii
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Every step you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you.

0:00 The sum total of my experience with Animal Crossing is watching a college friend play the GameCube original for five minutes or so, and playing Animal Crossing: City Folk for the same period at E3. I never really saw the appeal, frankly.

0:01 The game needs to install a system update before starting? What is this, a PS3 game?

0:02 That was an incredibly fast update. A quick system reset and we're ready to play.

0:03 The title pops up over a bear standing in front of an autumnal house. The bear walks around in the background to some pastoral guitar music. Reminds me of NPR on a Sunday.

0:04 "All righty! Sorry to keep you waiting," says Rover, a cat in a black room and spotlight. "I heard you were moving in, so I came to get you! Nice, huh?" Indeed!

0:05 Rover sells me on the benefits of a fresh start ... a new house, new neighbors, an escape from state troopers. OK, he didn't mention that last one. If I had ever played the DS version, I could transfer my game at this point.

Read the full review at Crispy Gamer

Orbz

Developer: 21-6
Publisher: Garage Games
Release Date: Feb. 13, 2003
System: PC
GameTap Rating: 6+
Official Web site

In a nutshell: The exciting world of throwing balls at stars.

0:00 0:00 The GameTap description said this game is good for "a master of trajectories, able to throw a ball with pinpoint accuracy." That doesn't really describe me, but it sounds like fun, regardless.

0:01 The game takes a full minute to load up. I'm feeling generous, so I'm going to blame my slow computer for this one.

0:02 The latest message on the "Orbz Message Center" is from Dec. 19, 2006, promising "Course Pack 6." The one before that is from July 17, 2004. I guess the DLC didn't really pan out over the years.

0:03 "The object of the game is to shoot your orb at targets located throughout 13 distinct courses in a race to score the most points." Move the mouse to aim, click once to start the power meter, click again to fire. The goal is to hit stars. The help screen also talks about power-ups and such too. I'll figure them out as I go.

0:04 Ah, I didn't need to read the help screen -- there's a tutorial. There are a lot of multi-colored orbs to choose from. I go with "Shameless Plug," which features the logo of developer 21-6. Heh.

Read the full review at Crispy Gamer

Defend Your Castle

Developer: XGen Studios
Publisher: XGen Studios
Release Date: May 12, 2008
System: Wii (WiiWare, reviewed), PC
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Defend Your $5 Cost on WiiWare

0:00 I played the freeware PC version of this game for about five minutes and it seemed worth a try as a $5 download on the new WiiWare download service. Plus I think the Wii remote controls will help things.

0:01 Right to the title screen -- no cut scenes, no story, nothing! Thank goodness! A bunch of stick figures with white heads running by in the background, and by a bunch I mean hundreds. I start a new game, normal difficulty.

0:02 "Round 1: Defend Your Castle" I guess that's all the instructions I'm getting. The background and clouds look like they're made of construction paper -- you can even see the blue strings holding up the clouds. It's like a 3rd grade diorama. The health bar is labeled "hElth" in black crayon. LOL.

0:03 Stick figure guys run at the gray castle. Pick 'em up with A, fling 'em in the air, and watch 'em splat. The "euuugh" sound effect and some birds chirping are the only things punctuating the eerie silence.

0:04 I'm getting ten-second hang times when I fling these guys way off the top of the screen! The SPLAT is all the more satisfying when you totally forgot about throwing the guy.

Read the full review at Crispy Gamer

Peggle

Developer: PopCap Games
Publisher: PopCap Games
Release Date: Feb. 27, 2007
System: PC
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Super-happy Pachinko.

0:01 Bubbly music and a smiling sunrise introduce the game. My teeth start to hurt from the saccharine sweetness of it all.
0:02 The "Peggle Institute" asks your name for a Certificate of Admission. Cute!
0:03 "Hit orange pegs to win. You have ten shots." I can't remember the last game I played with such basic instructions.
0:04 I hit five orange balls with my first shot and luck into a free ball when I land in a moving bucket at the bottom. Beginner's luck?
0:05 I get bonus points for a "long shot" ricochet that I hadn't planned. As far as I can tell, I have no control over the ball after the initial shot... it just bounces based on gravity and the angle of the pegs. It's mesmerizing to watch, but hard to plan, so far.
0:06 Upon hitting the last orange peg, the action gets super slow-mo, the camera zooms in, and fireworks effects trail the ball while Ode to Joy plays in the background. You'd think I crowned a new pope or something! Bonus points for completing the level on the first try is a nice touch.
0:09 I complete level two with one ball in reserve. I'm still finding it hard to plan ahead past the initial bounce. I keep ending up with random clusters of bricks separated by a whole screen by the end of the level.
0:11 A Super Guide bonus shows where the ball will go on the first bounce. Helpful, but not excessively so... I'm more concerned about here it goes after that, which I only have a vague idea about usually. I like the ability to fine tune shots with the mouse wheel, though.
0:13 I get bonus style points for an extreme slide. A unicorn pops up and says I have "Mad skillz!" LOLZ!
0:14 If you get enough points in a single shot, you get a bonus ball. Nice.
0:21 There's an inherent conflict between going for points and going for the orange pegs to finishing the level. I like it.
0:26 I fail for the first time on level four. On my last ball I had one orange peg left, but other pegs were in the way. Gotta plan ahead.
0:29 My best strategy so far seem to be aiming for a dense cluster of pegs and hoping for the best. It's worked all right so far.
0:30 I actually aim for a ricochet from an orange to a purple across the screen. And I get it! Feeling very skillful right now.
0:31 I get a drum roll and a zoom as I get near the last orange peg, then an "Awww" sound effect as I just miss. I love it!
0:32 Next up is Jimmy Lightning the squirrel. He introduces a multiball power-up. MULTIBALL! BLERRRRRRRN!.
0:33 My first shot on the squirrel levels gets a multiball gets an extra ball frenzy and another "Mad skillz." There's absolutely no skill on my part this time. I get style points and even though I have no idea how I got style.
0:36 Despite the simple concept, there's some fine control needed for this game. Being off just a little in your aim can totally throw off a ricochet.
0:37 I like that the game is smart enough to identify a lucky bounce, and that it's nice enough to give me points for it.
0:39 The ascending chimes as you hit more pegs are a nice touch. The presentation is really top notch.
0:40 In another insanely lucky shot I get a triple multiball and earn two extra balls. On the one hand, it's annoying having no idea how I caused these amazing shots. On the other hand, it's awesome to watch the insane chain reactions I've caused.
0:47 New stage, new bonus. Kat Tut Is going to give me pyramid power. "It's subtle, but it can really help you out." I like subtlety.
0:50 It's not as subtle as the anthropomorphic Egyptian cat indicated. In reality it just makes getting free balls really easy. Not that I'm complaining.
0:52 I think I've gotten over the fact that this game requires minimal skill and just accepted that the randomness is what makes it so endearing.
0:55 "I once though nothing could beat playing with a ball of yarn, but Peggle tops it." Dude, I'm already playing the game. I don't need an ad for the game inside the game.
1:00 I can do no wrong this game. I get extra ball after extra ball and finish with 100% completion badge. I feel like I accomplished something but really it was mostly luck.

Would I play this game for more than an hour? Definitely.
Why? It's a mesmerizing, if not very challenging. A great game to play with the TV on in the background.

This review based on a Deluxe version provided by PopCap.

Travelogue 360: Rome - The Curse of the Necklace

Developer: Big Fish Games
Publisher: Big Fish Games
Release Date: June 20, 2007
System: PC
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Look at pictures of Rome while solving a mystery.

0:01 The game offers a choice between timed and untimed modes. A nice touch for a casual game.
0:06 So far the game seems to be a massive search and find in a 3D panorama. Thrilling.
0:08 Apparently no one minds that you come to these sacred places and just pick up things that look interesting.
0:09 I'm glad the game tells you when one of the items you're searching for is on-screen. Without this hint, it would be nearly impossible.
0:12 These are supposed to be real photos of Rome. If so, Rome is the messiest place I've ever seen. There's random stuff lying everywhere!
0:15 I get a time penalty because I clicked slightly to the left of a pencil instead of right on it. Lame!
0:17 I'm suddenly thrown into a "spot the difference" minigame without any explanation. I get all six in just over a minute.
0:23 These panoramic pictures are beautiful... except for all the junk lying around.
0:26 I find a cheese grater on the ceiling. What the hell?
0:30 A jigsaw puzzle minigame is a nice change of pace, but I wish they at least tried to tie these in with the main storye somehow.
0:33 I'm actually getting quicker at finding the random items they ask for. This fact scares me.
0:37 Through much trial and error, I now know what a sewing basket looks like.
0:39 The "mystery" leaves a lot to be desired so far. You obtain clues, read them and then ... do the same thing you would do otherwise.It's not exactly Carmen Sandiego.
0:40 A matching mini-game called "Scopa" has potential, but is way too easy.
0:42 That slice of cake looks nothing like a slice of cake. Also, what's a slice of cake doing on the floor of a Roman basilica?
0:43 The music is quite nice and the general mood is quite relaxing, even with the time limit. I could see getting into this if I wasn't bored out of my skull.
0:46 I spend two minutes tracking down a pair of spectacles. My day has reached a new low.
0:50 A word find. More thrilling.
0:52 I somehow grab a seagull from midair fifty feet above me. Picturing this in my head is more exciting than this game.
0:58 I question the meaning of my existing after spending three minutes searching for a tiny man's profile.
0:59 The clues are building to a search for a youth-granting necklace that drives apart two young lovers. Cliche and badly written.

Would I play this game for more than an hour? No
Why? I'm not an old woman. If I were, though...

This review is based on a full version of the game provided by the publisher.