Casual Friday: Update for March 6 – 12, 2010

It’s Friday again, and it looks like there’s a monsoon of casual games releases to coincide with the onslaught of console and handheld games. Seriously, there’s a great selection of new casual games out there. Well, provided you own a Windows PC. (Sorry Mac gamers – maybe there’ll be something for you next week.)

In addition to that, there’s a great representation of multiple genres too! I’m seriously surprised! It’s not often you see two weeks in a row where hidden object games don’t dominate the casual release update. But, it’s happened again.

This week’s best bets are: Diner Dash 5: BOOM (PC) and Lilly & Sasha: Curse of the Immortals (PC)

Dolphin Dice Slots
Genre: Arcade (Slot Machine)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: An underwater and dolphin themed slot game.
Demo Available: Yes

Time Riddles: The Mansion
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Travel through time by playing a board game. In doing so, you’ll also learn about a mysterious mansion.
Demo Available: Yes

Road to Riches 2
Genre: Simulation
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Help John make his way as a trucker, after his brother-in-law lends him a truck and some money to get started.
Demo Available: Yes

Memory Clinic
Genre: Edutainment
Availability: GameHouse, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows Vista, XP and 7
Premise: A brain training game that tests attention, memory, problem solving and speed.
Demo Available: Yes

Diner Dash 5: BOOM
Genre: Simulation (Time Management)
Availability: Big Fish Games, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: $6.99
Platform: Windows XP and Vista
Premise: Flo’s Diner has been destroyed, and now she must earn money to rebuild and customize Flo’s diner by working at a variety of other locations.
Demo Available: Yes

Dr. Wise: Medical Mysteries
Genre: Puzzle (Hidden Object)
Availability: GameHouse, Harmonic Flow
Retail Price: 19.95
Platform: Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7
Premise: Help the Dr. House-esque Dr. Wise and his team of doctors solve a series of unusual ailments and medical mysteries by searching through hidden object puzzles.
Demo Available: Yes

Lilly & Sasha: Curse of the Immortals
Genre: RPG
Availability: John Wizard Games, Amaranth Games
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows PC
Premise: Lilly and Sasha inadvertantly assist a man in obtaining a rare artifact, and in the process Sasha touches a shrine and becomes cursed. A presense called Zahhak invades her mind and body, and is slowly taking her over. Time for a journey to save Sasha’s life! Check out Gamertell next week for a review.
Demo Available: Yes

Potion Bar
Genre: Simulation (Time Management)
Availability: Playrix, Big Fish Games, Alawar Entertainment
Retail Price: $19.95
Platform: Windows NT, 2000, XP, Vista and 7
Premise: Start working at a Potion Bar, where you must make it through 35 levels brewing potions made of vampire fangs, phoenix feathers and other mystical materials for otherworldly customers.
Note: It’s on sale directly through Playrix for $9.98 until March 18, 2010. But, it’s $6.99 every day at Big Fish Games.
Demo Available: Yes

Editor’s Note: Due to so many casual games sites offering game plans or preferred member prices, which can cause a game to have multiple price-points, the games’ average retail prices is mentioned in Casual Friday.

Site [Big Fish Games] Site [PlayFirst] Site [GameHouse] Site [eGames] Site [Alawar Games] Site [Amazon] Site [Reflexive Arcade] Site [Harmonic Flow]