Game review: Hidden Mysteries: Civil War

Generally speaking, I like to keep my learning and my gaming separate. That is something I save for my daughter. However, I thought that Hidden Mysteries: Civil War sounded like it might be some fun. While it is a pretty standard hidden object game with the list of items for you to find, each list has one item that moves the "plotline" forward. The plotline here is the American Civil War. Each location is the historic location of a landmark battle. Each clue tells us a little bit more about some of the people that fought these battles. So it's a history lesson that has been made enjoyable - especially for those of us who aren't fond of historic things.

Music review: Mika Nakashima - RESISTANCE

Artist: Mika Nakashima Album: Love Release date: 11/6/03 (previously released as a single on 12/7/02) Video link: Via YouTube

English translation: A while angel’s feathers are fluttering down and start to pile up Cry! In a faithless city, life is sacrificed Crushed down Give a KISS of grief...

If you sleep, morning will come the land of freedom is scary It’s just foolish kindness a fleeting road is all that remains

When this girl cannot sing she turns to search for a reason Along in a group, going into the darkness The murmur of voices is interrupted

The snow started to lead me for now, it illuminates a shape But it’s just my own beating heart

Looking through the gaps in my fingers The world is quickly narrowed towards the future Cry! Scorn this foolish love Spread your arms and give a KISS of grief...

My pulse keeps going up as I find the deceitful voice Those without all colors are left with just beauty

But like the snow eventually it’ll get dirty Unless you get away from this city you’ll live in a dream

A while angel’s feathers are fluttering down and start to pile up Cry! In a faithless city, life is sacrificed Crushed down the angel gives a KISS of grief...

Untill you arrive you will call out for the light you lost God’s voice, is just your throbbing heart

Looking through the gaps in my fingers The world is quickly narrowed towards the future Cry! Scorn this foolish love Spread your arms and give a KISS of grief... About the song: This is one of my absolutely favorite songs from Mika Nakashima. Her voice gives the song a sort of ethereal feeling despite the heavy drumline. It's the type of song that can help lift your spirits and just make you feel good about the world.

More jewelry is better

I've recently cut my hair short. Really short. Really really short. So that means I've been wearing more jewelry. There is some beautiful designer jewelry out there! I wish I could afford to purchase more jewelry, specifically earrings. I don't have a lot of earrings right now and I feel like I need more. I accept jewelry donations if anyone feels the need to send me random pieces ^_^

Game review: Magical Forest

Once in awhile, I get an urge to play a Sims type of game. It doesn't happen to often but it does happen. This time I got the urge, I decided to try Magical Forest. It's a game where you raise magical sprites. There are different types of sprite and each one gives different coins. You use these coins to buy food or upgrade your caretakers or buy new sprites. I honestly thought this game was going to be a lot like Insaniquarium over at Pop Cap Games. In a way, it is. You are basically feeding a critter and trying to get them to level up. However, in this game, there are a ton more upgrades to your weapons and you can obtain spells to help you defeat your enemies faster. There are also more types of sprites, which you can buy and resell as you wish.

Surprisingly, I had a lot of fun playing this. I'm not sure why I enjoyed it, I just did. It's one of those unexplainable things in life. Give it a try, it's very fun.

Zerollin' rollin' rollin'

As sad as it is, I do not own a proper set of luggage. I usually just borrow pieces from family members when I'm going away. However, I'd really like to own a nice Zero Halliburton Zeroller. Preferably in red. I probably won't ever get one because I am cheap and they are expensive but they are really pretty. One day I will own my own luggage. Then I can go wherever I want, whenever I want.

Music review: REM - Losing My Religion

Artist: R.E.M. Members: Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Bill Berry Album: Out of Time Release date: 3/12/91 Video link: Via YouTube

Lyrics: Life is bigger It's bigger than you And you are not me The lengths that I will go to The distance in your eyes Oh no I've said too much I set it up

That's me in the corner That's me in the spotlight Losing my religion Trying to keep up with you And I don't know if I can do it Oh no I've said too much I haven't said enough I thought that I heard you laughing I thought that I heard you sing I think I thought I saw you try

Every whisper Of every waking hour I'm Choosing my confessions Trying to keep an eye on you Like a hurt lost and blinded fool Oh no I've said too much I set it up

Consider this The hint of the century Consider this The slip that brought me To my knees failed What if all these fantasies Come flailing around Now I've said too much I thought that I heard you laughing I thought that I heard you sing I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream That was just a dream About the song: I'm sure everyone has their opinions about what this song is about. It's not as religious as most people think it is. 'Losing my religion' is a phrase that means something along the lines of 'end of my rope' or 'running out of patience.' In the context of this song, it's basically the singer following/stalking the subject to the point that it drives him a bit crazy. He's looking for a sign that the subject will accept or love him but it just isn't happening.

Musically, it's an interesting song. Instead of a lead guitar, the main instrument here is a mandolin. It gives the song a bit of a 'crazy' feeling to it. As if the strings will suddenly break and drive Michael Stipe insane. It's also interesting that this is considered one of REM's biggest hits. After all, how many pop songs have mandolins?

Game review: Build-a-lot 2: Town of the Year

Last year, I really loved playing Build-A-Lot so I had really high expectations for the sequel. Luckily, the game not only met my expectations but exceeded them! The gameplay is pretty much the same from the first game. You are given a variety of tasks and you need to get the materials and workers to complete them within the time limit. This time around, there are new buildings for you such as a playground. These buildings will effect the buildings around them. For example, if you build a playground between two houses, those houses will each get an extra "happiness" rating. However, if you build a factory near the houses, they will receive negative "happiness" points. This actually makes the game a bit more fun because now you have to figure out how to rearrange your development to make everyone as happy as possible.

This will probably be my favorite game of the entire year.

Game review: Cooking Quest

I have played a lot of hidden object games but none of them have been as weird as Cooking Quest. It actually mixes a hidden object game with a tiny bit of time management in an attempt to make it interesting. As with most hidden object games, you are given a level and a list of objects to find. In each list, there is at least one object that you need to make the food item you picked. Once you gather all the items in each level, you need to cook the food and serve it. However, they don't tell you which objects go together and which go to which cooking device. So you may, for example, have a knife, some onions and some carrots. The knife will only work on one of those and it doesn't tell you which. The same goes for the cooking devices. You might have a steak, an oven and a pan on a stovetop but it won't tell you which device needs to be used to cook the steak. It makes that part of the game annoying.

In the hidden object part, the items are difficult to find. Some of the items are hidden behind other ones so you might only see the tip of an item you need. I'm not sure why these games have started leaning toward this trend but it's not fun. It's annoying when you need to use a hint because you can't find an object only to find that's because it's hidden behind something else! Put them all out in the open. Make the game fair.

I can't say I'll play this game again. There are way too many other hidden object games that are a lot better.