Most of us will probably never have the chance to become rich by running our own business. This is what makes games working our way up from the bottom to the top so appealing. There are a huge number to choose from including a variety of Sims and Tycoon games, Diner Dash, and Loco Mogul. Some say that Loco Mogul is a cross between Oasis and Rail Road Tycoon. How does it rate?
Graphics.
When it comes to downloadable games, graphics matter. This downloadable game does a good job providing graphics that are fun, entertaining, and that work well with the game play. They aren’t going to win any awards, but for the type of game it is they are definitely good and deserve a 4/5 rating.
Sound.
Loco Mogul supposedly has “catchy tunes” from the 1800′s. Whether the tunes are indeed from the era, I wouldn’t know. As for whether they are catchy or not I would definitely have to say not. The sound isn’t all that exciting. Most music included in such games is either relaxing or exciting, this is neither. On the other hand, the music and the sound effects that go with the game aren’t annoying either, which says something! I would give it a 2/5 for sound.
Game Play.
For me, game play means a lot and is the most important part of the downloadable game. This game is a little confusing at first. It doesn’t have clear instructions to get you started and in the beginning you may fumble around a bit. Once you see what is going on the game moves quickly, is fun, and offers a nice variety of actions. There is also a game manual that I found after I finished with my trial period. It is well written, clear, and will save you a lot of fumbling time.
With this game you get to survey land, choose where to lay tracks and build stations, and finally run the route to make money. You will need that money to build in the next level, to pay off investors, and to buy bigger and better steam engines.
All in all, the downloadable game is interesting and fun. I find myself at the end of the game feeling good that I did better then the last game, but that I want to do better yet. I was excited to pay off the various investors and wanted to continue to do so. For game play I would give it 4/5. It seems to be over too quickly to get a 5/5.
Creativity and Innovation.
This certainly isn’t a new idea. There is Railroad Tycoon and a number of other games with similar goals. However, the play is fairly creative and fun, even if you are person who spends a fair amount of time playing similar games. Things progress nicely and it offers a lot of fun. I would say that it is creative enough to deserve 3/5 without being innovative enough to get a higher rating.
Value.
Value of a game is important and needs to be considered before one spends $19.99 on a game they just spent an hour playing (and often getting addicted to). This game does have addictive play and it can feel very exciting. However, I am a little concerned about value and have decided not to purchase it. It seems that the game progresses well, but would end very quickly and doesn’t offer enough rounds or challenges. Because of this I think it would become boring quickly and only deserves a 2/5 for value.
Overall, this downloadable game gets a 3/5. It was a fun hour (the trial period is an hour) and I would love to play some more. However, the sound quality, the quick end, and the value concerns make this game lower then it could score. It was definitely an enjoyable game, but I am not sure that that would last.
The King of All Indies, Positech is offering 75% sale for 48 hours on their downloadable political simulation game called Democracy 2. The sale only applies to the PC version. In this downloadable political simulation the game the player is tasked with running a government as the prime minister of a fictional country. The game simulates the opinions, loyalties and political allegiances of thousands of smart AI voters in an innovative UI that shows the complex relationships between everything in the political and economic world. In this downloadable turn based strategy game you decide which laws to pass, such as banning firearms, or legalizing drugs, and what tax rates to set, or how much it should spend on projects such as defense, transport, social housing and many more. You need to use this code to get the sale price:
Simplz Zoo Game Review by Cindy Shanks
Game Rating = 4/5
Game Review Summary
If you’ve always wanted to own your own zoo, you’ll love this game. A letter arrives from your grandfather telling you he has provided you with a zoo to maintain. He wants it be the number one zoo. Your job is to care for the animals and upgrade the zoo.
- You are looking for a family game that provides hours of fun.
- You enjoy entrepreneurial games in this case managing a zoo.
- You enjoy matching puzzle games.
Three Reasons to avoid buying Simplz Zoo
- You prefer games with a short time span rather than lengthy games.
- You are a serious gamer who wants a challenging game.
- You prefer target shooting games rather than empire building games.
Full Game Review
Game Play
The game begins with a letter from your Grandfather who wants you to carry on with his dream of making Seagull Park Zoo, a number one zoo. All you have is a lion to start with who would like to be surrounded by more animals. Your job is to attract visitors by purchasing more animals for the zoo.
The game works on two levels. The first level is buying animals and putting your attractions where you want them. The second level is making sure the animals and the zoo has enough food and resources. This involves playing a matching puzzle where you have a grid and you have to match the same 3 objects together such as coins and food but there is a catch; you must make sure you have the amount it asks you. This leads you onto different rounds until you can afford to go upgrade your position until you are the best ranked zoo. It is highly addictive.
Graphics
The 2D animations are simplistic but striking on screen and easy to see. The colorful animation style graphics will appeal to children.
Sound
The background music is gentle and there are options to alter the level of noise. There are entertaining sound effects when you win each round.
Creativity and Innovation
Simplz zoo is very creative because it takes a simple idea of owning a zoo and gives it an extra edge with the extra puzzles within the game. The fact you have to earn food and resources on the quick fire matching puzzle games make the game innovative and more interesting. The variety stops the player becoming easily bored. The fact you can take the timer off the matching games means it is accessible for the whole family.
The game is good value for money because it is a game which will provide hours of fun for the whole family. This is a game I would consider buying because I love business games and this one also has matching puzzles making it even more entertaining.
Alawar Entertainment released Farm Frenzy 3, the third part of the Farm Frenzy Simulation Game Trilogy. Here’s Alawar’s description of the game:
“Join Scarlett, the feisty star of Farm Frenzy 3, as she puts robots to work on her land. Can you keep up with the latest advancements in technology as you grow crops, feed animals, collect produce and manufacture goods? Of course you can! Just don’t let the zany new animations distract you from the task at hand. Featuring 90 levels packed with never-before-seen characters, buildings and challenges, Farm Frenzy 3: American Pie promises a bumper crop of fun! ”
City Rain Game Review by Tim Peters
Game Rating = 2/5
What do you get when you cross SimCity with Tetris? Mother Gaia Studio provides an intriguing answer in City Rain. With a disappointingly limited demo, it’s difficult to tell exactly what to expect out of the full version. What you can expect, however, is an unusual mix of city planning and split-second decision-making that makes the demo at least worth a look.
Romopolis Game Review by Tim Peters
Game Rating = 1/5
Romopolis by Lonely Troops is a tedious real estate management game which only distinguishes itself from games like Build-a-Lot and even the designer’s own Townopolis with its setting in ancient Rome. If you’ve played Roman town-building games like the Caesar series or CivCity: Rome, you’ll find none of their charm or difficulty here. The buildings look okay and the game does present a challenge as it progresses, but its presentation is so lackluster that even the novelty of Roman architecture can’t save it.
Your goal in each level of campaign mode is to meet whatever needs the unseen Emperor has in mind, from X number of buildings to Y amount of civic advancement to Z amount of denarii, or a combination of the above. There are also medals and trophies for accomplishing special goals, and some levels impose time limits. You receive a steady income from residential buildings such as houses and apartments, and generally they will need things like shrines and gardens to generate happiness and yield more revenue. With a limited number of plots per level, a lot of careful building and sometimes even rebuilding is necessary to win. It’s not a bad concept, but it’s been done before – and far better.
The most striking detail about Romopolis is its sheer lack of action. In the secluded suburban setting of the superior Build-a-Lot this is forgivable. But in a Roman town supposedly full of people, it’s jarring to see such a static landscape animated only with ugly clock and damage icons. Worse, there’s simply not much to do at the beginning of each level. All you can really do is build small houses until your resources grow. And the ostensibly helpful tutorial messages actually hamstring you if you haven’t built exactly as the designers intended. All of this combined with soporific Roman-style musak makes for an excruciatingly dull experience.
Romopolis doesn’t help its cause with its horrendously lazy presentation. Sure, the game’s Roman, but was it really necessary to use a white Times New Roman font for everything in the game? Or wash out the already drab colors with a brown marble border? Or offer medals and trophies which apparently serve no purpose other than to keep gamers busy? Or list campaign levels as nothing more than numbered circles around a static shot of a Roman city? There are so many things that could’ve made Romopolis easier to play and look at, and none of them were included.
Romopolis is nothing more than an incompetent clone designed to piggyback on the success of superior real estate management games. The hour-long demo is 60 minutes of your life you’ll never get back, and the idea of anyone actually buying the full version is less likely than Caesar rising from the dead and singing showtunes. For foisting this game on innocent gamers, Lonely Troops should be sacked by barbarian hordes. Romopolis gets a 1 out of 5.
Summer Session Game Review by Tabitha Akery
Game Rating = 1/5
Summer Session is a social interaction game. Spend the summer attending classes, interacting with others, and looking forward to the weekend. Make the right choices to increase the chance of getting a date.
Yummy Drink Factory by Angela Pollock
Game Rating = 4/5
Yummy Drink Factory is one of the best multi-tasking games that has been put out in quite some time. Your character starts out by taking a wrong turn and stumbles upon a creepy coffee shop. You stop to get directions and decide to order a warming drink-a “double-chocolate mocha, dry, extra-hot, fat-free milk and no whipped cream”. Your character is a not-so nice young lady with a bad attitude.
Because of your character’s ill behavior and bad manners, the old lady says “you will pay for your evil ways” and the spell is cast. Your character finds herself on Fairytale Island and she must travel the land and serve drinks to the villagers. If she doesn’t learn humility, she will have to stay on the island forever. (more…)
