Review: Spa Mania 2

Type: Time Management
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Having successfully opened a line of earth friendly spas in the first game, Jade decided to take it easy. However, she soon heard that the customers were complaining so she decided to drop by all her spas to make sure that everything is running smoothly.

Gameplay
For those who have played Spa Mania, they can skip the tutorial. The gameplay remains pretty much the same. Drag a customer to the changing room to get him to change into a bathrobe, then drag him to the stations he requests for, before finally dragging him to another changing room to change back into his street clothes and collect payment. Like Spa Mania, there also mini games in Spa Mania 2.

Thoughts
The graphics have improved and everything looks a little bit better. The customers get a new look and there are new items to buy. But all these cannot hide the feeling that Spa Mania 2 is just Spa Mania with a makeover.

Maybe it's just me but Spa Mania 2 seems to start out on a harder level. There are more things to take note of. Now I have to clean out the changing rooms after each customer change back into their street clothes. Almost every station will need an additional click to activate Jade after I drag a customer to it. I often forget to click again because logically if Jade and the customer are both at the same station, she should have performed the action automatically. What happened is that the customer will just wait at the station until I suddenly noticed it and have to quickly click on the station before the customer loses his patience. It gets really frustrating when there are many other things demanding your attention at the same time. The useless assistant who does nothing on his own is also back in Spa Mania 2.

Fans of Spa Mania will most probably like Spa Mania 2. It's more of the same thing, just looks a bit different. For me, I feel too much frustration while playing it to like it much.

Verdict ★★★
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Review: Jewels

Type: Match 3
Platform: Android phone
Price: Free

Jewels is a free match 3 game on Android. It reminds me of the popular PopCap game Bejeweled. There are many Bejeweled clones on the market but most of them are not as polished as Jewels. The developer obviously put some thought into making this game. There are three modes of play - normal, timed and infinite. You can save the scores locally on your phone or submit it to the global scoreboard, but you can't do both. I liked the clean graphics and sounds, especially the sound effects of gems dropping down and when I matched three gems.

Verdict ★★★★★

Review: Puzzle Quest

Type: Match 3
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Puzzle Quest is a fun game where you defeat monsters by matching similar color gems.

Gameplay
You start by choosing a hero. Each character class will have their own specific strength and weakness as well as the spells or abilities available. After playing for a while, you will chose which house you are affiliated to. This will also give you additional bonus. Like in a RPG, there is a main quest and various side quests. You can also recruit sidekicks and mounts, which will give you extra bonuses.

The story is told through cut scenes like this

As the story progresses, more locations will appear on the map. You may encounter enemies while on the way to the next location or at the location itself. Battles are fought using by matching similar color gems and are turn-based. Matching the skulls will damage your opponent while gems will give you mana for casting spells. Each spell will need different amounts of colored mana to cast. Match coins to get money to buy better equipment or build up your fortress.

Thoughts
The mix of RPG elements and match 3 gameplay is refreshing. It is no wonder that when this game came out three years ago, it quickly became a hit. It is very addictive and I often played until the early hours of the morning. It is satisfying to see lightning bolts shoot out and hit my opponent whenever I matched a skull. For those who just want to battle monsters, you can do so. For those who prefer a little extra, there are many other things to do. You can train your mount, collect money from your territories or forge better equipments.

I played through the main quest and all the side quests until the very last boss. I find him too difficult to beat and after fighting him a few times, I gave up. It was as if there is a sudden jump in difficulty at the very end. Or maybe it means that I have to train up my character more. But grinding in any form is seldom fun so I stopped in the end. Maybe I'll replay it someday.

Verdict ★★★★
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Review: Build It Green: Back to the Beach

Type: Building Management
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

You are asked to clean up a polluted island by building greener buildings.

Gameplay
You are presented with a map on which are some buildings and empty plots of land. Each level has a few objectives, maybe building a certain number of buildings or earning a certain amount of money. Upgrade old polluting buildings and build new greener buildings to clean up the island. Green buildings generate more income which can be used to purchase material and further upgrades. You also have to take note of the electricity capacity and try not to exceed it.

Thoughts
I like that this is an educational game and yet fun to play at the same time. The game does not bombard me with too much information and while some of the methods in the game are not easy or cheap to implement but playing it has made me think more about how I can contribute to make things a little greener. It is pretty satisfying to see the changes in the environment and buildings when I clean up an area. I also giggled at the rainbow that appears whenever I successfully complete a level.

It is nice to have an option to choose whether I want to play a timed game or a relaxed one without any time limits. The Challenges levels are also available after I complete all 6 levels of the tutorials. I would advise to not play the Challenges until you have played the game for a while because the challenges have tougher objectives.

A mini game in Built It Green: Back to the Beach

My main complaint is that each level takes a while to load. I find that I spend a bit of time waiting for levels to load. Considering that a level does not take long to complete, it is frustrating to have to keep waiting for a new level to load.

Verdict ★★★
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Review: Spa Mania

Type: Time Management
Platform: PC and Mac
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games for PC and Mac

Jade is against the use of animals in the cosmetics industry. After being challenged by Madame Dubois, the owner of such a cosmetic factory, Jade decided to start her own earth friendly spa. With the help of her friend, Jake, she starts first by learning the ropes.

Gameplay
Jade's journey will take her through ten different spas. There are five stages in each spa so altogether there are 50 stages for you to win. You start with three stations in the first spa. You have to drag customers to the correct station of their choice. At some stations, you will have to perform an addition action, maybe choose the correct facial mask, before it can be considered complete. After each stage, you have to option to spend your hard-earned money on upgrading the spa.

As you progress through the stages, you will unlock mini games. These mini games will have an impact on the spa, whether it is the replenishing of products the spa offer or enabling Jade to perform her actions better. You will also unlock new colors and designs for Jade's outfit.

Thoughts
The difficulty increases gradually and it isn't overwhelming for a new player. I do wish that the customers would move on to the next station automatically instead of having me to drag them. The variety of mini games keep it interesting. As far as I can tell, the mini games are optional and there is no need to play them after every stage. My main complain is that you have to tell the assistant every time you need him to do something; click on the changing room to get him to clean it, click on the tub to get him to refill it. The most help he'll give on his own is by waving his hand in the air to alert you. What's the point of having an assistant then? Fire him, I say!

The graphics are cartoony and cute and will appeal to the young and old. It is nice to have a storyline and a villain. I am more motivated to continue playing the game because I want to see how it turns out. By simply having a brief write-up when a new customer type appears ensures that they are not faceless and generic. If you look closely, you may see a figure looking suspiciously like Madame Dubois pacing outside the spa and taking notes.

Verdict ★★★★
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Review: GabCab

Type: Time Management
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

The cars in GabCab have faces like Thomas the Tank Engine and Jay Jay the Jet Plane. Although this game feels specifically marketed for young children, the cute cartoony graphics will appeal to the young and old.

Gameplay
Gameplay is easy, just pick up customers and bring them to their destination. There is not even any need to plan the route as the game will automatically choose the best route. When a customer gets to his destination, he will throw coins into the air and the player can catch them by moving the mouse over them. The money earned can be used to buy powerups or upgrades.

Thoughts
I find the game easy to play, so easy in fact, that it felt like a kid's game. The difficulty increased a bit as the game progresses but overall it still was easy to clear the stages. The automatic route planner works well, only on a handful of occasions do I need to manually override it. The graphics are big and cute and the sounds felt cheerful. I think kids will have fun playing this game. For older players, it might not hold much of a challenge.

Verdict ★★★
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Review: Farmers Market

Type: Building Management
Platform: PC and Mac
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Build stalls and run your own Farmers Market.

Gameplay
There is a limited number of free plots in each market for you to build stalls. There are three kinds of stalls - farmer, vendor and special stalls. Farmer stalls provides the raw materials eg. flour or corn. Vendor stalls sells products made from the raw materials, eg. bread or hot dog. Special stalls are stalls which do not directly make money but will have an impact in the running of the market eg. bandstand or drinks. Each stage has a few objectives you have to fulfil to pass it. It may be selling a number of a certain item or building certain stalls.

Thoughts
I like that there are two modes of play. Depending on your preference, you can pick either the challenge mode, which has a time limit, or the relaxed mode, which does away with the time limit. Most casual game have only one difficulty setting.

I like the chalkart map and the animation of the chalk checking my objectives when I meet them. I also like the music in Farmers Market. It has a country banjo twang to it which suits the game.

Verdict ★★★
Store page (PC and Mac)

Review: Love Ahoy

Type: Memory Match
Platform: PC and Mac
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

Most websites listed Love Ahoy as a time management game, while a few categorized it as a action game. After playing the game, I felt that it is neither a time management game or an action game. I decided to call it a memory match game because it seemed to be the closest to describing the game.

Gameplay
Remember those game where you get a bunch of cards lying face down and you have to turn over two at time to match them? That's what this game feels like. As a staff on board a cruise ship, you have to create romances between couples by matching them according to their interests.

Each day, you will be presented with the passengers on the cruise ship. When you click on one passenger, depending on the theme, you will see either their favorite drink, their favorite pet, their favorite musical instrument etc. You will have to match them with a passenger of the opposite gender. In the later stages, you will be give certain restrictions, such as making a match only in certain areas of the ship.

At night, you will have to pair up couples on the dance floor. The best result happens when you have a couple where all their interests are a match. However, it will be hard to get a good match for all of them. At times when you ended up with a couple who have totally no common interests, you will need to serve them a drink before they will accept and dance with each other. Sounds like a case of beer goggles?

Thoughts
To play this game well, you will need to use your memory. The first few stages are easy to get through because there are less passengers and less interests to match up. When there are more passengers and interests, you will need to use your memory to decide whether to pair them up. Should you pair up Pamela with Kenny? Or should you wait because you remember that she has a perfect match in James? If you don't have a good memory, get a pen and paper when you play. Trust me, you'll need it.

Graphics-wise, it's the typical big heads, little bodies people which is supposed to be cute but it is not always so. In this case, I don't find them cute, more like a little ugly. It is hard to feel anything for them because they have no personality. There's none of the patient and slow granny or the fussy tipper that populate other time management games.

Verdict ★★★
Store page (PC and Mac)

Review: Fill Up 2

Type: Match 3
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

I'm puzzled by Fill Up 2. Judging from the name, the first game must have been popular enough for the developers to create a sequel. Yet from what little I've played of the game, I found it quite boring.

Gameplay
The player matches up vehicles to the vehicles already in the lots. Get three of the same type and color and they will disappear. A few vehicles will wait near the lots for the player to move them. The player only need to move one vehicle and the game will automatically assign the rest. The money earned can be used to built up a town and unlock later stages.

Thoughts
As I've said earlier, I found the game quite boring. It wasn't very fun and I was just mechanically moving the vehicles to match them. The game wasn't good at automatically assigning vehicles into their lots and it often screwed up. I supposed it could be that the developers wanted to add some difficulty to the game by having some elements which the player cannot control, but it was just frustrating in the end. I keep wishing that I could disable this feature as it just wasn't doing a good job. Finally I quit the game well under the one hour limit for the free trial. I was also irritated by the annoying "boing" sound whenever I matched three or more vehicles. It was grating on the ears after a while.

Building up a town with money that the player had earned in the game was supposed to be a satisfying experience. It a reward for the effort the player had put in playing the game. But sadly it was just as boring and mechanical as the rest of the game. The game had already decided what building should be placed at which location and everything was arranged neatly in a boring grid pattern. The player has no say apart from deciding when to build them.

Verdict ★★
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Review: Air Control

Type: Time Management
Platform: Android
Price: Free and Paid (UK£1.99) versions

Air Control is a deceptively simple game with simple graphics and a handful of sound effects. The player has to get the planes to land at the airport by using his finger to trace a path to the landing site. The planes come in three different colors representing three different places they can land. There are no stages. The game ends when two or more planes crash into each other.

The game starts slow. As more planes appear with increasing frequency, it can become quite hectic trying to keep track of all of moving planes on the screen. Planes paths cross each other frequency and I often had to reroute a plane when it looks as if they are going to crash. It is easy to miss a potential crash when there are more than ten planes on the screen at the same time.

I've been playing the game quite a bit after I downloaded it from the Android Market. It is quite satisfying to be able to land a plane safely. I often turn to this game when I feel like playing something but did not want to spend too much effort or time at it.

The free version is ad-supported. The Blue Ocean map is also locked in the free version.

Verdict ★★★★

 

Review: Rachel's Retreat

Type: Time Management
Platform: PC
Price: USD 6.99 from Big Fish Games

I recently tried out this time management game and I had so much fun that I bought the game when the trial period ended.

Plot
It is a simple story about Rachel, who after having much difficulty finding Nirvana, decided to build her own spa retreat.

Gameplay
There are five resorts in the game with ten stages each. The first resort is partly a tutorial to teach players the basics. Each of the resort has a different look.

In each resort, the player can build various stations to fulfil different needs. Some stations can be upgraded to handle three clients at one time while so stations can only handle one. The player has to drag the clients to the correct station based on the thought bubbles that appeared over their head. If the station is in used at the moment, the player can either let them wait in the waiting area or change their mind by clicking on a special table. After going through a few stations, the client will achieve Nirvana status. The Nirvana-state client will walk off to the Nirvana room when the timer runs out or the player can sound a gong to get a few clients to enter the Nirvana room at the same time.

After completing a stage, there is a optional stage where the player has to rearrange the clients' seating arranging to bring about Nirvana for the whole room.

Thoughts
I like that there is no sudden jump in difficulty. The tutorials were well written and everything was explained clearly.

As the player progress, there will be new challenges thrown in for the player to handle which keeps the game interesting. The player will need to build platforms and extensions before a new station can be added. At the later stages, certain stations will face water or electricity shortage and the player will have to find ways to avert the clients to other stations.

After the frantic mouse clicking needed to handle demanding clients, it is nice to have the option to solve a puzzle without any time limit. The earlier stages are pretty simple to solve. A bit more thinking is involved in the later stages and being too lazy to figure it out, I often skip them.

The graphics and sounds are pretty good. Even the voice acting in the cut scenes between resorts is not too bad.

Overall I find it to be a pretty polished game. It is definitely one of the best.

Verdict ★★★★★
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