Legacy Games Blog

End of the year SUPER sale!

THIS WEEK AT LEGACY

HERE'S WHAT'S WORKING FOR ME ...

1. County Fair. It's got roller coasters, a shooting gallery, and deep fried candy bars. Enough said. This is a really addictive carnival building sim/tycoon game that has eaten up half my week.

2. Fix-it-up: Kate`s Adventure. Finally, a time management game my husband will play! You fix up cars.

3. Holly: A Christmas Tale – Deluxe Edition. A decent family holiday game that includes bright colors, happy music, and game play that appeals to the kids without boring the parents.

... AND WHAT'S NOT

1. Mr Biscuits The Case of the Ocean Pearl. Pugs are tiny, and so are the hidden objects in this game. The mystery here is how anyone can spot them.

2. Piggly Christmas Edition. Putting a Santa hat on the pig does not make it a Christmas game. These pigs will only eat pristine apples, which is interesting, since real pigs will eat some funky slop. Maybe it's just sour grapes...or apples in this case...since I can't seem to get very far.

-Lisa

 

This Week at Legacy!

THIS WEEK AT LEGACY

HERE'S WHAT'S WORKING FOR ME ...

1. Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun. A vacation with Hercule Poirot!

2. Secret Missions: Mata Hari and the Kaiser's Submarines. It's like playing dress-up to seduce targets and steal secrets.

3. Pictureka Museum Mayhem. Based on the boardgame; it's cute if you don't mind repetition.

... AND WHAT'S NOT

1. DQ Tycoon. DQ stands for Dairy Queen. Do we really need another ice cream game this winter?

2. Finding Doggy. It takes 100 levels of match 3 to find him. It would be easier to put up signs.

3. Paranormal Agency. Good idea, but too many bugs.
Calling an exterminator might be more practical than the Ghostbusters.

-Lisa

Christmas Games!

If you're looking for some games to get you in the holiday spirit, here are a few you might want to check out. Which reminds me, oh my gosh, I still haven't finished my shopping. But, back to those games...

Christmasville – It's a hidden object game, a lot like Mysteryville, but with Christmas and winter characters, like reindeer and elves and a yeti. The story is very funny, though a bit crass at times...
Santa is portrayed as suffering from senior dementia, and you are trying to rescue him from himself before Christmas. Some things might go over the kids heads, but adults will get a chuckle.

Elf Bowling: Hawaiian Vacation – It's precise what you'd expect by the title. Mischevious Christmas Elves, bowling in Hawaii. Weird premise, but a decent game.

Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek – Okay, so it's not a Christmas game per say, but it does involve a lot of snow. There's even snowball fights!

Jabber – It's a Christmas word game, kind of like Boggle. There's no pressure, and it's not fancy or heavy; just fun game play. The dictionary is pretty good, too, so the game accepts a wide variety of words (even curses and slang).

Bratz's Fashion Christmas – My daughter loves these dolls, and thought this was neat, at least for a few minutes. It's a simple online game where you can dress up a Bratz doll in typically skimpy clothing (which you'd never allow your real life daughter to even consider leaving the house wearing). There's Christmas music in the background, and her bikini is red and fur lined, so I suppose it's Christmas themed!

Christmas Slider – Another online game, but this one includes several sliding puzzles. You know, the kind they used to give away at children's parties? You try and assemble an image by sliding around different pieces. It's a good challenge when you have some time to kill.

Snowman Game – For the little ones, it's a snowman to paint online. Very cute.

You've got less than 3 weeks left, so happy holiday planning!!!

-Lisa

What's Hot and Not Hot

Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst

This has got to be the creepiest game I've played in a while. It picks up where the first left off, after the discovery of Emma's murder. This time you get to explore the entire haunted Ravenhearst Manor, which is full of ghosts, horror, logic puzzles, and hidden objects. 

Hot Dish 2: Cross Country Cook Off

Lots of frantic cooking, with a bunch of improvements over the first. The recipes are pretty neat too.  Just don't play on an empty stomach!

Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Camera, Curses

It has everything that makes the Nancy Drew games great, plus some new hidden object tasks. The puzzles are really neat, like decrypting hieroglyphics and playing a tetris-style mini-game. The story is pretty good too, with a bunch of eccentric characters.

What's NOT so hot --

Mark & Mandi's Love Story

The romance fizzles before it begins. There's only so much “spot the difference” a girl can take. Still, the artwork is kind of funky and unique.

Vanilla & Chocolate

 

Summer is OVER. Enough ice cream, please! Sure, it's yummy stuff, and the game is a cute blend of Tycoon and Time management, but the theme has been done to death.

-Lisa

Ready... Set... Go! Holiday time is here.

Your guide to the best (and worst) games for
this Holiday Season

Hi Friends,

  Wow! I can't believe that Thanksgiving is over and December is right around the corner. My stomach is still full from all the turkey, plus I'm eating more of it today... sandwiches, chili, scrambled eggs, oh the possibilities are endless.  Knowing what I like to eat is easy, but figuring out which game to buy, now that's a task I'll leave to the professionals. If you're like me and don't have time to read every review or download every free trial then you are going to need some help sorting through the heaps of games to get to the real gems.
 
Good thing we have trusty Lisa to play every game on Legacy Games! See below for Lisa's latest advice on which games to buy and which to avoid.

Here's what works. Jojo's Fashion Show 2: Las Cruces - Design outrageous outfit combos for the runway. This sequel boosts more clothes and more characters than the first. If you have no style, you can hide it with flamboyant combinations...just like the real designers do.   The Lost Cases of Sherlock Holmes - Espionage, murder, and theft... keep the drama out of your holiday season and let this game create all the suspense you need.   Chocolatier 2: Secret Ingredients- A simulation that involves earning lots of money and chocolate. With that combo, can you really go wrong?   Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate - Let's face it, carnival people are pretty creepy as it is... then add bizarre murders, dark humor, and some great graphics. There's a reason these sequels are so popular.   Fishdom - It's part match 3, and part fish simulation. The best part is you never have to clean the tank.   Jewel Quest III - Outrageously challenging and fast paced, with some killer graphics. Move over, Bejewelled.   Cake Mania 3- More frantic cake baking, while traveling through time and space. Far fetched? Yes, but completely addictive.   Build-a-lot 2: Town of the Year - Civil engineering was never so much fun! Plan neighborhoods and paint houses while the mayor gushes over your brilliance.   Virtual Villagers: The Secret City - The Secret City - It's not reality television, but it is real time gaming on a desert island. The little guys can reproduce, grow old, and die if you leave them along for too long.   Women's Murder Club - Death in Scarlet - Search for blood stains, examine corpses, harass suspects, and find creative ways to bend the law. Now that's realism! It's based on James Patterson's WMC series.   Here's what doesn't work. The Sims Carnival SnapCity- It has nothing to do with the Sims, other than being produced by the same company. Basically, this is Tetris using city parts. I expected so much more from EA!   Fashion Dash - It's just like Diner Dash...except with bugs, and not much original content. Skip this one and play Fitness Dash or Parking Lot Dash instead.   Daycare Nightmare: Mini-Monsters - It's exactly the same as the first, except with 3D graphics. Same monsters, same plot, same mechanics. I think the animated version was better...   7 Wonders: Treasures of Seven - The game play is slow, and it never gets challenging. The rotating board was an original idea, but it makes things too easy for most players.   Ice Cream Tycoon - Monotonous. I know tycoon games are supposed to simulate a business experience, but it shouldn't feel like actual work!   Interpol 2: Most Wanted - Great graphics, but the story drags on and never gets off the ground. The clicks are often unresponsive, which makes things worse.   Stand O'Food 2- Too many bugs, with unusual graphics and characters. The food choices have gotten better, but the experience was still pretty awkward. Bejeweled Twist -- Come on, this is Bejwelled we're talking about! Expectations are pretty high. This sequel no different from earlier versions, and you have to start over from the beginning when you die. If you already own a Bejewelled title, don't expect anything new here. I hope this list gives you more time to get back to what's important... playing great games of course!

Until next time.

Have Fun!

Sophia, aka Sofun
CFO* Chief Fun Officer
Legacy Games
Sofun@legacygames.com
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