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GameFam

August 03, 2005

CASUAL GAME REVIEW: Fashion Cents

  • Platform: PC (online download)
  • Current Price: $20
  • Amount of Game Played: Finished Demo Version
  • BOTTOM LINE: Project Funway! (yeah, it's a bad pun, but what're ya gonna do?)
My daughter loves paper dolls. Loves 'em. Loves 'em. Loves 'em.

Last year, The Fabulous Book of Paper Dolls was her favorite birthday gift among a cast of thousands (or 12, as the case may be).

So it came as no surprise that she really liked playing the free demo of Fashion Cents that I downloaded from the My Game Company website a while back.

What did come as a surprise, though, is that I enjoyed playing the game with her (not that there's anything wrong with that!).

The idea behind the game is very simple. As David Alan Grier's dad said in Boomerang, while showing off his mushroom-themed ensemble, "You Got To COORDINATE!"

Basically, you put together outfits (including accessories) on the 10 "models" on the screen, and the points you score get rung up with a satisfying "cha-ching!"

Fashion Cents has 3 difficulty settings, so kids of varying ages can both enjoy and be challenged (mildly) by the game.




For those of you who buy the full version of the game, there are several add-on fashion packs available, so that you can play the game over and over again with new clothing designs and accessories.


Add-On Fashion Pack (one of several available in full version)

My goal here isn't to give you an exhaustive review of the games. Rather, I try to give you a general overview of the game, along with my opinion of its suitability for young kids.

So in this case, you can check out all the ins & outs of the gameplay minutiae on the website, but I will say that the game has won 20+ awards, and definitely gets a thumbs up in our household.

One thing did annoy me, though. When you commit the cardinal sin of, say, matching fuschia with aquamarine (gasp!), you are greeted with the voice of a girl saying "Eeeeewwww!" I realize that the whole point of the game is about clothing, and maybe it's a dad thing, but for me, it induced a wicked Valley Girl flashback.

Other than that, though, it's all good. Have fun!

4 Comments:

  • My pleasure. That's great to hear. So what did your daughter think of the demo? Cha-ching or Eeeeww?

    Looking forward, I'll be mixing in a lot of "casual" games into my reviews. FYI.

    By Blogger Dan, at 3:42 PM  

  • That's great!

    Could you let me know if the additional levels are worth plunking down the ducats? Since we have to stretch our gaming dollar pretty far, I usually don't buy the full version, but ever since as I put up the screenshot with all the gowns, my daughter has been obsessing about the game.

    In the meantime, enjoy unleashing your inner fashionista (not that there's anything wrong with that)!

    By Blogger Dan, at 8:59 AM  

  • This game is a wonderful refreshing change from the usual shoot/kill/maim gendre of the day. If you haven't bought the game yet, you're missing great clothing combinations and a cute little puppy! I play this game every day...it's very addictive, and lots of fun!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:36 PM  

  • While I agree that this game is refreshing, addictive and lots of fun, it's not like it's the only kid-friendly game in a sea of shoot/kill/maim games.

    If you check some of my other thumbs up reviews (as well as those on sites like GamerDad), you'll see that there is no shortage of terrific games out there for kids and families. You just have to know where to look. :)

    By Blogger Dan, at 9:04 PM  

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