Review: Zenses
Oct. 16th, 2009 08:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
soc_puppetRemember the other day how I discovered Zenses and splurged (all of ten dollars - gasp!) on them? And then found out more about them before getting around to playing them? Yeah.
Decided to actually give them a go, in order to form a coherent review. Since, you know, otherwise, other people might be actually tempted to spend money on them. (These are totes going to Half Price Books the next time I'm there.) Having played through each of the six games each cartridge offered, I am now prepared to do so!
In short: There was nothing inherently wrong with the games. They were just completely uninteresting.
In a little more detail:
Dear Game Factory,
Okay, look. Here's the thing. Puzzles and games to stretch your brain as entertainment is not without market value, I'll grant you that. I mean, look at Sudoku and Crossword Puzzles! Not to mention Solitaire and Minesweeper on the computer. You certainly didn't get the ideas for this from a void, and there may even be a place for these games.
A "spa-like" setting on DS is not it.
There is nothing of interest here, especially considering the lack of anything "alive". If there were female "spa attendants", I'm sure the game would have (slowly) gained notoriety, at least in Japan. If there were male "spa attendants", it would likely have (slightly less slowly) gained notoriety here, even.
In an ideal situation, there would be more upbeat music, and possibly a cute and lively gimmick to tie the whole thing together. Adorable little mascots, maybe. It wouldn't have to be any more complicated than Dr. Robotnik's Bean Machine from way back when, as long as the collective was given some form of personality.
Remember your target demographic? Women, age twenty-five and up? I'll bet good money that half of them are more interested in playing "boys" games, and the other half are moms who got started with Katamari Damacy. Zenses will likely appeal to neither. The former would just rather action-oriented games had less misogyny, and the latter already has the aforementioned Solitaire, Minesweeper, Sudoku and Crossword Puzzles; they have no need to buy and learn an expensive new system just for more of the same.
As it is, I'm not even interested enough to load Ocean into my DS again, as it has the only game (Hot Spot) where I'm even close to getting all five levels of the trophy. I can't imagine you'd have a fun enough Easter Egg that it would be worth it.
Yours,
A consumer
PS: The pearl diving game sucks.
Sorry, Game Factory, but these things are going to Half Price Books the next chance I get. Better luck next time.
Decided to actually give them a go, in order to form a coherent review. Since, you know, otherwise, other people might be actually tempted to spend money on them. (These are totes going to Half Price Books the next time I'm there.) Having played through each of the six games each cartridge offered, I am now prepared to do so!
In short: There was nothing inherently wrong with the games. They were just completely uninteresting.
In a little more detail:
Dear Game Factory,
Okay, look. Here's the thing. Puzzles and games to stretch your brain as entertainment is not without market value, I'll grant you that. I mean, look at Sudoku and Crossword Puzzles! Not to mention Solitaire and Minesweeper on the computer. You certainly didn't get the ideas for this from a void, and there may even be a place for these games.
A "spa-like" setting on DS is not it.
There is nothing of interest here, especially considering the lack of anything "alive". If there were female "spa attendants", I'm sure the game would have (slowly) gained notoriety, at least in Japan. If there were male "spa attendants", it would likely have (slightly less slowly) gained notoriety here, even.
In an ideal situation, there would be more upbeat music, and possibly a cute and lively gimmick to tie the whole thing together. Adorable little mascots, maybe. It wouldn't have to be any more complicated than Dr. Robotnik's Bean Machine from way back when, as long as the collective was given some form of personality.
Remember your target demographic? Women, age twenty-five and up? I'll bet good money that half of them are more interested in playing "boys" games, and the other half are moms who got started with Katamari Damacy. Zenses will likely appeal to neither. The former would just rather action-oriented games had less misogyny, and the latter already has the aforementioned Solitaire, Minesweeper, Sudoku and Crossword Puzzles; they have no need to buy and learn an expensive new system just for more of the same.
As it is, I'm not even interested enough to load Ocean into my DS again, as it has the only game (Hot Spot) where I'm even close to getting all five levels of the trophy. I can't imagine you'd have a fun enough Easter Egg that it would be worth it.
Yours,
A consumer
PS: The pearl diving game sucks.
Sorry, Game Factory, but these things are going to Half Price Books the next chance I get. Better luck next time.
