Picture Pyramid

                Demo from www.shockwave.com

                     Reviewed by Sue

As you can see, I like puzzle games. This is another 60 minute
demo from Shockwave with three difficulty levels to the basic
game. Basically it's a spot the difference game where you have to
find and click on the five differences between two photos. The
difference might be really obvious, like a five legged gazelle or
more subtle, like a rivet missing from the front of a train.

I started with Pyramid mode. You have to solve a series of
puzzles, working your way up the pyramid. You need a minimum score
on each round to progress. There's a bonus if you solve the puzzle
quickly. You lose bonus points if you click in the wrong place or
ask for a clue using the 'show me' button.

Infinite mode is against the clock. Each round starts with less
time but you gain higher bonuses. Of course eventually the time
allowed will be so short you won't have a hope of completing the
puzzle. I felt this was a failing. There should be a minimum time
- 90 seconds perhaps - that makes it tricky but manageable.

Practice mode just lets you have fun. There's no score to reach or
time to beat. I don't know about you, but I like a bit of a
challenge when I play a game to keep my interest level high.

The photos are in several categories from animals and vehicles to
food, nature and everyday objects. You can also download 200 more
photos from the Internet.

Fun? Yes, but only in Pyramid mode for me. Would I buy it? It
costs $19.95 by download so, no. There isn't enough to keep my
interest and even with 200 pictures, the images would start
repeating pretty quickly.


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