RSS

Tag Archives: kindle game review

Kindle Hidden Expedition: Amazon Review

21 Oct

Kindle Hidden Expedition: Amazon Active Content: Amazon Listing

Hidden Expedition: Amazon – Review Introduction

Hidden Expedition: Amazon is a hidden object search game. It was released in July 2011 from Big Fish Games, and is currently priced at $4.99. Hidden Expedition is currently rated 3.6 stars, with over 30 customer reviews.

Hidden Expedition: Amazon- Main Takeaways

The goal of Hidden Expedition: Amazon is to find the missing objects in each scene and unlock clues to find your missing uncle. The game starts off by auto rotating 90 degrees, and gives you a nice wide scene to search. Each scene is broken down into a grid, which you can easily jump the cursor to by pressing the assigned button from the keyboard. In the menu, you have the option to actually turn on a grid to make it easier to view the grid delineations. You can also move the cursor using the 5 way controller. As you find each object listed, it disappears from the scene. There are also hints available to highlight the area each object is in.

Kindle Hidden Expedition: Amazon Active Content- Game in Play

You can choose to replay each level at any time from the chapter selection menu. The game also gives you the option to create multiple profiles, so several people can play the game at once. There are also several mini games interspersed within the larger game, as you progress within the levels.

Hidden Expedition: Amazon- Conclusion and Overall Rating

I’m a huge fan of this style of game, and thought the Kindle version was very good. I do miss it being in color, but that is one of the limitations of Kindle games, and the resolution in the eInk was good enough to make the objects easily identifiable. I also wish that they game screen had been broken down even further into grids, as manipulating the mouse was a bit clunky at times. The price point is a bit high, but it is worth giving a try if you are a fan of the pc version of these games. I give this game 4 stars, and it will definitely be played further as I have yet to explore all the game has to offer.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on 10/21/2011 in Review

 

Tags: , ,

Kindle Slingo Review

20 Oct

Kindle Slingo Active Content: Amazon Listing

Slingo: Review Introduction

Slingo is a combination of bingo and slots, available from Gameblend Studios. It was released in December 2010, with the most recent update in October 2011. Slingo is currently rated 4.5 stars with over 40 customer reviews, and is priced at $3.99.

Slingo: Main Takeaways

Slingo is exactly what the title makes you think, bingo + slots, rolled into one game.The game starts with your traditional 5×5 bingo grid, with various numbers.

Kindle Slingo Active Content: Game in Play, Beginning of Level

With each spin, you have a chance to get one number in each column marked. There are also several other kinds of tiles in play: Jokers, Devils, Free Spins, and Coins. Jokers allow you to mark any number in that row, Devils can steal up to half your score, unless a magic Cupid swoops in to beat the devil and doubles your score(Cupids occur randomly when a devil appears, but tend to show up more often than not). Free Spins get added to the counter for the end of the round, and Coins add to your total score.

Kindle Slingo Active Content: Game in Play, Spin

You get 20 turns to completely fill your Slingo card. The first 16 turns are free, and then after that each turn costs coins from your score. If you have free spins, it is wise to save them until forced to use them, because each turn gets progressively more expensive.

Kindle Slingo Active Content: Game in Play, End of round

At the end of each 20 turns, you get a score. Your score is based on the total amount of slingos, the fill percentage, amount of jokers used, and total coins earned. Each game is a fresh start on score, so every game gives you the same chances to earn high scores.

Slingo: Conclusion and Overall Rating

I’ve played the online version of Slingo before, and I think this Kindle version is a pretty good comparison. I give it 4.5 stars, and warn you that it is quite addictive. I do wish that the cupid didn’t show up quite as often, and that there were a few more varieties of Slingo like the online version offers.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on 10/20/2011 in Review

 

Tags: , ,

Kindle Mystery Castle: A Dawn of Illusion Review

19 Oct

Kindle Mystery Castle: A Dawn of Illusion Active Content- Amazon Listing

Kindle Mystery Castle: A Dawn of Illusion: Review Introduction

Mystery Castle: A Dawn of Illusion is a puzzle adventure game. It was released in October 2011 from Runestone Games Limited and is available currently for $1.99. Mystery Castle is currently rated 3.8 stars, with 4 customer reviews.

Kindle Mystery Castle: A Dawn of Illusion: Main Takeaways

Mystery Castle is a puzzle game that follows the adventures of Monty the wizard as he tries to escape through the castle and rescue the inhabitants. On each level, you need to get keys to unlock certain areas and 5 skull totems to unlock the skull door and beat the level.

Kindle Mystery Castle: A Dawn of Illusion Active Content- Game in Play, beginning of level

There are also areas of damaged floor, where passing over it 1-2 times will cause the floor to break completely and make it so you can’t move across that area again. In levels further into the game, they also have crates you can move around to help bridge damaged floor sections.

Kindle Mystery Castle: A Dawn of Illusion Active Content- Game in Play, damaged floor

Beating the level requires thinking ahead, and unlocking doors strategically. If you get stuck, you can restart the level. In order to beat the level, you have to get all 5 skull totems and then move to the skull door.

Kindle Mystery Castle: A Dawn of Illusion Active Content- Game in Play, level clear

Kindle Mystery Castle: A Dawn of Illusion: Conclusion and Overall Rating

While I am a huge fan of puzzle games of this type, I didn’t really love this game. I wished there was a hint mode, and that the game had a bit more personalization. I’d give Mystery Castle: A Dawn of Illusion 4 stars, and hope that in future game updates they add some of the requested features.

 
1 Comment

Posted by on 10/19/2011 in Review

 

Tags: , ,

Kindle Memory Classic Review

18 Oct

Kindle Memory Classic Active Content: Amazon Listing

Memory Classic: Review Introduction

Memory Classic is a matching game for Kindle. It was released in September 2011 from Joybits, and is currently available for $1.99. Memory Classic is currently rated 5 stars with 1 customer review.

Memory Classic: Main Takeaways

Memory Classic is the typical memory/matching game, also known as concentration. It has several levels of play, with 3 game modes: Classic, Relaxed, and Arcade Play. The goal is to match the tiles, in as few moves as possible. The game starts out as a 2×2 grid, and increases in size and difficulty with each level of play.

Kindle Memory Classic Active Content: Game in Play

In classic mode, the goal is to make all the matches before time runs out. In relaxed mode, the goal is to make all the matches in order to clear the level. In arcade mode, the goal is to make as many matches as possible before the screen fills up, as new tiles are added all the time. These various modes of play offer different kinds of challenges and allow one game to suit various players easily.

Memory Classic: Conclusion and Overall Rating

If you like traditional matching games, Memory Classic is a great game. I’ll give the game 3.5 stars, as I wish tiles didn’t repeat once the grid got bigger and that the controls were a bit smoother. I found the game too simple in both classic and relaxed mode for me as an adult, but the child I tested this game with loved the game and wanted to keep playing. This is definitely a fun game for parents to have on their Kindle to help entertain children.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on 10/18/2011 in Review

 

Tags: , ,

Kindle Strimko Review

17 Oct

Kindle Strimko Active Content: Amazon Listing

Strimko: Review Introduction

Strimko is a number puzzle game similar to Sudoku, but with a few twists. It was released in March 2011, and is currently rated 4.6 stars with 13 customer reviews. Strimko is available for $2.99 from Braintonik Games.

Strimko: Main Takeaways

Strimko is a number puzzle, similar in style to sudoku. The goal is to get one of each number in each horizontal and vertical row, with the twist of having connected number ‘streams’ throughout to match as well. There are 4 different levels of play, from Easy to Difficult, with different size grids(4×4 to 7×7). When you complete each puzzle, you also get a score, based on how quickly you solved the puzzle and how many hints used. You can replay a level at any time to try and improve your score.

Strimko: Conclusion and Overall Rating

Strimko is fun to play, and easy to learn. I give this one 4.5 stars, as I would prefer a bit less of a white screen(it tends to be harsh on the eyes), but overall this is a fun and simple game.

 
1 Comment

Posted by on 10/17/2011 in Review

 

Tags: , ,

Kindle Mahjong Butterfly Review

14 Oct

Kindle Mahjong Butterfly Active Content: Amazon Listing

Mahjong Butterfly: Review Introduction

Mahjong Butterfly is a tile matching and strategy game from Namco Networks America.  This game was released in September 2011 and currently has a rating of 5 stars.  Mahjong Butterfly is currently sold for $2.99.

Mahjong Butterfly:  Main Takeaways

Mahjong Butterfly starts out as your typical mahjong game. Your goal is to match the tiles, making sure you don’t get stuck by strategizing which matches to make first in order to unlock the maximum number of tiles. Then comes the twist: butterflies.

The entire goal of mahjong butterfly is to strategically match the tiles (melons, leaves, flowers, wind, and sun) in order to feed your caterpillars and hatch them into butterflies, before you run out of lives. You start the game with one caterpillar, and below it are two numbers. One number is the number of berries you need to feed the caterpillar for it to enter the cocoon, the other is the number of leaves it needs. As you match the tiles in the game, the numbers go down.

Kindle Mahjong Butterfly Active Content: Game in Play, Beginning of Level

There are several kinds of tiles in Mahjong Butterfly. First, there are leaf and berry tiles, which are required to feed your caterpillars. Then, there are flower tiles, which are of no importance to the game, but add in additional tiles to the board. There are also wind tiles, which when matched take a life away from each caterpillar/cocoon. Each level has one set of sun tiles, which when matched hatch any cocoons into butterflies. Each level also has one set of caterpillar tiles, which when matched add an additional caterpillar into your inventory for you to feed.

Mahjong Butterfly requires some adept thinking and strategy. At any time, you have between 1 and 3 caterpillars to feed and turn into cocoons. Matching the sun tiles too early means you miss an opportunity to hatch butterflies to add to your catalog. Matching wind tiles runs the risk of using up all your lives before you can hatch butterflies as well. You must carefully feed the caterpillars so you don’t waste berry or leaf tiles on caterpillars that have already had their quota of those tiles as well. The game does give you 3 spots for holding tiles, which helps to be able to hold one half of a match so you can unlock other tiles and progress further without using certain tiles.

Kindle Mahjong Butterfly Active Content: Game in Play, Strategic Holding Tiles

The level ends when you have cleared all matches off the board other than wind tiles. At the end of each level, you also get an additional life added to all caterpillars/cocoons life meters. At any time, you can look through your catalog to see the various butterflies you have hatched and get an idea of how many you have left to find.

Mahjong Butterfly:  Conclusion and Overall Rating

Mahjong Butterfly is addictive.  I have to limit myself to one level per day, or else I could play for hours. I give the game 5 stars, but it seriously isn’t enough. Please don’t blame us if you get addicted, as we’re all hooked on this fun little game. I recommend this game for all players, it’s easy, fun, and addictive.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on 10/14/2011 in Review

 

Tags: , ,

Kindle Mine Sweeper Review

13 Oct

Kindle Mine Sweeper Active Content- Amazon Listing

Mine Sweeper: Review Introduction

Mine Sweeper is a puzzle game for Kindle by Amazon Digital Services. It was released in October 2010, with the latest update released in September 2011. Mine Sweeper is a free game and is rated 3.6 stars, with over 40 customer reviews.

Mine Sweeper: Main Takeaways

This is the Kindle version of the classic PC game we all love and hate. I’ve played versions of this for many years (hey, it was one of the only games installed on school computers) and still enjoy the challenge from time to time.

I love that in this version of the game, the first square you click will never be a mine, meaning you can’t lose in the first click

Kindle Mine Sweeper Active Content- Game in Play, First click

There are three different difficulties of the game, which determine the size of the squares and the number of mines.  You have several choices of buttons to use to mark mines, which helps keep buttons from wearing out and gives more flexibility in game play as well.

Kindle Mine Sweeper Active Content- Game in Play, Game completed

Because of the limitations of the Kindle, it is difficult to get the speed scores possible on a PC. However, this game is still a lot of fun and at the price, very affordable.

Mine Sweeper: Conclusion and Overall Rating

I give Mine Sweeper 4 stars. I prefer this version to the built in version, as the controls seem more fluid and the game a bit more functional. All the levels provide a nice variety of challenges and opportunities to figure out just where the pesky mines are hiding, while not being obscenely difficult.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on 10/13/2011 in Review

 

Tags: , ,

Kindle Video Poker Review

12 Oct

Kindle Video Poker Active Content- Amazon Listing

Video Poker: Review Introduction

Video Poker is a casino style poker game for Kindle by Amazon Digital Services. It was released in February 2011. Video Poker is a free game and is rated3.7 stars, with 40 customer reviews.

Video Poker: Main Takeaways

Video Poker is styled after the Vegas-style video poker machine called “Jacks or Better”.

The game starts with the player placing their bet, and then being dealt 5 cards. You can then choose up to 5 cards to hold from the first deal to the second. After the second deal, you either win, or lose. The game offers the choice of having advice given, helping you to learn how to play the game and improve your overall statistics.

It seems to me that this game is less about playing, and more about learning how to play the game well. The game focuses on giving a player more advice on how to play, and teaching them what hands have the best point value. The controls are clunky, and the 18 pages of instructions almost put me to sleep. It was interesting to see how their advice went versus what my instincts told me to play, and how the scoring worked. It seemed like there were some glitches in the game as well, as my score never seemed to go up with wins, and continued to go down each hand.

Video Poker: Conclusion and Overall Rating

I’m going to agree with the reviews on Amazon and give Video Poker 2.5 stars. The controls were awkward, the game didn’t move very well, and I just didn’t want to keep playing. I’ll admit, I don’t play poker or really enjoy poker-style games. At the price, if you are a fan of poker, it can’t hurt to give this game a try.

 

 

 

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on 10/12/2011 in Free Kindle Games

 

Tags: , ,

Kindle Blackjack Review

11 Oct

Kindle Blackjack Active Content- Amazon Listing

Blackjack: Review Introduction

Blackjack is a casino style card game for Kindle by Amazon Digital Services. It was released in December 2010. Blackjack is a free game and is rated 4 stars, with over 60 customer reviews.

Blackjack: Main Takeaways

Blackjack is styled after the classic casino card game, and has two playing variations, based on the varying play styles in the US and internationally. All shots below are of the US style play.

The game starts with the player and the dealer each receiving two cards.

Kindle Blackjack Active Content- Game in play, first cards dealt

At this point, you can choose to stand, hit, double, surrender, or split your cards, based on what you are dealt.

Kindle Blackjack Active Content- Game in play, additional cards dealt

The game continues with each turn having the same various options, until either the dealer or player hits 21 or busts.  At this point, you start a new game and everything begins again.

Kindle Blackjack Active Content- Game in play, Dealer Busts

 

Blackjack: Conclusion and Overall Rating

Surprisingly, I’m going to give Blackjack 4.5 stars. I have never been a fan of virtual gambling card games, mostly because I am not very good at playing them. However, this version of Blackjack was very simple to play, the explanations were clear, and it was a lot of fun.

 

 

 

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on 10/11/2011 in Free Kindle Games

 

Tags: , ,

Kindle Thread Words Review

09 Oct

Kindle Thread Words Active Content- Amazon Listing

Thread Words: Review Introduction

Thread Words is a word scramble game from Amazon Digital Services. This game was originally released in September 2011. Thread Words is a free game and is currently rated 4.6 stars, with over 100 customer reviews on Amazon.

Thread Words: Main Takeaways

Thread Words is a Boggle style word game that challenges you to build words from a connecting series of letters. Each game starts with a long list of blanks, and a 4×5 grid of letters at the top. All the words start with the 5 letters on the left hand side, and end with the 5 letters on the right hand side. You must connect the letters on each side by crossing the middle. You can go straight across, up one row, or down one row for each letter. On the left and right sides, each letter has some symbols next to it.

Kindle Thread Words Active Content- Game in Play

Start by matching those symbols (a triangle starting letter with a triangle ending letter), and once all of those words are found, the next level is unlocked, though you can continue on in the current level to earn more points. There are two modes to this game, relaxed and timed, and both offer the same challenges throughout.

Thread Words: Conclusion and Overall Rating

Thread Words is quite fun and is a pleasant challenge. I’d give the game 4.5 stars, simply because I wish the game had a few more levels of difficulty.

 

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on 10/09/2011 in Uncategorized

 

Tags: , ,

← Older posts
Newer posts →
 
%d bloggers like this: