About a year ago, I played a game called Chocolatier. While I didn't have fun at first, I quickly grew to enjoy the game. So I tried one of the sequels, The Great Chocolate Chase. Unfortunately, everything that was fun about the game was removed. Instead of flying around the world trying to find new chocolate recipes for your company, you are waiting on customers much like a Diner Dash game. (Though the visuals are more like Cake Mania.) From the first level, the game is way too difficult. It is almost impossible to keep up with the number of customers they throw at you. And since each order takes about three steps to make, it's difficult to make the chocolate the existing customers want while getting menus for new customers. Overall, it's a terrible game that isn't worth the time to try.
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is quickly approaching. I bet some of you guys out there need some ideas on what to get your loved ones, right? Well, here are some ideas for you: Silver Jewelry Club offers free silver jewelry. All you have to pay is a $6 shipping and handling fee. I have purchased a few items from the site and loved it so much that I recommended it to my friends. Now they are addicted to it as well!
Build-a-Bear Workshop. Yes, these stores are mostly geared towards children but grown-ups can use it too. If your significant other likes teddy bears and stuffed animals, it's a better idea to give her one that you made yourself instead of something pre-made that hundreds, if not thousands, of other women have.
Another present you can make with your own hands are origami flowers. Granted, these are usually gifts you give with a box of candy or something small to make it a very personal gift. Just remember - a handmade gift can be much better than a store bought one if you make the right thing.
Ah, the chocolate. Gotta put chocolate on the list, right? While it tends to be on the expensive side, Godiva is usually a good way to go. You can even win a chocolate fantasy weekend in New York City with an entire room made out of chocolate.
Got a geeky girl? Think Geek has an entire line of geeky girl t-shirts. Or there is always the Genki Gang anime and video game hats. Rock out with your geekiness!
These are some pretty good starting points. I know that Valentine's Day is always a difficult holiday. Single people feel left out while couples scramble to find the "right" way to celebrate together. Instead, just chill out an enjoy the company of your friends and loved ones. You don't have to be romantically linked to anyone to have a good Valentine's Day with some close friends or family.
Game review: Chocolatier 2: Secret Ingredients
Back in October, I talked about the first Chocolatier game. Since I had a lot of fun playing the first one, I gave the sequel a try. Chocolatier 2 was even more fun than Chocolatier 1. Perhaps it was due to playing the first one but I was able to make a ton of money and gain new recipes very quickly. The basic gameplay is the same and it's easy to pick up if you haven't played the original. The big change is that now you can make your own recipes. Once you reach Entrepreneur status, you can buy your way into the lab to research new recipes with various ingredients. To show just how easy it can be to achieve this, I only played the one hour demo and managed to not only access the laboratory, I also created two brand new recipes. I even got the chance to implement those recipes before the trial ended.
I've played a lot of casual games lately and I have to admit, this is the most fun I have had in a long time. I think anyone would enjoy Chocolatier 2.