Alice: Behind the Mirror

Alice: Behind the Mirror
by Anuman Interactive - January, 2014

Available at:
Big Fish
GameHouse
iWin



The Jabberwocky has awakened and Wonderland is topsy turvy. The Cheshire Cat has summoned Alice to restore the peace and harmony in Alice Behind the Mirror, a curiously clever hidden object adventure.

As Alice, you must save the crazy, madcap world of Wonderland from the ordered and rational reign of the menacing Jabberwocky. Avoid the pitfalls of familiar and challenging characters, like the Queen of Hearts. Gain the help of the more cordial characters, like the White Rabbit and Humpty Dumpty.

• Enjoy a spectacular adventure in Wonderland as Alice.
  
• Explore the most emblematic places from Lewis Carroll's renowned tale.
  
• Find clues and solve puzzles on your quest to overthrow the Jabberwocky.
  
• Rediscover legendary characters such as the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, and the Cheshire Cat.
  

Click images to enlarge
__

Simply Delightful. And Curiouser, Of Course.****


BASED ON DEMO

IN BRIEF

Let me be the first to acknowledge it. This game would be very appealing to kids. We’ve got talking animals, superb surreal graphics, (full of life and colour, despite the lack of animation), and really, really hard HOPs! A few fairly simple puzzles, and that’s all she wrote.

The original book is considered one of the best examples of literary nonsense – I just know how much you are gonna love that, detractors – playing with logic, and appealing to an adult audience. (according to Wikipedia) Like the book, though, there is more than its superficial appeal to kids in this game. IF you have the imagination and appreciation for poetry that the developers obviously have.

Either way, it is a bright and happy Wonderland environment that could have been put together by a team of artists from a Walt Disney movie – oh! That’s right, they did that! *chuckles obnoxiously to self* Everything is simple in this game. Except, as I mentioned, the HOP scenes.

There, you will need to work hard. I, who usually plays entire games without resort to a hint in the HOPs,  struggled to escape without at least one hint per scene. Yes, some of the items are very small, and others disappear into the woodwork, some are hiding behind others. In a word, HARD. And I didn’t encounter it in the time I played, but it looked to me that the HOP scenes will be revisited.

It would also help if you know the story. I don’t know it really well (yes, I know I’m a philistine!), and already I am coming across references that I don’t remember from what I do know of the story. But when I do catch the reference, there is that definite sense of the humour and nonsense of the book.

Technical points. No choice of difficulty. No voiceovers. Simplistic dialogue/story. Little animation. Directional refilling hint. Simple but fun puzzles. Based in part on the kind of logical clues Lewis Carroll sprinkled throughout his book, many of which are still unsolved today. None of which was a problem for me. No notebook or map.

What I didn’t like was the need to click and drag it to use an inventory item.

One unique feature of the game is the Cheshire cat’s grin found sprinkled throughout. Clicked on, they provide interesting facts about the story and its fascination for film makers, especially Walt Disney.

So. If you dislike simple games, or can’t stand the thought of another talking rabbit, skip this game. And leave those of us who are focussed on the game’s fun value, its uniqueness and its humour, to do so without objections from the peanut gallery.

(This is NOT a reference to any dislikers of animal helpers here of course. This is having a go at the nasty types at Big Fish who have become so offensive if they think a game is childish or 'cute')

Mind you, talking characters aside, there isn't much of the "animal helper" kind of cute we see in most fantasy games - even if you dislike that type of game, I reckon this one is still worth a peak, particularly if you like lots of challenging HOP scenes. Or the story of course!  

I recommend this game!

Thanks, as usual, for your honest review.   
This sounds like a good kids' game and there's nothing wrong with that. I find it funny when BF releases children's or so-referred to as "childish" games and people get annoyed. Hey, BF is a family site and kids/grandkids need games too! No need to slam a game just cause it's for a different target audience.  

I enjoyed the game too, especially the little factoids hidden behind CC's smiles.  Good review as usual, JtF.

I'm guilty of getting bent out of shape when someone calls a game childish since that implies that the adults that enjoy the game are somehow lacking in brain cells but "this game would be very appealing to kids" is a beautiful way to explain it without it sounding condescending.

Hi snapnhiss! Is it Welcome! Or have you always been here, hiding unseen in the shadows?

Thanks for the positive feedback. I'm hearing just enough of what's going on at bfg to choose absolutely not to read anyone's but my own reviews there (that's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it!)

Anyway, you'll not find knockers here, just people with opinions expressed respectfully, for or against!  

PS! Love the avatar!! My little kitties are gonna be scared by your fierce looking one!   

I've been here since November but I haven't posted much.  After my adventures at BF lately, I thought I'd visit a forum that wasn't quite so... aggressive in their bonding through outrage, if you know what I mean.  Always a pleasure to read your reviews, I don't recall seeing any there lately.

JustTheFacts wrote:PS! Love the avatar!! My little kitties are gonna be scared by your fierce looking one!   

Thanks!  That's what my username references, I've got a little female that hisses at everything.  She's nearly 14 and she still hisses at me when I enter a room with an armload of laundry.  Weirdo.

I have one that used to be like that - until two days ago! She had cause. There are 5 cats in my house and Jackie hates boy cats (we have 2 offenders here), and she was always getting possessive and protective around me, the computer, my dirty socks. Then she'd run cowering, because they'd retaliate!    

But yesterday we installed Feliway - I assume you get that somewhere where you are - and now she is happily napping not 2 feet from my male Bengal, not a hiss to be heard, just a tiny little girl snore.

No, I hadn't heard of that before.

It's a diffuser you plug in the electrical socket and it emits this concoction that is meant to smell like facial pheromones to cats. You know, how they're always rubbing their faces against people and things? That's a marking behaviour and apparently, they think everything is safe if the air contains it.

Whatever it does and however it does it, it's amazing! My little girl was getting really bad constipation because she was so scared of the Bengal, who is being a bit of a bully, but he's learning... and now, even that has come good! (I inherited him, no kitten I've raised would ever have such bad manners as to disturb a lady at her toilette!   )

It's early days, but I am very impressed so far. Up until now, I haven't been game to leave them alone together, these last few weeks, because she has just recently got so much worse. I have neglected them, with my own problems, and they have paid the price.

Now I gotta lot of making up to do!   

Ah, yes, I've just looked at the package and see I bought mine from an Australian online distributor, but it is available elsewhere. Just go to their site and choose your country!

http://www.feliway.com

Hi, snapnhiss, nice to see you again~!  Your introduction thread was pretty memorable   so I clearly remember when you came on board here.  Don't be frightened, I don't really snap and hiss

Oh man, I'm still complaining about the same things!  I'm 56 now so at least something's changed.  

Wow, never heard of Feliway. I wonder if that would help us? I adopted a foster cat a few years back and he wants to rule the roost here. My other two boys are mellow and don't mind but Max (the offender) still likes to project a little mild aggression now and then. Nothing fierce mind you, but my other two are wusses and anyway I prefer peace. Maybe this product would mellow the mood around here..?

ETA - Ah, it figures. It's only available through a vet here in the States.

It looks like it's available on Amazon without one.

If my experience is anything to go by, it probably would. Mellowing the atmosphere is a great way of describing what's happening here. It's not turning everyone into best buddies, but now they're not fatal enemies either.

Jackie's been relaxed enough to hang out with me even when the other cats are in the room, and she's even begun a "getting to know you" sniffing of their tails and butts that is usually done on early introduction to each other (only a year late there girlie!)

But best of all, it says you'll find your cat more inclined to play, and that just wasn't gonna happen. Jackie has never been into playing. Not even with me. Well, she is now lol, and she has quite a cheeky sense of humour!