nerd alert : big fish sampler 2

This past weekend I stayed in and played a bunch of 60 minute Big Fish trials - Yes again. Not only is it free, but its a great way to get really good at telling which games are worth your hard earned dollars.

Let me tell you a little about the three I played this past weekend...


01/
Twisted Lands: Insomniac Collector's Edition

01/ fingerprint shirt $16.00  //  02/ Syringe necklace $16.94  //  03/ frog print $21.00

You wake up strapped to a hospital bed, the doctor tells you he is to perform a lobotomy the next day. Understandably shaken you decide to fidn your way out of the hospital. The vent above your bed provides you a quick escape from your room and you begin your journey, or so you think. There are toad like people at every turn, foiling your attempts at freedom.

Ever wonder what its like to be insane? well look no further! I honestly think I gained some insight into mental illness playing this game, I was just as confused as my unstable leading lady and after the hour was over I still wasnt sure what was going on.

Overall strength of the games story line 4/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 5/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 4/6


 02/
The Missing : A Search and Rescue Mystery

01/ blue crystal $10.00  //  02/ steam punk gun $30.00  //  03/ tent fire starter $12.00

A group of student researchers are in trouble and you are called in to help. what you find is an island full of mystery (and its own monster to boot). track down the students and get to the bottom of the mysterious monster before its too late.

The hour didnt have me sitting on the edge of my seat, not by a long shot. The plot didnt thicken, and the story fell flat. There is a monster, there is a power hungry team member and there are a lot of puzzles - I'm sorry but there was so much potential and no delivery.

Overall strength of the games story line 2/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 4/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 3/6


03/
Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker Collector's Edition

01/ spooky house print $7.50  //  02/ camera ring $15.50  // 03/ piano key print $25.00

A hitchhiker leaves something in your car, a teddy bear, something you remember from your childhood. Return and try to find her as you piece through the broken history of a town that holds the history of the mysterious hitchhiker.

So am I allowed to tell you this is the scariest Big Fish game I have played to date? It honestly made me jump! Thrilling to say the least. the puzzles were challenging, the environment was vast and the graphics were gorgeous.

Overall strength of the games story line 6/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 6/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 6/6


So.. which one would I buy? Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker Collector's Edition. Between the highly developed layout of the game and the number of times I jumped, it definitely gets an A+

*** Update: Purchased and played Shivers in its entirety. The game took 2 hours and 22 minutes to finish, so I was about half way through it after the hour trial. The storyline was alright, but you never really understand why you knew the girl you were following in the first place, which is a big story gap in my opinion. The scariness kind of fizzled too, and the ending was a bit lacking - hopefully it was a build to a sequel.... all in all it was a great game - but I would advise waiting for the $2.99 coupons that Big Fish is famous for! updated ratings:

Overall strength of the games story line 5/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game was I after the hour 4/6 (i was exactly half way through the game)
Odds that I would recommend the full version of this game 5/6 (with a $2.99 coupon code)

siamese tortoise

Little creatures hold a special place in my heart. These Siamese twin tortoises are no exception. And since I know you are wondering - yes, they have a hard time agreeing on which direction to walk!

FM908

Coats are an addiction of mine... which is why i am not hesitating to do an early winter coat post.

I am already dreaming about the newest wooly addition for my first winter on the east coast - and I will admit a strong temptation to go for a cape rather than my traditional military style pea coat.

I've already decided that the purchase will, without a doubt, be made from FM908 - deciding which one to buy might kill me though - every single item in there store is gorgeous!

solitaire

I love spider solitaire. i played it so much in college it was on my friends most used applications lists (yes i played it on their computers more than they used any other application themselves). My record was 21 wins in a row... I ached to see the waterfall celebration of cards when i finally won... and apparently I wasn't alone because someone took it upon themselves to build the win screen in 3D.

carved love

these carved stumps are pretty cute... so next time you are considering defacing nature please consider this super creative alternative.

nerd alert : Alice for DS

Alice has fallen down the rabbit hole again! but this time, its into a highly stylized illustrated environment. Meet characters, each with a special ability. The rabbit controls time, the caterpillar stretches across gaps, and the cat claws his way clear of confusion as they steer Alice down the right path.

 01/ Alice In Wonderland for DS $11.64  //  02/ Alice $7.80  //  03/ Cheshire Cat $9.48  //  04/ Mailbox $17.97  //  05/ White Rabbit $8.03  //  06/ black hair ribbon $3.75  //  07/ White Gloves $3.08  //  08/ Bicycle Clear Playing Cards$6.48  //  09/Nintendo DSi XL $169.99  //  10/ Mad Hatter$9.50

Thats right - you don't control Alice, in this game your objective is to protect her using the whole Wonderland gang.

The illustrated style of this game is great - I was additionally thankful for my Nintendo DSi xl - the extra large screen made it easy to see the graphics in all of their intended glory.

The red queens army is not to be taken lightly as they try to steal Alice away from the band of Wonderland characters. As the game progresses, your crew gains not one, but 2 abilities (ex. the cat can not only claw, but now also makes things appear and disappear) creating new puzzles in each environment.

Switch between characters at will throughout the game while protecting Alice, finding keys, tracking down treasure chests, and putting together pieces of the jigsaw puzzle as you search for the Red Queen and Jabberwocky

This wasn't just a great movie adaptation - it was a great game! Personally loved the little quips of humor and the games method of layering abilities and characters over the course of the story.

5/6 polly toes - not going to beat around the bush - LOVED this little game. In fact, I couldn't put it down... its as if little Alice belonged in her digital wonderland all along.

Simon's Cat

here at the h&p household, we looove Simon's Cat cartoons...



The latest one struck a personal note... we hope it will shed some light on all of our unintentional typos lol. check out more great videos (we recommend this one) at simonscat.com

alcohol under the microscope

well, I am back in boston! this is both sad and exciting - sad because wedding weekend is over, exciting because i survived.

In honor of all the drinks i drank.... how about some gorgeous photos of what alcohol looks like under the microscope! check HERE for more drinks!

Vodka Tonic

Vodka

Tequila

Martini

Dry Martini

off to Ohio

Well its finally here! one of my all time favorite people is getting married tomorrow so I am off to Ohio to do some celebrating!

(thats me, too excited for stantions!) and HOPEFULLY I'll have some great wedding items to share with you after the holiday weekend!

Maskull Lasserre

Phenominal. Maskull Lasserre.

nerd alert : resorting to danger

Well, hurricanes and inclimate weather don't really do much for my stress levels... and while gaming is the ultimate way to unwind, a game that takes place at a spa is kind of perfect stress relief.

Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger

Nancy is at it again! She has been invited to the Redondo, an exclusively elite spa for the rich and famous. There have been a rash of bombing incidents, that are more bad for business than dangerous - and Nancy is on the case.

01/ paul mitchell lavender mint shampoo & conditioner $43.47  //  02/ desk zen garden $11.30  //  03/ cucumber bath bomb $2.50  //  04/ fluffy robe $43.99  //  05/ face mask $31.71  //  06/ coconut soap 4 for $10.00  //  07/ pedicure kit $14.36



The second in the HerInteractive 'Dossier' series - these are more casual than the traditional Nancy Drew Mysteries. each scene has 'hot' items that need to be combined and used together to accomplish each scenes mini objective. Pay attention though, because you score points answering questions about what clues you have uncovered.

There is a garden maze, mud bath, zen garden & salon to keep you out and about. there is also a Pomeranian to keep you on your toes. Give guests facials and solve the mystery! Not a bad way to spend a rainy day.

5/6 polly toes