Legacy Games Blog

Dark And Creepy With The Usual Junk And Clutter...Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate

Have I mentioned before that I read tarot cards? Well, at least I'm learning to...you'd be surprised how much history the cards have. People study for decades to become proficient readers. I don't think I'll ever be good enough to work the carnival scene, plus frankly, carnies freak me out almost as much as clowns. But, anyway, I'm loving the theme of the latest Mystery Case Files sequel.

Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate sets you right in the middle of a dark carnival. The fortune teller believes her life is threatened, and she needs you to help find out who's behind her murder before it happens. As you investigate each suspect, you learn of their gruesome deaths or misfortunes, and eliminate them from the pool of potentials.

This is a hidden object game, no surprises there. You need to find objects on the list before time runs out. These objects are sometimes obscure, but most of them are “fair” to find, and you do get plenty of hints at each level. It's moderately difficult. Objects are sometimes, but not always, fitting with the theme of the background, which is cool. The backgrounds, while we're on the topic, are gorgeous. Very creepy and fun, full of the usual junk and clutter.

Wow, there are a lot of rooms and levels in this one. The story is totally fun to follow, so you want to see what happens to each character as you move along. The game is at least several hours long, so you really get your money's worth when it comes to quality game play time.

Like all the MCF games, there's lots of humor. Granted, its dark and sometimes hokey, but worth a few laughs. If you want my opinion, Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate is the best hidden object game yet. I know, I've said that before about Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile, Dream Day Wedding, and Mystery Case Files: Ravenhurst... Those are still great, but Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate is my new favorite by far. Bonus points if you like games with a dark and creepy edge.

Lisa

DOWNLOAD MYSTERY CASE FILES: MADAME FATE HERE>>

Salary - $10K per Lifetime...Baby Luv!

A parenting classified ad in the real world would read something like this: Help wanted. Do you like waking up at all hours of the day and night? Enjoy spending uncounted hours wiping little runny noses and changing stinky bottoms? Not discouraged by occasional bouts of projectile vomiting, endless piles of laundry, and no personal life whatsoever? Have we got a job for you! No vacations or weekends, with lots of unpaid overtime. Salary – negative $10,000 a lifetime. Apply today!

But, joking aside, being a parent is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. It was only a matter of time before someone made a good baby-raising sim. Baby Luv is what you'd expect, and is brought to you by the same people who made Puppy Luv and Kitty Luv. The whole time I was playing, I kept thinking of those hand-held virtual pets that were so popular ten years back. I'm sure I still have one in my sock drawer. It's a very similar game play experience.

When you start off, you must choose your baby's name, gender, hair type and color, eye color, and skin tone. Once you've created her, it is time to go to the nursery. Your baby has happiness gages along the bottom of the screen. Your job is to keep her happy and healthy. She doesn't like being couped up, so she sometimes needs to be taken outdoors for fresh air. Your baby also gets bored easily, and needs to play with a variety of toys. Like all babies, she gets dirty, and needs to be changed and bathed regularly. Food is a must, so give her lots of bottles. Don't forget to put her down for naps – rocking the cradle makes her sleeping time more effective. When you need or want more supplies, you can go shopping. There, you can buy needed items like diapers and bottles, plus fun things like new toys and outfits for your baby.

The graphics are very cute, with nice backgrounds and suitable background music. The environment is pleasant, and the babies are really adorable. I love the little giggles and sound effects. It would have been cool to hear more baby noises incorporated. Maybe even the possibility of twins, or multiple babies?

As a grown-up, I found the limited number of tasks a bit tedious after a while. You can only play with stackable rings so many times before it wears thin. Kids might have a better time with it. It would probably be a cool gift to give a child who has a new brother or sister coming.

Lisa

DOWNLOAD BABY LUV HERE>>

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...2 Great New Gift Titles!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...okay, so we have to get through Thanksgiving first, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who's started the dreaded Christmas shopping. A new gaming console was high on my wishlist this year, but after hitting several stores and being told they are SOLD OUT of the best buys, things are looking grim. They do have the “upgraded” packages for oh, double and triple the price, but hey...I was hoping to get one without needing to sell my body to science. It looks like I'm plum out of luck. In light of this, I think computer games are the way to go when it comes to those gamers on your shopping list this year! Luckily, there are lots of good ones out now, so stay tuned.

Back back to the games – there's two new time management games out this week, “Fashion Fits!” and “Diner Dash: Hometown Hero,” which means lots of game time for yours truly!

In Diner Dash: Hometown Hero, Flo and her Grandma are off to save their home town, starting with the local Zoo. This is the fourth game in the series, and its classic time management and waitressing fun. It started off pretty easy, but by level 10 I was replaying levels to win. It can get very frantic when you have more than 6 tables to serve! I really liked training new waiters. You get to pick who you hire, and then compete against her/him while you play. The new waiter takes over for you when you move to a new restaurant.

There are a lot of customer types, many of which we've already seen in earlier versions of Diner Dash. There's the chatty teenagers, who drive everybody crazy unless you pair off boys and girls to flirt. Then there's the screaming babies, impatient food critics, and customers with “reservations” for a specific table.

Like always, you get a bonus for matching customers with chairs of the same color, and extra points for chaining commands. There are also mood boosters, liked drinks and flowers, that help keep customers happy if you have a chance to use them.

Perhaps the best new addition to this title is the online multiplayer mode. You can compete against others to see who can earn the most money, or work together with a friend to serve the customers. You can design and upload your own restaurant, too, which is pretty cool. AND, if you don't mind spending a few more dollars, you can also buy additional restaurants, backgrounds, and outfits for Flo.

Switching topics, lets talk about Fashion Fits! It's another one of those service games, where you must help customers and keep shelves stocked. It's not perfect, but I thought it was okay. The main character moves a bit slowly around the screen, which sometimes annoyed me, but otherwise the pace is good. It's fun to get the upgrades, and to learn the customers different personalities. If you're a die-hard time management fan, its also worth the download.

Have fun serving those customers!

Lisa

DOWNLOAD DINER DASH: HOMETOWN HERO HERE>>

DOWNLOAD FASHION FITS! HERE>>

Subject: A game and a book you won't want to miss!

Hi there,
You are in for a treat. In case you haven't heard, a new Mystery Case Files game just became available on Legacy Games.

Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate is the fourth game in the series and, in my humble opinion, the best so far. It has superb graphics and audio, (especially the carnival scenes), an interesting story, and lots and lots of puzzles to solve. Fifteen different folks want Madame Fate to die, and you have until midnight to solve the mystery. My only beef is that some of the items you are looking for are very small, and with my aging eyesight that can be challenging.

While I'm on the subject of great entertainment, I have a very personal plug. My son, Jonah Lehrer, wrote his first book, "Proust Was a Neuroscientist," which just became available last week. Check it out on Amazon.  I have spent my professional life creating products, and have yet to enjoy the kind of enthusiastic reviews he is receiving for this nonfiction book about how some artists anticipated scientific discoveries about the brain.

And if you have any leftover time this weekend, enjoy what's left of Autumn and the changing of the leaves. Jonah, (the writer), says that scientists don't really understand why trees drop their leaves. There are competing theories, including one that blames it on parasites. Strange...

Ariella
President
Legacy Interactive

Marble Popping and Sparkly Things...Luxor 3

My 2-year-old daughter, Ashley, has already learned everything she needs about sparkly things. Her first sentence was, “Daddy, we go shopping!,” followed by “that's mine!” as she pointed to a tanzanite and diamond ring with a stone as big as her head. She even figured out that giving Daddy a kiss increases her chances of walking out of the shop with some bling-bling....but diamonds for a two-year-old? No, you have to draw the line somewhere!

What is my point? Erm...oh yeah, sparkly things! I love 'em too. So, its no mystery to me why games with good graphics and lots of sparkle are so popular. It's one of the things I love about the Luxor titles, in particular Luxor 3. Not just the game play (I'll get there in a minute), but the thrill of the whole atmosphere, and the great special effects and eye candy. The “cinematic” music is also really, really, really good at transporting you into the game. Total escapism.

Now, about the game play – it rocks. On the surface, it's a marble popper game, where you shoot at moving chains of marbles while trying to make color matches before the chain reaches the bottom of the screen. It reminds me of the old centipede games (bonus points if you can remember playing the original on Atari). BUT, there's more to it than that. You need to use some strategy to succeed, especially on the later levels, since everything speeds up and you must make every ball count. It can really fry your brain if you aren't keeping on your toes!

Even if you're not a huge fan of shooters or marble popping games, you'll probably find this a fun way to spend some free time. It's one of my favorites. :) I'd give it two thumbs up.

Lisa

DOWNLOAD LUXOR 3 HERE>>