Game review: Jane's Realty

The Jane's Hotel series has yet another sequel. This time, in Jane's Realty, Jane is helping her husband run a real estate business. While it is completely different from the first two games, is it any good? In short, not really. The first two "Jane" games were time management, hotel-themed games where you were assisting customers with their wants. I'm not even sure I could classify this one as a time management game. There are no customers for you to serve but each level does have a few goals. At the start of each level, you need to purchase land and build both an electric and a water company. From there, you can start to build houses but you can only build so many before you need to upgrade the companies. Of course, all of this requires money, which you can only get by renting the houses you build. Needless to say, I didn't get far in the game before this stopped me in my tracks. I couldn't raise enough money to finish all of my goals so I couldn't pass the level. I've played the level five different times and I still can't figure out the key to passing it. And I'm not even halfway through the game!

In all honesty, Realore Studios should take Jane back to the time management game. She can move up from the hotel business. Give her a casino business perhaps. Or, if they really want to keep her in the realty business, take a tip from Build-A-Lot or even Build in Time. The key time management elements need to rule the game.

Game review: Ranch Rush

I found myself falling desperately in love with the Farm Frenzy series so I've been trying other farm games to see how they stack up. Ranch Rush is quite different from Farm Frenzy. Instead of caring for a ton of animals, you are caring for a few animals and a lot of crops. While I enjoyed the beginning levels of the games, the higher levels felt like they needed something more. The problem is that the crops and animals all need to be "harvested" quickly and your character just doesn't move fast enough to do everything. Perhaps this is fixed in an even higher level of the game but I couldn't bring myself to go past the hour demo. It was an entertaining hour at least.

Game review: Build In Time

Build In Time is a building time management game along the lines of the awesome Build-a-Lot series. Unlike other games, this game takes you through a couple of decades, year by year. It makes the game slightly more interesting as you watch the clothes and houses change little by little. I did have fun playing this game but it wasn't nearly as much fun as Build-a-Lot. Here, I seemed to waste a lot of time painting the houses and putting up accessories such as flowerbeds or basketball hoops. And instead of catering to a mayor's whims, you are building houses that the homeowners are asking for. So you never really know what is coming up next. If anything, I would use this as a beginner's game on my way to Build-a-Lot.

Game review: Wedding Dash 2: Rings Around The World

Way back in September, I talked about Wedding Dash, a time management game from the creators of Diner Dash. Wedding Dash 2: Rings Around The World has finally debuted. While the game play is exactly the same, this time Quinn is traveling around the world to plan everyone's weddings. A photographer has also been added so now guests can request to have their picture taken. The speed problems have been resolved, which makes the sequel a lot more fun compared to the original. Even with the few added chores, such as chasing birds away from the reception and making sure one of the guests doesn't choke, I never felt like it was impossible to complete a level. It's the perfect level of difficulty. I'd easily recommend this over the original game.

Game reviews: Fitness Frenzy

In Fitness Frenzy, you play Vicki. She has recently gotten herself into shape and she wants to share the joy of exercising with everyone. So she opens her own gym. You need to help all of your members find a good routine, learn how to use the equipment and cheer them on when they need it. Of course, sometimes the equipment gets sweaty so you'll need to wipe it down occasionally too. I know this sounds like a terrible game but I actually found it to be quite fun. It's a basic time management game so you aren't actually using the exercise equipment, just pointing people in the right direction. You'll find yourself addicted in no time!

Game review: Money Tree

Money Tree is a weird time management-sort of game. You are a gardener trying to win the love of a girl. In order to do this, you need to raise trees that will bear fruit that will make you money to win the girl. Yeah, it's a little confusing. I didn't like the gameplay in this very much. You start out collecting falling leaves that somehow makes the tree mature. Then the tree starts to bear fruit and you need to pick/catch the fruit before it falls on the ground. If it falls on the ground, you don't get as much money for it. You also need to keep an eye on the water and sun levels your tree is getting otherwise it will die. Playing it isn't difficult - it's just annoying.

I can't really say I'd recommend this game. It's interesting for the first few minutes but then the tedium sets in. There are a ton of other time management games that are a lot more interesting.

Game review: Supermarket Mania

In the time management game Supermarket Mania, you play Nikki, a girl about to start her first day working for TORG Corp. The Corporation is a supermarket that is run by robots. It is your job to make sure the shelves are stocked and there are no messes on the floor. Even though you don't have to deal with the customers in the game directly, you still have to cater to their needs a bit. This is accomplished by making sure all of the shelves are stocked so they can purchase whatever they want. If the shelf is not stocked, they will stand in front of it, getting impatient. You will need to fill the shelf before they get angry and leave. Since the customers will also leave messes, you will need to make sure these are cleaned up before someone falls. Neither of the jobs are difficult but it can get rather difficult to accomplish everything!

I went into this game thinking that I wouldn't enjoy it very much. Well, I was wrong. I found it fairly fun to try to make sure that each of the shelves were stocked with what I thought the customers would want. Of course, I wasn't always right so I ended up rushing around to put out what the customers DID really want but that's what makes the game fun, right? It wouldn't be any fun if we could predict everything. Supermarket Mania is definitely worth a try.

Game review: Ice Cream Dee Lites

Ice Cream Dee Lites is a time management game that takes place in an ice cream store. Like every other ice cream game, you serve ice cream cones (and other ice cream type novelties) to customers. I didn't like this game nearly as much as other ice cream themed games. While there are a lot of upgrades you can buy, the game just doesn't seem 'right.' Maybe it's the graphics for the ice cream machine dropping the ice cream scoop onto the cone. There seems to be something missing but I can't put my finger on what. Give it a try yourself. Maybe you can tell me what I'm missing.

Game review: Airport Mania: First Flight

When I first saw Airport Mania: First Flight, I thought the graphics were too cutesy to make the game any good. I was so extremely wrong. The gameplay is easy. Planes are flying into your airport. It is your job to land them, get them to their terminals, unload the passengers, reload the passengers and get them back into the air. In the later levels, you will also need to refuel and repair some planes. The simplistic approach to the gameplay and the very cute graphics make this fun and interesting to play. You can buy upgrades but you don't have to buy all of them in order to move onto to the next level. I can't wait to play more of this!

Game review: Pets Fun House

Yet another pet-themed time management game! Sadly, Pets Fun House isn't nearly as much fun as Pet Shop Hop was. In this game, you own a pet shop of sorts. You not only sell pets but you also sell pet food and other items. However, it is the pet part that is annoying. Instead of selling already-grown pets to customers, you must raise each pet from a puppy/kitten. You also must decide which breeds will be popular (based on "market information" they give you) so you will have the correct breeds at the correct age when a customer wants them. This is impossible. If the game tells you that dalmations are popular and you stock with mostly dalmations, customers will demand cats. And you can't change the breed on the fly since you have to raise them to an appropriate age.

I'm sure the developers were looking to mix a Sims game with a time management game. It just doesn't work here. Unless you have enough slots to have at least one of each breed on hand at all times (and you don't), it's impossible to keep your customers happy. They should choose which type of game they wish to make and stick with it. Mixing genres doesn't always work and this game is proof.