Nearly identical in spirit to The Incredible Machine (1995, Sierra Online), this is a virtual invention lab with 100 levels, and 100 gadgets. The title is part of the thinkSMART series from Mentor Interactive. There are four modes of play: Action Mode – play alone and break the riddles; Co-op Mode – break the riddles with a friend; Party Mode – play against another; and Sandbox Mode – edit your own level to set up chain reactions and share with friends. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
In this seek and solve game you must unravel the mystery behind the Malgrave Island by using the Wii Remote to search for clues, solve puzzles and find concealed items in multilayered hidden object scenes. There are three multiplayer modes for up to four players, consisting of three rounds, and you can choose options such as skill level. Multiplayer games include: Swift Pick – compete to find hidden objects; Tick Tick Pick – find hidden objects and pass the bomb before it explodes; and Classic Pick – race to find the most hidden objects. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Like the Incredible Machine, this physics puzzler let’s you try to unite two cats — Milk and Coffee, by dropping different widgets and gizmos such as balloons, pins, speed boost and speed brakes onto a game board. There are 100 levels (and progress is saved automatically), offering plenty of content. Created in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The iPhone or iPad game uses the OpenFeint leaderboard system, and requires iOS 3.0 or later with 16.8 MB. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Designed to introduce deductive reasoning using animal attributes, this App give clues such as “lives near water” or “has smooth skin” to help children narrow in on an answer. In the app, the animals are hiding in the jungle and your child has to help Babu the Meerkat find his friends by matching the clues with the animals they have met on their way. Attributes include physical appearance, size, living environment, and eating and sleeping habits. This is the first iPad app in Tribal Nova’s iLearnWith Educational Program, which is a cross curricular game-based learning program that helps prepare children for school. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This is a collection of 17 puzzles of six varieties. The most noteworthy and familiar are the I SPY-like, hidden object games, which have you searching the screen until your eyes ache. In the story mode, adapted from the modern Nancy Drew books, Nancy tries to help a wedding take place by finding all the items needed for the ceremony. You interrogate 15 suspects — reading required — and complete the games in order to solve the crime. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
In the story, FBI agent Nicole Bonnet (a young women) receives a mysterious package with a complex puzzle inside that appears to be a message from a serial killer. This killer leaves playing cards near the bodies of his victims. You must help Nicole solve the case and prevent the murderer from killing again by decoding the meaning of the messages, following the trail, and gathering evidence. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
We had a quick look at the Wii version of Sid Meier’s Pirates on the Wii and had a distinct feeling of déjà vu. That’s because we reviewed a similar version on the PSP, three years ago. In the game, you become a 17th century pirate. You start by selecting which type of pirate you want to become, and then choose a home port. You then start exploring the Caribbean by steering your ship around, using a map and attacking other ships with your canons. When you win a battle, you can acquire the loot and the crew, increasing your status. It is possible to lose, however, and end up in a prison, without your ship. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
The game takes place in four universes from Spider-Man lore, each with a distinct art style(Amazing, Noir, Ultimate, and 2099). Each Spider-Main has special skills and strengths. The game takes you to new locations not seen in previous Spider-Man games including jungles, deserts and urban terrain’s as you try to contain the magical energy of the Tablet of Order and Chaos, which has been shattered and sent hurtling across parallel universes. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This who-done-it mystery party game for one to four players (either competitive or cooperative) lets you and your friends play as detectives. You become part of the Dickens Detective Agency as you investigate a series of crimes and identify the guilty party. You will search the crime scenes for clues, question suspects, and use the Wii Remote as a lock pick, flashlight, magnifying glass, and other sleuthing tools as you try to solve the mystery and unmask the bad guy. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Can you create a cell phone your grandparents could easily use, and would purchase? That’s the c
hallenge behind this free, Flash based simulation from Edheads, a group that has become known for bringing abstract ideas to life (see also Virtual Knee Surgery) by putting the learner in the role of decision maker and inventor.
First, you review the market surveys, a good exercise in reading graphics and interpreting information. Next, you go to the lab, and try out different screen sizes, batteries, key layouts and so on. You learn that extra features cost money, which increases the price and can reduce sales. Finally, you take your design to the test group, who give you feedback. While the number of responses is limited, you learn through trial and error how to get the most sales. This simulation was created by Clearly Trained, with support from Ohio State University, with support by the Motorola Foundation. It was released on June 15, 2009. Rating: 
If you like “find the hidden object” puzzles, keep reading. This mostly one-player puzzle/mystery game for the Wii is based on a 
series of mysteries. Your goal is to help a female detective (Cate West) find the clues by finding 1,000 clues in 57 backgrounds. There are five investigation types, and different crime scenes. For example, you might use a magnifying glass — or a flashlight — for a better view of the screen differences between two similar scenes, recreate crime scenes, and use what you’ve learned to identify the criminal. You can work with a friend in Story Mode, or compete to see who is the best detective in Competitive Mode. At some points, you shake the Wii Remote to clear away dust and cobwebs to reveal evidence, and use the magnifying glass to better view your surroundings. Prices are $30 for the Wii version and $20 for the Nintendo DS version.Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.