The Movies

THE MOVIES (PC)

This is an amazing game. It is a management game in which you take on the role of a film producer in charge of a studio lot, and must produce films in competition with other studios. However this isn't just a game where you PRETEND to make films; you actually DO make films! But I'll get into that later.

The game begins in 1920 in America, with poor quality black and white film, and gradually progresses through time until 2005, where the game officially ends - though you can continue beyond this if you like. You'll need to build up your lot according to your needs and finances. Some buildings are essential, while others are optional. For example you can have a stage school to train new actors and directors, toilets for your staff, sets for filming, etc. In addition you'll need things like paths for walking on, and furniture and ornaments, etc. Some of these small items will have useful purposes, such as weightlifting equipment to build up the physique of your action stars, while others will be for purely decorational purposes, such as trees and flower beds. This decoration is important however, as it will improve the mood of your stars and increase the prestige of your studio lot. A more prestigious lot will attract more employees and big name stars.

There are several different types of staff: You'll need builders to build and maintain your buildings and sets, janitors to pick up litter and maintain the grounds, scientists to research the latest technology, and film crew, actors, directors and extras to actually make the films. Your staff can be left alone and will get on with their jobs, however you can be more efficient by directing individuals around to do specific tasks. In the beginning you'll also need scriptwriters to write your scripts, however very soon you have the option to create your own scripts, or improve their scripts. But even if you do want to write your own scripts, it's still recommended to have scriptwriters, since you will need to make A LOT of films, and they will regularly produce simple but effective scripts for you to film. Filming takes a very long time, so it's best to keep the scripts as short as possible while you're playing the basic game, until you're ready for some serious film making.

One unrealistic part of the game is that there is often a shortage of staff wanting to work in the film business, however this makes the management part of the game more interesting. Generally you can have staff do any job that is required - however this may not please them, as well as their skills will be wasted, as they gain experience doing particular jobs and will only do a job well if they are experienced at it. It may work out though that you need an actor, and have no choice but to promote a lowly janitor, who ends up becoming a superstar. Though buying and building new things requires that you have enough money available, in order to pay your staff and make films you are allowed to go into debt. This means you can't really lose the game, however you're not going to be able to progress either if you can't get out of debt.

In addition to general staff management, you'll also have to deal with your stars. As they become more famous they will demand more pay, fancy trailers and ornaments, the latest fashions and an entourage of personal assistants - which is a problem if you have a shortage of staff available. If they get too unhappy they may throw a tantrum and threaten to quit. They can also misbehave, refusing to work, become addicted to food or drink, get drunk on set, etc. If they work too hard they will become more stressed, and the most effective way of dealing with this is by eating and drinking. Once they start to develop a habit they may need to go into rehabilitation, and become useless for a long time. Another problem is that they will age, losing their looks, and eventually retire. As technology progresses they can go for a facelift to make them appear younger, as well as other surgery.

There is quite a lot to do in this game. For example you can develop relationships between your stars, so they work better together on screen. You can get them to practice different genres on set to improve their skills in these areas. You can increase their publicity by allowing press photographers in. If they are photographed in a compromising position this may spoil their mood, but it is most effective in making them more famous. There is such great detail within the game - you can look up close to see every little action being performed in great detail, look at individual blades of grass, a piece of rubbish on the floor, etc. The soundtrack is great too, as you listen to radio broadcasts from the era the whole time. Each era will have its own style of music, and radio announcers will speak about topical things, which can sometimes be quite funny. Also every five years there will be an awards ceremony, which can be quite tense, and winning awards will give you bonuses. For example people will be more likely to watch a film made by a particular director just because he has won the "best director" award - so you may find a lower quality film can be more successful than it should be, simply because of the names attached to it.

Overall it's an entertaining and addictive game, though apparently fairly average for a management game. But what really sets it apart is the film making part of the game. You can do this within the regular game, but there is also a 'sandbox' mode which is far more suitable. As you progress through the game you will unlock better features, such as sets, costumes, props, backdrops and advanced things like CGI effects. So playing and replaying the game has its benefits. Within the 'sandbox' mode you can begin in any era and instantly have access to everything you've unlocked, as well as have the option of starting with a ready-made basic lot, or things like allowing films to be instantly made - though it is fun to actually watch the filming take place. For example on a science fiction set where you have automatic sliding doors, you can watch a crew member operating a simple mechanism behind the scenes to open and close them. Another nice feature is the option to be able to create your own actors. You can design their looks in great detail, as well as their character. So you could put yourself in your films, or your friends, or real actors.

Though it has its limitations it is a very powerful tool for creating your own original films. These can be exported out of the game as a video file and shared with the world. For example there is a quite famous one called 'The French Democracy'. Here's a short article about it...

http://www.collisiondetection.net/mt/archives/2005/11/_heres_an_extre.php

It is very easy to use. You begin by choosing your sets for each scene, as well as actors, extras, costumes, props and backdrops if required. You can even have vehicles and animals. You then choose what action occurs from an immense selection of pre-made scenes. This may sound restrictive, but you can usually find exactly what you're looking for, or at least something close. In a few cases though you may need to change your story slightly. You can usually choose different weather and lighting conditions for the scenes as well as what moods the actors are portraying, and different camera angles and effects. The scenes usually include more actors than you need, but you can switch off the unnecessary ones and only fill the roles you require. Be sure to fill the extra roles you need with specific extras though, otherwise random ones will turn up with random hairstyles and outfits which they think are appropriate. And that's all there is to it! Once you've done all the scenes you can just leave them to film it. But that's just the filming phase.

After your film has been made you then have the option of putting it into post production. Here you can add music and additional sound effects from a useful list, as well as delete or re-order scenes if you wish. You can even use your own sound effects if what you require isn't on the list. Concerning dialogue, if there is any in your film, the actors will mumble "blah blah" sort of sounds. You have two options here: Either you can leave it in (or remove it) and provide subtitles, as if it is a foreign language, or else you can record your own dialogue, in which case the selected actors will lip-sync to your own dialogue. You can also do additional things such as change the title sequence. And now your film is complete and ready to be exported. Of course you could always then use your own video editors to make additional changes to the final product.

Here's an example to show you the kind of thing that can be done. This is the introduction to a TV show I'm considering making. This isn't what the finished product would look like; it would have more scenes and story, as well as dialogue (or a voice-over) and maybe some other changes. This is just to show the basic setup and characters...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA0gQTYcGVI

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Legend Of Edda

LEGEND OF EDDA (online multiplayer)

For the most part this is just a standard level-advancing multiplayer fighting game, but it has some nice features that make it worthwhile. It's free to play, but as usual paying customers can get extra benefits to give them an advantage over the free players. When you begin the game you have the choice of two factions to join - the Olympians or the Titans. These two factions are at war with each other and are usually seperated. One of the amusing things about the game is the two sides are totally foreign to one another. Let's say both sides are speaking English. If one person speaks only their own people will understand what they are saying, and to the enemy all they hear is meaningless nonsense, as if they are speaking a foreign language. So there is usually no communication with the enemy, except for taunting gestures.

The characters within the game are incredibly cute, and can perform many actions, which are usually just as cute. But when they fight it is incredibly violent. Friends can fight each other in duels, but the majority of fighting is with a large variety of strange creatures. Some of them are a bit freaky, and most will make little amusing comments. This is basically all the game is about - gaining experience, wealth and items by defeating the creatures in battle - over and over again, becoming gradually stronger and acquiring better skills, weapons and armour. In addition to choosing your faction, you must also choose the type of fighter you wish to specialise as. Though you can have the basic use of any weapon, you can only train to become advanced with one of them. For example you could specialise as a sword-wielding attacker, a defender with sheild, an assassin that can deliver deadly blows, a magic user, an archer, or a healer with the ability to heal yourself and your friends to prevent them dying in battle.

Another nice feature is being able to own your own animals, such as horses and other creatures that you can ride, to get around the huge world faster. You can also own pets such as cats, that will help you during battle if you choose, fighting along side you. In addition to fighting there are a few other things to do such as collecting things scattered about that can be used in the manufacture of useful items. For example certain flowers can be collected and used to produce healing potions. Also there are quests to complete, but these nearly always just involve killing many creatures. In addition there are dungeons to explore that can be visited a limited number of times each day, either by yourself or in a team with the help of some friends, which are more dangerous but also offer greater rewards.

Throughout most of the world you'll only be within the lands of your own faction, however there is one area where the two factions can meet in combat, and they may decide to invade the enemy city. This is the most interesting part of the world, since it gets boring fighting the creatures after a while. Since the two sides generally hate each other, you can usually rely on help if you find yourself outnumbered by the enemy. But likewise the enemy will probably do the same, so what starts out as a bully picking on someone weaker who is just trying to complete a quest in peace, can escalate into a mighty battle with reinforcements turning up on both sides, each eager to drive the enemy out and protect their people from attack. But on the other hand, if you're looking for a fight, often there will be no enemy around.

But by far the most exciting part of the game is the wars. These happen almost every half hour, and are seperated into ones for only less skilled players, or for only more skilled players, or a free-for-all. These are kept fairly balanced by only allowing you to join if your faction doesn't significantly outnumber the enemy already. So if you can't join straight away, you may have to wait until a few enemy players join. The wars are played like a "capture the flag" game. Two or three crystals are available, which must be picked up and placed on the pedestals owned by your faction, then guarded to prevent the enemy from stealing them. At the end of the war the faction with most crystals wins. However if one faction collects all the crystals the war will end within five minutes if they are not captured by the enemy, as well as powerful creatures will be added to help the losing side. Possessing the crystals results in useful bonuses for everyone on your faction currently fighting in the war, so it's worthwhile trying to defend them for a while, rather than waiting until the war is just about to end before possessing them. Also killing an enemy, whether within the war or not, will also give a bonus, so this is worthwhile rather than just chasing them away.

These wars must be fought tactically, with your team working together, though many players often just do whatever they want and it can be quite chaotic. The side that has the best organisation and follows orders well will normally be the winner, though sometimes a poorly organised force will win by pure luck. Within the regular game your character dying results in losing some of your valuable hard-earned experience, but within the wars there is no penalty, and you are simply reincarnated in your base (though losing a crystal if you were carrying one). This can be problematic though, as a common strategy is for a large group of enemies to be lying in wait to just kill you again as soon as you leave the base. Often the best strategy will be to have some strong sword fighters lying in wait just outside the base, being supported by healers hiding in the bushes at the edges. Many will fight this forward force endlessly, but never be able to defeat them, while the smarter fighters will ignore them and go straight for the healers, either killing them or chasing them away, thus leaving the forward force unprotected and able to be driven back.

Overall this is a fun game, especially in the beginning, and it can be better with friends. The basic game, though it has some great features, often gets very boring since it's mainly a long tedious grind, doing the same thing over and over again, with enormous amounts of time required to advance and become one of the better players. But on the other hand, when the two factions come together in battle, most especially during the wars, it is immensely entertaining. But the long boring grind part of the game is required in order to be more successful in the more exciting parts of the game though, so in order to get rewarding entertainment from the game you have to put in a lot of boring work. However, if you don't mind that you may enjoy the game a great deal.

Another game I'd recommend that is the same type of game, but with a completely different setting, is 'Battlestar Galactica Online', especially if you are a fan of the TV show, whether the original or modern one. Again for the most part it's good in the beginning and then may become a bit of a tedious grind, but also it has some good features.

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More Thoughts On The Pattern

When I did my experiments to discover the nature of the Pattern, I took it seriously, treated it with respect and reverence and never overdid it nor abused it. The Pattern was revealed to me because I myself was synchronised with the Pattern.

Imagine a computer transferring a bunch of 8 bit binary information using 1 and 0. These eight digits form a binary number, and each number represents a letter of the alphabet. This stream of information then represents a message written in English, like these sentences, and it makes perfect sense. But this message is continuous, perhaps repeating, or part of a larger message, and you are intercepting it in the middle of its transmission. Since there is no gap between the letters, and each letter is made of eight pieces in series, there would be only one correct starting point with each letter and seven incorrect ones. So for example if you started at the fifth digit and take the next eight digits to form your first letter, your second letter also begins at the fifth digit. You would thus get a completely different set of numbers and related letters from the same stream of information.

It would be complete nonsense, without any kind of recognisable pattern in it - even though the pattern is still there in the stream of information, remaining hidden from you. Even if by some amazing chance it DID make clear English sentences, it would still be completely different to the ACTUAL message which is encoded into the information stream. You would have to ensure the way you were reading it is perfectly synchronised with the way it was written in order to get the right message.

Consider the experiment results I posted here a while ago. I had asked God - the Pattern himself - to show me some specific information about an extremely uncertain future, as well as something happening far away I have no knowledge of. And apparently the Pattern heard me, answered me, and what I received by plucking out a small section of this great stream of the Pattern was absolutely perfectly correct. My plucking was at just the right moment, in just the right way to be synchronised with my decryption of the information stream. The Pattern was revealed to me, just as it was in all the experiments I did.

Probability clearly shows that it's EXTREMELY unlikely that it would be synchronised by chance every time, so it seems the Pattern had allowed me the glimpses at it all the times I tried, but if I do more experiments in the future, it might not. While the underlying Pattern should still be there, I might not be synchronised with it, and even if I am synchronised just by chance, the variable "message" part of it may still be incomprehensible to me. The Pattern itself chooses.

This is very important to consider if you choose to experiment and have dealings with the Pattern. It is not like examining a regular machine that always behaves in the same way; you are dealing with what appears to be a living being, which has character and choice. You must be synchronised with the Pattern, and also do what "pleases" it in order to receive the correct interpretation of the information stream plucked from the fabric of reality.

Puzzle Pirates

PUZZLE PIRATES (online multiplayer)

This is an excellent game. There is so much to do in this game I think it's best that I describe a pirate's typical journey through the world. But first I'll mention that there are two different ways to play. First you can play by subscription. This is free to play, but in order to get access to every part of the game you'll need to pay a regular fee. But best of all is the "doubloon ocean" option. This is also free to play, but the player has the option of purchasing money within the game for extra benefits. This isn't necessary however, and it's quite an interesting challenge to make your way through the world earning the money for yourself for everything you need. But still if you can afford it, it's sometimes nice to make things a bit easier for yourself by using your real world money to increase your wealth within the game.

The game contains a complete pirate-themed world. Many of the people there act and even talk like pirates, saying things like, "Arrrrr! Avast from yer whinin' ye scurvy dogs and get back to work, so we can get our cargo o' vast booty safely back to shore." And everything that exists there is manufactured or run by other players. For example a sailing vessel can either be bought ready-made from another player, or else has to be built in a shipyard. This will require workers, as well as all the materials, which in turn require manufacturing from other basic materials, which can be bought or foraged from islands. A vessel will stay active until it gets sunk in battle, but other items such as weapons and clothes, unless put in storage, will gradually wear out and require replacing over time. This keeps the economy going, and requires the players to constantly need to be earning money not only for new things, but also to replace their old things. Many activities also require badges to enable them to be done, and these badges also need to be bought, and also wear out over time. However, things only wear out while the player actually plays the game, except for labour badges, which still get used even while the player is offline.

As a new pirate you'll be dressed in rags with a basic sword, very little money and no reputation, ready to start your adventure. The first thing to do is join the navy, where you can practice the jobs required to run a vessel, while also getting paid for your work. Every activity on deck requires performing a puzzle, and how well you do in the puzzle reflects how well you do the job, and the puzzles resemble the job you are doing. For example sailing requires you to fill the sails with wind, or rigging, an alternative to sailing involves pulling ropes. Sailing will speed up the vessel, or keep her at full speed. Navigating is optional and requires lining up stars, which will increase the efficiency of the sailors. Carpentry requires efficiently filling in holes in the vessel with wooden pieces, to prevent water filling up the vessel. Bilging pumps water out of the vessel, as the bilge water will slow down the vessel so the sailors have to work harder. Loading cannons requires cleaning and filling the cannons with powder, wadding and a cannonball in the right order, ready for shooting in battle.

You may find the puzzles fun, but they can be also quite tedious sometimes, especially if you are required to do a job you don't like for a long time. Most activities throughout the world require an equivalent puzzle, and as you improve your skills your reputation also increases. Likewise, the more you work for the navy and do good work, the quicker you will advance through the ranks and get rewards. You can even get command of your own vessel after a while, and get into battles, with computer controlled players called 'swabbies' working for you. The navy swabbies are quite good, but the regular swabbies you can get to work for you outside the navy, though reliable, will only ever do average work. These swabbies can be found on land as well as at sea, and can be challenged to games, and if your abilities are fairly even will also accept a little wager on the outcome.

After you've learned a bit of sailing in the navy next you'll be advised to practice your fighting. This is either a swordfight or a rumble, and you can practice with the swabbies before getting into fights with other pirates. The fights are also in the form of puzzles, and weapons are used. If you have no weapon you just use a stick for swordfighting and your fists for rumbling. In these puzzles you send swords or blows to your opponent, while blocking the ones they send. Once you know how to fight it's time to get a job working on board a player vessel, which is usually far more profitable than working for the navy. This is usually a pillage - attacking other vessels at sea and stealing their booty, though there is also much more to do.

First the crew will get the vessel up to a nice speed, get the cannons loaded and keep her shipshape. Then the captain or officer in charge will search along their charted course and try to engage a suitable enemy vessel (or avoid being engaged by an unsuitable one). This then results in a sea battle in which the sailors produce moves, and the vessels fight with cannonballs on a board, which includes strong winds, whirlpools and rocks, which need to be avoided or used to your advantage. Though you can attack other player vessels, the majority of sea battles are against computer controlled vessels, with the players all working together against the computer. The battle goes on until one of the vessels gets the chance to disengage and escape from the battle, or else grapples the enemy vessel, boards it and a fight starts. This will either be a swordfight or a rumble, but with multiple players at once. These team fights are fought tactically, attacking whichever individual you want, and each individual can be attacked by several enemies at once. And with rumble you also have the option of defending one of your own crew instead of attacking one of the enemy crew.

During battle any damage received through cannonballs and collisions will injure the crew and make it more difficult for them to win the final battle on deck, and whichever crew wins then steals a portion of the enemy booty and cargo. The crew gets a share of the money plundered straight away, and the rest is put in a booty chest, to be divided accordingly at the end of the voyage - or whatever is left if enemy pirates have attacked and successfully robbed a portion of it. In addition the crew can sometimes plunder treasure maps to small islands and shipwrecks at sea, where additional wealth can be found through digging and hauling puzzles.

As well as pillaging, crews can run several other types of voyages. Some crews will pay pirates to staff their vessels carrying needed cargo between islands for profit, and will usually try to avoid battles, as they risk losing some of their precious cargo. Others will pay workers to forage on desert islands for raw materials, which can then be sold at inhabited islands. For example plants of different colours could be used in the manufacture of coloured paint for vessels and builings, as well dye for clothing for all the different colours people want. Or they could sail to strange places, fight ghost ships, sea monsters or whatever, while hauling up great treasure from other vessels sunk in these dangerous places. Or They could either attack or defend an outpost, attack an armada or several other things. New things are sometimes added to the game, increasing its variety even more.

After a long voyage the pirate is worn out and decides to take a break. He goes to the local inn, where pirates gather to play various games or compete in tournaments, usually involving gambling. The games are accessed by using game tables, which are manufactured, and can also be bought for private use on vessels, or in homes and other properties owned. Playing the games requires buying a parlour badge, however every day a couple of them are free for everyone, so you get to play every one on certain days. Of course if you were good at certain games and wanted to play them whenever you wanted, you could easily win enough money by betting in the games, or at least get enough additional income from going on pillages or wherever else you might do to pay for your badge. There is a nice selection available. There are some good card games, including Poker, as well as others such as a drinking game and team swordfights or rumbles. The tables connect everyone together who is currently on the same ocean in the same part of the world as you are, so everyone has a chance to join a game against people who are using their own tables miles away.

There are other things to do on land, such as buy a shop to manufacture and sell whatever people need, or get a labour badge and work for other people's shops, or buy a house, where furniture can be stored, including useful items like the game tables or storage devices, such as a wardrobe so your spare clothes don't get worn out by always being carried around with you. Pirates like to show off their fine vessels, houses, furniture, clothes and other wealth and achievements, and can have parties and pay to advertise them to the whole ocean.

After a bit of experience in various things the pirate chooses his path. He might like to join a good crew full time, and rise up the ranks, getting more control of the vessel, rather than taking whatever temporary job he can find. Being in a crew gives you the rank privileges in your own crew, but you're still free to work for other crews as a temporary jobber if your own crew isn't at sailing. Pillages are the most fun part of the game, and are also very profitable. It's very enjoyable being part of a team defeating an enemy at sea and stealing their booty and cargo, which can be vast and worth a lot. Even if the crew is entirely swabbies, since you can only get 3 or 4 at once in place of pirates, it's a nice challenge to successfully sail the smaller vessels singlehanded, helped only by a few swabbies and their low skill performances, and still win battles against larger vessels with more crew.

He might want to start his own crew, or become a trader, gem smuggler, navy commander, Poker player, Blacksmith, etc. Or whatever combination of activities that are enjoyable and profitable. You just do whatever you want in this game. The only problem is the voyages require commitment, and can sometimes last a lot longer than expected. Especially if you are the lone officer on a vessel capable of commanding it and you've got to get the vessel safely back to shore before you can leave. But overall, it's this wonderful world of real pirates with lots to explore and do. It's living the life of a pirate, and everything is a game!

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Barbie Super Sports

BARBIE SUPER SPORTS (Playstation)

This isn't a great game, but I include it to complete the list of Barbie games which are interesting, fun and challenging for the older player. As a male transvestite I would highly recommend the Barbie games for others, as they have the perfect combination of girliness to satisfy the girly-boy and entertaining gaming good enough to satisfy the male. In this game Barbie has the choice of two cool sports. Either she can go rollerblading or snowboarding.

After Barbie chooses her destination she then goes to the shop, which she can return to any time, to choose her outfit. She also chooses which skates or board she wants, but these must be purchased with tickets collected throughout the game, with the better, faster ones costing more. This advanced equipment is required to have a chance of winning the events, which can be quite difficult, and it requires a lot of practice. Another nice feature is the opportunity to choose from a decent selection of music while you play. Apparently the PC version may be better and it also has better music choices.

There are useful practice areas available, where Barbie not only learns how to skate and snowboard, but also can try out the different tricks she can do. I'm not sure if doing these tricks can get you extra points in the events, but even if not it's still a fun addition to the basic game. There is also a two player option for some or all of the events. I haven't yet got very far in this game, and there's still more to learn, but I'm enjoying it so far. Overall it's a fun little game worth trying if you'd like to do the sports, and certainly if you enjoy the other good Barbie games.

There may be other good Barbie games out there I haven't tried yet, and I've found a little enjoyment from some others I have tried, but this is the end of the list for those I would recommend for anyone to try. The basic part of any Barbie game is you are playing with a doll, or "action figure" and other toys, which is the basis of the majority of computer games. Except in the good computer games the toys are alive and actually play with the player, and a story unfolds which the player's toy is a part of. Barbie always looks good, and sometimes chooses her own outfits suitable for the environment, but often the player gets to play dress up with their living doll as well. Many men enjoy playing as/with a female character in their computer games, and these Barbie "games for girls" can also be enjoyed by men.

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Barbie Detective: The Mystery Cruise

BARBIE DETECTIVE: THE MYSTERY CRUISE (Playstation)

This is a fun little game requiring patience, thought and a bit of skill. You play as a member of Barbie's detective agency, and direct Barbie around looking for clues to help solve the mystery of the stolen artwork on board a cruise ship. Barbie searches rooms and desks, etc. and interviews characters she meets, inputting everything into the crime computer for later analysis, where Barbie will give her opinions about things. She finds some useful items along the way, but begins with just her special detective gear - an infrared lipstick to uncover hidden fingerprints, a compact to dust the prints, and a mobile 'phone to photograph prints and send them to the crime computer. Barbie has a cruise ship to explore, as well as three nearby islands with interesting things to do at every location.

While searching for clues and fingerprints Barbie can take a break and enjoy a game with Teresa, or else against a second player. Here is where the most useful feature for a Barbie game - the difficulty setting - can be altered to make it more of a challenge to win against the computer, and the hard setting is indeed very hard. There are three fun and interesting games to play. There is a fun jetski race, with ramps to jump and huge beach balls to avoid. There is also an awesome glider race, in a kind of hang glider with a propellor. These two races are challenging and exciting, but for a more relaxed and tactical game, also requiring skill, there is shuffleboard. You can either play against Teresa, another player, or play in a tournament with the other characters on the ship.

These games aren't just a fun distraction. Learning a bit of skill in the vehicle racing games will turn out to be useful at the end of the game when the thief decides to try and escape, and it ends with an exciting chase across the sea and through the air. And while playing single games of shuffleboard, this offers the opportunity to listen in on the conversations going on nearby. These little pieces of information are sometimes useless, but will sometimes be an important clue worth recording. Apart from the fun games the main part of what makes the game interesting is analysing everything, consulting with Barbie, and trying to figure it all out for yourself before the big reveal when the fingerprint analysis is complete. The more you search and get people to talk the more clues you will find that point to the truth, and you can talk to the other detective team members for help in how to progress if you get a bit lost.

Overall this game is a lot of fun, both as a challenge that can be adjusted to the skill of the player, and as something that makes you think and get involved in the game. Once you've completed it, when you play again there will be differences throughout and probably a different thief, so you can play again and again with a new mystery to solve each time. The optional games were a lot of fun, especially the way they were part of the story, making the whole experience a great combination of enjoying a leisurely cruise around some interesting islands while also solving a mystery, returning some stolen artwork and catching a thief in the final chase scene.

I'd recommend this one for anyone as a great little detective game that can be played multiple times with a different outcome, and you can get as much fun out of it along the way as you want. It's like going on holiday to have some fun and getting involved in an exciting mystery adventure as one of your activities.

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Barbie Horse Adventures: Wild Horse Rescue

BARBIE HORSE ADVENTURES: WILD HORSE RESCUE (Playstation 2)

Even though this game is much more varied and interesting than the Riding Camp game, I didn't find it as enjoyable - though it is still a lot of fun. In this one Barbie and her friends arrive at riding school to do a bit of horse riding, but (once again) a storm has resulted in some problems. This time a lot of horses have escaped and become lost along several different trails. Barbie and her friends offer to help bring all the horses back, and you play as Barbie, who seems to be doing most of the work.

You get to choose your own horse, and as more are rescued more become available to use. You can also change the appearance of the horses if you wish, and also Barbie can change her outfit, with more outfits becoming available as Barbie collects coins and gift boxes along the trails. There are three different areas to explore, each with three trails, and if you find all the horses this then unlocks another bonus trail - and finding all the collectables may possibly unlock another. This optional part of the game in addition to finding the horses is the hardest part, as there are many hidden areas to be found and it requires a thorough search to find them all.

On each of the trails there are six foals to be found, and these must be walked and tied to a save point ready to be picked up. This often involves solving simple puzzles, and some of the foals can also be hard to find. Barbie uses objects, climbs and does other things to get to the foals and get them back to the save points. In addition there is one full grown horse to be found on each trail, and these require chasing and catching with a lassoo. This is one of the most fun and challenging parts of the game, especially the last one, which runs around a cave full of hazards. But sometimes one of the other characters catches the horse instead, and decides to take a break and challenges Barbie to a horse race, which she must win instead of catching the horse on that trail.

Apart from the puzzles to be solved, Barbie encounters many hazards along the way, such as jumping over obstacles on horseback, or ducking underneath them - which if she doesn't do she'll get knocked off her horse. There are also things like rolling logs to avoid, and dangerous animals. Some must be avoided completely, while others can be distracted for a while by throwing them food. The animals and other hazards will trouble the horses until they lose all their trust for Barbie. This can be restored by feeding them, and sometimes by praising the horses. They will also get dirty along the way and require cleaning. This can be done by riding around in deep water, where available, or else the horses must be taken back to the stables to be washed in a sort of minigame. Barbie only has one minute to clean the entire horse, and if it is very dirty this can be a little challenge.

In addition to the main game there are a few minigames to play, such as horse racing or catching horses, and these can be played as either one player against the computer or against the clock, or else two player against your friend. Each trail also has the clock minigame, where Barbie has to ride around collecting all the clocks within a time limit for a bonus prize, and this is sometimes quite challenging. One of the areas is icy in places, and this introduces an extra hazard and challenge as the horse slips and slides. Even if a trail has been completed and everything found there, once it has been opened it remains open for Barbie to return to and ride again any time she wants.

Overall this is a fun game, but it can be quite tedious at times, especially if you are trying to collect all the coins, which can be inconveniently scattered about and hidden. Barbie has to continually get off her horse to do things, which can take quite a while. It might be better if there were more of a challenge involved, and the puzzles were harder to figure out, but for a younger player I imagine it might be quite hard. Unlike Riding Camp where most of the things can be done on horseback if preferred, and with long rides, this game doesn't have the same flow, where you're happily riding along uninterrupted. It doesn't have quite the same beauty either, though the scenery is excellent, and it has some great music. So as I said, though it is far more varied and interesting, for a horse riding game it doesn't have quite the same charm as Riding Camp - but still it's very good and well worth a try.

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