Archive for January, 2008

January 28th, 2008 by PCG
Game Review: Purrfect Pet Shop

Game Description:
Purrfect Pet Shop puts you in charge of an animal adoption center, caring for strays as they arrive, matching them with the perfect owner. Nurse your own customizable dog or cat back to health, choosing from thousands of possible combinations. Earn the animal`s trust by playing with toys, careful grooming, and the occasional tasty treat. Use donations from satisfied customers to purchase upgrades and special items to get your friend ready for adoption by the end of the game.
Game size: 43.5 MB
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Review from: GameZebo

And the pet games keep coming. Game developers must think those sweet animals will urge casual gamers everywhere to play. The time management game Purrfect Pet Shop combines caring for the cuties in an animal shelter with matching them to the right owners.

Purrfect Pet Shop resembles Paradise Pet Salon in that they involve feeding, providing medical care, and bathing the animals. Each day you take in pets and prepare them for adoption by bathing them, vaccinating them and feeding them. Customers arrive with a certain kind of pet in mind that they want to adopt, and you match the animals to their requests. You must rely on your powers of "dogtecting" to figure out what animal each customer wants. Customers provide one characteristic of the pet they want (such as fur color or size). If that isn't enough, you can click an icon in the customer's thought bubble to reveal another characteristic (customers request up to four traits).

Sometimes it's difficult to tell traits apart. The animal size icon looks like a T (or a flat line for the tiny ones) and the icons for a small and medium animal look too similar. This is also a problem with colors - especially the brown and orange families. Seeing the needs of those animals in the far left display proves tricky as their icons blend with the customer.

Stacks of dollar bills act as customers' tail wagging meter. The stack shrinks when customers wait too long, you make a mistake with their orders, or don't give them a completely happy pet (in other words, one that is still dirty, hungry, or sick). Pets need to be as happy as possible to earn the full tip. Those giving pitiful looks indicate they need care.

Sofia and Peter, the pet caretakers, have a tendency to block the view of some stations so that you can't tell when the animals using the stations finish. Although animals reappearing in their cages is a way to know they're finished with the station, having a blocked view irritates.

Clicking animals, stations, and owners doesn't always take. You think you're putting the cat in the tub when a big "NO" appears over one of the owners indicating you are trying to connect the owner with the cat. Clicking can start to feel like hard work, and between taking care of the animals quickly and meeting customer needs, it gets a little dicey...
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Review from: Game Mile

According to the story you are one of two siblings (male or female is up to you). You get a call from your Nana. She disparately needs your help at her pet adoption center.

And - guess what? - you are willing to help. Your character shares her love for poor stray animals and would love to work in a place like that.

After a short tutorial by Nana you get it started. What you do is you serve the customers that come to buy a pet for themselves.

Apart from that there's a special pet you take care of in between the levels. After every level you can also go to the shop and buy some upgrades or toys for your pet...
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Review from: Casualicious dot Com

The Purrfect Pet Shop game puts you in the shoes of a teenager (with your gender preference) taking care of a very busy animal adoption center after your tired and sick grandma (I’m not very sure with this) goes on a vacation to relieve her stress. After a hard day’s work, you will also have to take care of the “pet of your dreams” as you gather enough loyalty hearts for your own pet to love you. And of course, any Time Management game won’t be complete without a way for you to upgrade the tools of your trade.

Here’s the thing, the objective of the game is very simple. Just match a prospective owner to his/her ideal (or in this case, purrfect) pet and earn donations in the process. Of course, you have to prepare a pet for adoption too before sending them off, since I don’t think anyone would like bringing home some stinky dog now, would you?

Anyway, that’s how far the main game play goes. But there’s also this little mini game where you’ll have to take care of your own pet, which involves you doing various activities with him/her. Honestly, it’s kinda cute and all, but I find this mini game quite pointless and its objectives very unnecessary. I mean, you don’t have to walk your dog around the park for 5 times, bathe him/her for 3 times afterwards, then inject him/her with some kind of chemical twice all in just 1 day. Got my point here...
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January 28th, 2008 by PCG
Game Review: Family Restaurant

Game Description:
Test your cooking skills in the kitchen of your father`s restaurant. The more tasteful and creative the recipes, the better the chance to get the ultimate goal of a 5 star rating. Deal with time pressure and stress by cooking multiple dishes at the same time. Boost sales by inventing creative recipes of your own.
Game size: 42.1 MB
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Review from: GameZebo

If you haven't yet had your fill of restaurant-themed time management simulations - such as the Diner Dash, Cake Mania or Turbo games - then don your apron and get cooking with Family Restaurant.

You play as the young Jenny, who watches her family business fall from a decent 3-star restaurant to a 1-star dive - and you're now asked by your father to help turn it into a 5-star joint. If you're up for the challenge you'll begin with a quick lesson on how to whip up an ordinary salad, but by the time you're through in the kitchen (of multiple restaurants) you'll master plenty of elaborate recipes - even your own creations.

Not unlike the Cooking Mama games for the Nintendo Wii and DS, Family Restaurant lets you play chef as you prepare dishes for customers, and they must be completed within a predetermined amount of time. Patrons sit down at a table and place their order to the waiter or waitress, and you see a dish appear at the bottom of the screen. Clicking on it changes the view to a close-up of your kitchen counter, an image of what you're supposed to make in the top-left corner of the screen and your ingredients underneath. For example, it might be a grilled sea bass with vegetables, so you prepare the dish as close to the picture as possible by using your mouse to dress up the plate. When you're done you'll be awarded points based on how closely you copy the dish.

Similarly, an ice cream dessert recipe might include two side-by-side scoops of strawberry ice cream, topped with whipped cream, cherries and a graham cracker on top. Follow it as close as possible - and finish it within the time allotted - and you'll do just fine.

In many cases you need to cook the dish, too, such as putting a margarita pizza in the oven for 10 seconds after preparing the sauce and toppings. If you take it out of the over before the timer is at zero you'll be penalized, just as you will if you keep it in the oven too long and let it burn the cheese. You'll also be able to throw some french fries and chicken wings in a deep fryer, but you also have to keep an eye on them so they don't get too well done...
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Review from: Casual Game Today

Family Restaurant Game once was a very good dining room, has recipes and 3 stars appraisals which the visitors most loves. But along with the senior chef's age increase, starts not to be able to adapt this quick rhythm work, appeared very many has wrongly been mad the visitor, also caused the dining room only to 1 star. Now Jenny will be responsible for the ingredients as the dining room new chef, will let us help her to restore the dining room the human spirit, and will achieve 5 stars standards!

The Family Restaurant Game used the color to be fresh, line smooth 2D picture. The Q version character modelling has the extremely lovable cartoon effect, along with game carrying on, many dining rooms environment not only can change finely, each kind of good food and the cooked food graph also draws up clearly is lifelike.

The coordinate game illusion child interest subject, displays the background happy melody also is full of the energy, can cause your mood during game also to change bright...
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January 21st, 2008 by PCG
Game Review: Farm Frenzy

Game Description:
If you thought life in the big city was crazy, wait until you get a load of the country life in Farm Frenzy! Daily chores have never been more entertaining as you cultivate your fields, feed your animals and gather the items they produce. You can spend the money you earn on upgrading your farm! Offering plenty of finger-clicking action, just enough strategy to keep things interesting and an amusing cast of characters, Farm Frenzy is a game the whole family can enjoy!
Game size: 17.7 MB
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Review from: GameZebo

Part arcade game part management simulation, Farm Frenzy combines elements from games like Alice Greenfingers and Cake Mania to create a fast-paced and entertaining foray into farm administration. It lets you slip into a pair of coveralls and play "Old MacDonald" with a bit of a business twist. The result is some egg-ceptional down-on-the-farm goodness.

In its singular mode of play, Farm Frenzy serves up over 45 levels of action-heavy management as you learn how to run a farm. From tending cows in the fields to gathering eggs for sale at the market to upgrading your structures and equipment to protecting your livestock from obtrusive predators, Farm Frenzy simulates "real farming" without the attendant aromas. And, while you have just five animals to look after, nine products to sell and six buildings to purchase, it's more involved than it sounds.

Basics of gameplay are simple. Clicking on the ground makes grass grow. Animals then eat the grass and produce goods such as eggs, wool and milk. These goods are gathered in your storehouse and sent to town for sale or processed to create other goods. Simple, right? Well, not entirely.

It wouldn't be a game without obstacles to success. As in the real world, everything has a price. To grow grass you need water and to produce goods you need animals, and each come at a cost. You also need to build and upgrade structures to grow, process and transport your goods. These include wells, cars, storehouses, egg solids plants, bakeries and spinneries. Goods sold increase your funds, allowing you to purchase more animals, as well as build and upgrade structures. Yes, it's capitalism, but it's fun, too...
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Review from: Game Mile

The game is played in one mode only where you are presented with your playing field at first.

There's an area for you to plant some grass for your animals; a well to get water for planting; place for the future egg solids plant or bakery or something else. In the very beginning you are given a goose that needs grass and gives eggs.

At the upper right corner you can check your task for the level. It is usually to collect a required number of eggs or cakes or coins or geese, for example.

There's a store house at the bottom of the screen. Whatever you collect goes right there. Once it's full, you are to send a car with whatever you want to a city to sell it and get some money...
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Review from: Casual Game Girl

FARM FRENZY is fantastic farm fun!!! Definitely a family-friendly game everyone can enjoy! Download Farm Frenzy Seriously, I am already addicted to this fabulous game. It is a multi-level game with top-notch, bright, cheerful, quality graphics. I was in a better mood instantly when I started playing. I believe this game is a definite mood-lifter and stress-reducer for anyone who plays it. And isn't that what we all need nowadays - something cheerful and fun to brighten our days in this hectic life? It's a great way to escape our problems for a while. I loved it! Take my advice and give it a try. Download Farm Frenzy If you like FARM 51, as I do, you will definitely love FARM FRENZY. There are a few similarities, such as buying animals for the farm, having your farm produce things to sell in town/the city, earning money to upgrade your farm, etc. However, the similarities are not so alike that it makes it seem like the same game. Not at all!! This one is created in such a way that it is a whole new world of farm fun! You start out being greeted by fun screens filled with eye-catching graphics and a happy soundtrack playing in the background. Of course, there are sound and music options you can adjust if you wish...
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Review from: Meryl.net

If there is a game that compels the kids to sing, “Old MacDonald had a farm” repeatedly, Farm Frenzy is it. Its fun, colorful, and cartoon-style graphics easily catches the attention of my sons ages four and eight. For me, the game keeps me up late as I’m keen on earning at least a silver star in every spot as I work my way around town.

Those who have played Chicken Chase can’t help but recognize the similarities between the two games. I enjoyed Chicken Chase, but I like this one better because it has more variety and the Farm Frenzy’s bears are less annoying than the Chase’s ravens. I also don’t feel as panicky around the bears. Those ravens just made me nuts.

Every level of the 45-plus level game contains goals to meet to conquer the level and move on up to the next. Do it fast, and you can earn a gold or a silver star. What is just ducky about this one is that you can’t lose. If you take too long completing the goals, you simply don’t get bonuses or stars and you can move on. That’s one of the things about the casual game industry — it’s not always about winning — it’s about having fun and challenging yourself to earn stars and trophies...
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Review from: Casual Game Today

Farm Frenzy: Puts on the work clothes, the preparation enters the fairy tale crazy farm, in this section outstanding simulation game, you will challenge self- agile, and the management will manage a farm. Animal and so on raising cattle and sheep, or the collection egg, and more agricultural products sells the milk the city market, but also may use the fund investment construction milk product processing factory which earns, the promotion warehouse storage capacity, purchases the new vehicles to enhance ships the speed, as well as more rich contents, Farm Frenzy will take to you to manage the farm the real feeling.

The game picture fine card dielectric is full, each kind of lovable micro-organism modelling has careful 3D to exaggerate the effect. The scene take the green as main color, the image plan fresh nature, the rich farm character and style gives the life in the rhythm tense metropolis people by the unique feeling...
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Review from: Family-Friendly Games

FARM FRENZY is fantastic farm fun!!! Definitely a family-friendly game everyone can enjoy!

Seriously, I am already addicted to this fabulous game. It is a multi-level game with top-notch, bright, cheerful, quality graphics. I was in a better mood instantly when I started playing. I believe this game is a definite mood-lifter and stress-reducer for anyone who plays it. And isn't that what we all need nowadays - something cheerful and fun to brighten our days in this hectic life? It's a great way to escape our problems for a while. I loved it! Take my advice and give it a try. If you like FARM 51, as I do, you will definitely love FARM FRENZY. There are a few similarities, such as buying animals for the farm, having your farm produce things to sell in town/the city, earning money to upgrade your farm, etc. However, the similarities are not so alike that it makes it seem like the same game. Not at all!! This one is created in such a way that it is a whole new world of farm fun...
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Review from: IT Expressions

Farm Frenzy is a life sim, time management style game where you build up a prosperous farm, raising animals, producing goods and making piles of money. Don't be fooled into thinking this is a walk in the country though. As it's name suggests, it becomes fast and furious, full of twists and turns and certainly a game which will rate very high on the pecking order...
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January 21st, 2008 by PCG
Game Review: Fairway Solitaire

Game Description:
WINNER! #1 Card/Mahjong Game of 2007 Pull out your clubs (and your diamonds, hearts and spades) and enjoy a round of Fairway Solitaire! This exciting new card game includes 70 unique courses in locations ranging from exotic forests to Scottish highlands. Choose your golfer and experience realistic golf commentary, hilarious wild shot cards, and three fun mini-games.
Game size: 48.0 MB
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Review from: GameZebo

Let me be frank - my primary associations with golf are Tiger Woods, the American medical profession, and horribly funny clothes. Cashmere cardigans I can live with, but who on Earth decided plaid pants are posh? Never mind the question. Golf is growing in popularity, and it's no surprise that a golf themed solitaire game has finally cropped up.

As Fairway Solitaire opens, you start off as a duffer at the Golf Academy. Your goal - fill up your mantle place with trophies, and ultimately golf your way to Grand Champion.

Playing is easy. Click on cards which are one number higher or lower than the foundation card at the bottom of the screen. Suites don't matter. If there are no cards that apply, click on the draw pile to deal a new card. The "hole" is over when you have used up the draw pile. The cards which remain in the layout determine your score for that hole. So, for example, if you have 5 cards left, your score for that hole would be 5. A perfect score is achieved by clearing all of the cards. If you make a mistake, you can click the "Mulligan" button to undo it - but use those carefully, since you only start with one per hole.

At the end of each hole, you are taken to a scoreboard to review your stats. Aside from the score, you will also see the par. In golf, a par is a predetermined number of strokes that a golfer should require to complete a hole. In the game, your number of strokes is determined by subtracting your hole score from the par. If you finish under par, you are given a cash bonus...
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Review from: Game Mile

So the story tells you that you are trying to make your way to golf Grand Champion and you do that by playing solitaire game. The game itself is pretty easy. There's a card at the bottom of the board and you are to click on the cards one number higher or lower among those that are just before you. Suites don't matter here. In case you are out of cards to click use the draw pile to deal a new card. The level or rather the "hole" is complete once you've used up all the cards in the pile...
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Review from: jayisgames

Fairway Solitaire is a new casual card game that (miraculous as it may seem) blends solitaire with golf. Don't let that trick you into thinking it's a dull game filled with white gloves and whispering announcers. Fairway Solitaire is as funny, bright and entertaining as any casual game out there. And with its slightly new take on some familiar themes, it's worth heading out on the green and sinking a few holes.

Several rows of cards sit face-down on the screen with the bottom ones turned face-up. A deck with a single key card at its side rests at the bottom. The goal is to eliminate cards by placing them on the key card, but you can only remove cards that are one above or one below the key card value. For example, if the key card is a five of hearts, you can slide a four or a six of any color or suit on top of it. Move as many cards as you can before clicking the deck for a new key card. When the deck is depleted, the round ends. The game holds your hand for a number of rounds (or "holes") to get you warmed up, but you'll get the hang of things very quickly...
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Review from: The dimond games

Playing sports was my thing while growing up, but it was mainly team sports like softball, basketball, volleyball, and soccer. However, I took a few classes or lessons in single player sports like gymnastics, golf, and tennis. Golf just didn’t fit me as holding a club felt awkward. Maybe it was because it was too different from holding a bat. But one golf game that I played numerous times was the card version.

I couldn’t believe I never got bored playing basic solitaire golf that came with Windows in the mid-’90s. I even loaded the game on my Palm handheld and played that for a long time. Since then, I got too busy to play the solitaire game.

Furthermore, after becoming a game reviewer, I didn’t have the luxury of sticking with a game for a long time. Whenever I played a game past my bedtime indicated a sign that a game was a hit and I blamed Fairway Solitaire for my recent tiredness.

The basic game isn’t good enough today. Most of your favorites probably have newer versions containing power ups, trophies, and other bonuses. Solitaire golf receives the same treatment.

The power ups show up in the golf shop. As you play each hole, you earn bucks to use in the golf shop for power ups. For a female golfer, buying a skirt provides her with the ability to x-ray a card to see through it...
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January 21st, 2008 by PCG
Game Review: Azada

Game Description:
WINNER! #1 Puzzle Game of 2007Trapped in a magical puzzle book, the adventurous Titus needs your help to release him from his spell. To do this, you must solve the tricky puzzles of Azada. Crack the series of puzzles and fill in the missing pages of the enchanted book to free Titus from his prison.
Game size: 45.0 MB
Download Free Trial Version Buy Full Version

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Review from: GameZebo

Sick of all those 3-in-a-row clones? Restaurant management sims? Seek-and-find mystery games?

You're not alone.

Thankfully, there are fresh new games like Azada to keep the casual game genre from imploding.

In this adventure game, you awaken in a locked room to find a trapped spirit, Titus, who was magically imprisoned by his great uncle. By solving series of mind-bending puzzles you can break this spell and uncover the secret written in the missing pages of an enchanted book. The start of this game feels a bit like the classic point-and-click adventure, Myst, but in Azada the puzzles are all contained within the same room you find them (rather than walking around a larger world -- and time traveling, too).

Like a dangling carrot, more of the story is revealed as you work your way through five increasingly challenging stages (Chapters), each with eight levels (Pages) or so.

The puzzles vary greatly from location to location, but here are some examples:

You'll be asked to find four items in an environment -- such as tape, flashlight, batteries and a hammer - so you must begin to open drawers and cupboards to find the items, or use the ones you already found to locate the rest. For example, you could use the flashlight to hunt in the dark for the hammer, and then use the hammer to break open a vase, which has a key inside to open a locked drawer, which has the batteries in it. The batteries can then be used inside the TV remote but until you open up the floorboard and use the tape to fix the wires, the television can't be turned on. Turn on the TV and you'll be rewarded with a page towards the book. These types of puzzles are the most common in this game...
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Review from: It Expressions

Azada is a brand new puzzle game in the style of Jumangi, where you need to solve many riddles to eventually make it to the end.

In Azada, a spell has been cast by a weird great uncle against poor Titus, trapping him in a magical room. It is up to you to crack the puzzles to free Titus from his prison.
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Review from: Game Mile

You find yourself in a mysterious place with no idea how you got there.

First, you find a letter on the floor, saying that your help is desperately needed to release Titus from his spell finding all the pages of the secret book.

From this moment on your adventure begins.

The series of numerous puzzles of all kinds are waiting for you.

In each level there are sheets of paper with puzzles for you to choose. The puzzles are quite different. To solve The Colors puzzle, for example, you need to remember the sequence of color blocks that has been pressed and to repeat the sequence on your own.

The Pyramid puzzle is represented by mixed parts of a picture of an ancient pyramid that you are to collect in a way it is done in "Fifteen" game. Your task is to put them together by swapping only the adjacent parts.
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Review from: Casual Game Girl

Azada Game Review and Download from our partner GameMile Azada - Great Adventure Game With Tons Of Puzzles Big Fish Games Studio is working really hard to supply with oh-so-cool games once in a while. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the next puzzle epic by Big Fish Games Studios - Azada, a super cool puzle adventure game with tons of puzzles to solve. Solve all the puzzles of the game to help Titus. You find yourself in a mysterious place with no idea how you got there. First, you find a letter on the floor, saying that your help is desperately needed to release Titus from his spell finding all the pages of the secret book. From this moment on your adventure begins. The series of numerous puzzles of all kinds are waiting for you. Each level is represented by a number of different puzzles. In each level there are sheets of paper with puzzles for you to choose. The puzzles are quite different. To solve The Colors puzzle, for example, you need to remember the sequence of color blocks that has been pressed and to repeat the sequence on your own. The Pyramid puzzle is represented by mixed parts of a picture of an ancient pyramid that you are to collect in a way it is done in "Fifteen" game...
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Review from: Casual Explosion

Azada, from Big Fish Games, is what you might get if a giant walking magic puzzle strolled into your living room and exploded! And then you scooped up all the puzzle minigame bits, pressed them like wildflowers onto ninety pages, and finally crammed all the pages, puzzles, and your big-eared best friend Titus into a book. In short, it's a collection of puzzles. (And Titus.) If you're familiar with the popular "escape the room" or "point and click" Flash puzzles that fill the internet, you'll know what to expect.

You awake in a strange room after being magically summoned by Titus. Trapped in the enchanted book, he needs your help to escape. The only way you can free him is to return all the missing pages to the binding and solve the puzzles inscribed on each sheet. There are ten chapters, and the puzzles get more and more difficult as you progress. As you finish each chapter, you learn more about how Titus got trapped in these puzzling pages. However, let's be honest, the whole scenario is really just a framework built to contain a boatload of ciphers, posers, and enigmas. So if you're a big puzzle fan, here's the game you've been waiting for. What kind of puzzles will you face in Azada? All kinds, and all are timed. Each involves finding/unlocking a glowing green magic page somewhere within the puzzle before time runs out. The page might be inside a simple wooden box and all you have to do is slide around some panels to access it. Or maybe you're challenged to click on the only pair of matching butterflies in someone's dried up insect collection. (As an expert butterfly matcher, and champion of matching games like the addicting Jurassic Realm, my favorite casual game, I finished the butterfly puzzle in twenty-eight seconds. I bet you can't do better!) A few chapters even have match three games...
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Review from: Apple Links

If I have to help one more scientist/explorer/professor—relative or not—free himself from the confines of a mystical book, I swear I'm going to punch someone in the face. Seriously, people, I work for a living. I have a family to take care of. I can't spend all of my time finding the red pages or gathering the magical runes or turning x number of matchstick triangles into y number of matchstick triangles by moving at least two matchsticks.

But, here we are again, solving the puzzles of Azada in an attempt to release some Titus fellow from the spell that has trapped him within the confines of the book. Pages from the book are missing, you see, and they can only be replaced by solving a series of brain teasers.

That's your premise, anyway. All you really need to concern yourself with from everything I've said above is "solving a series of brain teasers," as that's what Azada is; over 40 puzzles for you to work your way through. Some will be very familiar (perhaps too familiar), and those that aren't certainly will be by game's end. For although there may be over 40 puzzles in total, there are only around 10 to 15 in style...
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