Paradoxion is a causal game that puts a different twist on the match three model. If you like solving puzzles and challenging games, then Paradoxion is one to give a try.

Each level in the game has a board with gems and/or orbs. You have a reserve of gems and orbs that you can freely place onto the board. The object is to make chains to set them off and clear the playing board of all objects. Where the last gem is placed in a sequence of three is very important because it sets off a blast. It will move orbs next to it but only goes in a certain direction. Luckily if you place it incorrectly there is an undo button.

Also you can turn on hints that will show at the beginning of each puzzle that will give you some insight on how to solve the puzzle like ‘place red orb last.’ It is definitely helpful, especially in the early levels if you aren’t sure of which way to approach a puzzle. Another great feature is that if a puzzle completely stumps you, you can look at the solution online. I know there have been countless games that I have gotten to a point where I just couldn’t go any further. So it’s nice with Paradoxion that not only can you find the solution but see how it can be solved and learn from it. Maybe that next puzzle won’t be so hard or intimidating.

You can also create your own levels with gems and orbs to share with your friends. Overall, Paradoxion is a fun, challenging casual game. It’s a good exercise in logic and puzzle solving.

A new feature here at Romperz will be the Game of the Week. Just look for it on the sidebar. Each Monday there will be a new game featured, followed by a review of the game sometime that week. This week’s game is The Sims Carnival SnapCity.

For those who have read my blog before know that I am a huge fan of The Sims, so naturally I couldn’t wait to try this game. I was a little disheartened by the tutorial since playing this game is a multi-step process. It’s not just one element to do like brick busting or matching three in a row.

Puzzle meets Sim City. First place those Tetris-inspired pieces onto the landscape, carefully matching colors. Then build connecting roads to watch your city flourish. With progress comes a price as fires, burglars, and other disasters can wreak havoc on your districts, losing the city money as well as the people’s confidence.

You match colored pieces together, then connect those pieces with roads to watch your city grow. When you’ve earned enough points, you are rewarded with a special block that will become something to benefit the neighborhood like a police station, fire station, or park. It’s your choice. Place it where you would like on the board. Then fill it with dropping pieces. Once it is full it becomes the object you chose.

As Mayor, you have ultimate control over your city, so if you need to bulldoze an area, then do it. Just keep your residents happy and attend to problems quickly.

The Sims Carnival SnapCity is entertaining and of course, I enjoy most Sim titles. It is good to see the creators of The Sims branching out into the casual game market. Maybe this innovative puzzle/sim is only the beginning of what is to come.

Since I love to do game and product reviews, I was naturally drawn to ReviewMe, a service that hooks up reviewers with people wanted their products or services reviewed. ReviewMe presents a great opportunity for both bloggers and companies. Those looking for reviews of their product/service can find exactly the blog they want to have their product reviewed. ReviewMe creates a database of bloggers willing to review products/services. Cold emailing someone to ask if they do reviews can not only be time consuming but can be met with a negative response.

ReviewMe has a simple, clean layout that is easy to navigate. Once your blog is approved, offers will be listed in your user area. You can accept or reject offers so you do not have to review something if you do not want to do it. You can have up to six blogs. A price for reviews to your site is listed in your user area, and you get paid half that amount. Pricing is determined by a number of factors including Alexa ranking and are recalculated monthly.

I usually try to read some reviews before buying a product. I discount the all negative ones and sometimes ignore the too positive ones. Then I’m left with the majority of reviews that are a mixed bag, pointing their like/dislikes of a product. It’s always good to read about other people’s experience with a product/service before investing in it. ReviewMe is a great concept and will help bloggers be compensated for their work plus give advertisers a chance to get information about their product/service on the Internet.

I’ve had some time to work on my gaming/toy room. This room was our bedroom but will soon be our mecca for gaming and the baby’s playroom. A nice addition to the game room is
Edmund Scientifics’s Virtual FX 2D to 3D converter. This plug and play unit converts 2D images into real 3D. It ships with two 3D glasses, a remote control, the converter box, a 3D DVD, and two RCA connector cables. You can use the RCA cables to connect your TV to the converter or use an S-video cable.

Setting up the converter was straightforward and simple. I got it right on my first attempt and didn’t have to ask for assistance from my husband. You do not have to stand so close to the converter for it to work. The glass pick up an Infrared signal from the converter box, so you do have to have a line of sight to it. If you lose signal, just readjust your position, and the glasses will pick it up again.You will know you have it set up correctly because the TV screen flickers. Here is a short video to show you how your television will look with the signal running through the 3D converter.

Your browser doesn&#8217;t support the EMBED tag, but you can watch the video by <a href="http://www.romperz.com/images/3dfx.wmv">clicking here.</a>
Watch the 3D DVD with the 3D converter glasses to get a good feel of what to expect in terms of 3D. I equate the 3D images to those Magic Eye puzzles that were all the rage a few years back. The image will be 3D but not popping off the screen like in 3D movies at a theatre.

While watching videos in 3D is entertaining, Virtual FX’s capability to convert video games really intrigued me. I used one of my Sega Dreamcast games, Illbleed, to test it out. Illbleed is the game featured in the video. I must say I was impressed with the 3D imaging with the video game. It took a while for me to adjust to the screen split for the video game setting.

Before using your Virtual FX 2D to 3D converter, read all of the instructions and give yourself a learning curve to get use to watching the images. The converter is a nice addition to our gaming room. The video games seem to do better displaying the 3D imaging than regular television. Ofcourse, the 3D DVD is beautiful and really shows off the capabilities of the device. My opinion is that video games like Illbleed that are a third person viewpoint where you play the game looking at your character’s back will work best.

There are also 3D DVDs you can buy at Edmund Scientifics. Take a look at Encounter in the 3rd Dimension starring Mistress of the Dark Elvira.

Next on the list for the gaming room is this Boom Chair from Edmund Scientifics. I really need a chair as you can see from in the picture.

School is in session for the Sims. Now your Sims can experience the ups and downs of higher learning with The Sims 2 University expansion pack. The original Sims 2 is required to play the expansion pack.

There are three campuses that come with the Sims 2 University. You choose which campus will be associated with which Sims neighborhood. Once that is done, you can either import teenage Sims from neighborhoods to attend college or create new Sims. There are some preexisting Sim students on each campus. Sims can stay in the dorms, join a fraternity or sorority, or live off campus. As with the Sims 2, you can create your own custom university to attach to a neighborhood.

While your Sim is at college, they choose a major, take classes, and do assignments. You start the game as a freshman, and then once your semester hours are over, you advance in your college career, that is if you do well in school. Once graduation day finally arrives, your Sim will have three days to throw a graduation party before they return to their Sim community.

Game play in The Sims 2 University is pretty close to the same as the original Sims 2. There are some differences though as now your Sims influence will affect his social standing. Just like on any college campus, it�s not who you are but who you know. This influence comes into play into the game and can help Sims achieve their aspirations and so forth.

Having your Sim reside in a dorm is a great way to get a good feel for the game. You get first pick of bedrooms, meals are provided, and social opportunities abound. Phones are conveniently located to call a taxi and explore some of community lots around campus. While you are exploring the campus, your game is saved at the dorm, but the clock on the semester is still ticking so use be cautious of spending too much time away from home.

For those wanting more of The Sims can always reap the rewards to registering the game. The Sims 2 University downloads can be found on the official Sims website www.thesims2.com. Simply register your game to unlock new items, download neighborhoods and homes, and even create your own My Sim page.

The Sims 2 University keeps up the standard of fun game play we have come to expect from this long standing franchise. University life is a fun time and The Sims 2 University does a good job in capturing the atmosphere of college life.

If I could only use one word to describe Feel the Magic for the Nintendo DS it would have to be �quirky.� This unusual title is not your run of the mill video game. This dating sim/puzzle game puts you in a very simple premise. You are a guy trying to get the attention of a girl. What lengths you go to is where the adventure begins.

In Feel the Magic, you have help from the RUB Rabbits, who are very popular performers that know how to draw a crowd. With the RUB Rabbits assistance, getting the girl’s attention will be no problem. Although their antics will not be conventional, the results of drawing attention will surely be achieved.

The story is played out through a series of mini games. Feel the Magic XY/XX has eighteen scenes with each scene having one to three mini games. Clear all the mini games to view the next scene.

Graphics in Feel the Magic remind me of Austin Powers in their use of colors and layout; it just has a sixties feel to it. The use of silhouetted images in cut scenes add to the unique feel of the game. The story will be told through the graphics and music. There is no voice work, but the boy meets girl story does unfold on the dual screens of the DS.

Feel the Magic is a fast game. The different games are very short. They do have replay value though as you can challenge yourself in Memories mode to complete 10 mini games on one life and unlock a piece of clothing. Gameplay is pretty fun as it takes advantage of the DS hardware like the touch screen and microphone. Some of the quirky mini games include removing scorpions from your girl’s back and protecting her from a stampede of bulls.

Feel the Magic for the Nintendo DS will not be the most challenging game you play, but it certainly will be fun. With fun graphics and music, Feel the Magic will delight gamers if only for a short time. The game will go by fast but does have some replay value. This offbeat title will surely bring a smile to your face and provide some entertainment.