Grave Mania 1: Undead Fever (Time Management)
Options include separate sliders for Music and SFX, Full-xcreen, Custom Cursor and Visual Effects. There is an extensive 'How to Play' menu for those who need it, as well as in-game tutorial. Choice of Normal (timed) or Relaxed Mode (no timer).
Story:
The most perfect dessert ever created turned out to be the downfall of Pastryport, as it turned everyone who ate it into zombies! A couple of funeral home owners, Bonnie and Johnny, found a way to quell the undead, and are now traveling the countryside to put the dead to rest... and make a tidy profit! $_$
The story is sparse, but for this type of game, that's absolutely OK. There's just enough to tie all of the levels together and add some humor to the game.
Gameplay:
This is kind of like a Sally's Salon fashion/spa, but with zombies! The undead are wheeled into the shop, and your job is to make them as happy as possible so that they'll rest calmly in their graves.
You'll start off with just three stations, gradually adding more ways to perk up your "guests" as you progress.
You drag the guests - which include not only zombies, but werewolves, banshees, vampires and more - to the stations, then click on each one to have Bonnie address their needs... At least at first! As you progress you will occasionally have butler zombies wander into the shop, and if you whack 'em on the head before they can leave, they will stay and do your bidding. Muwahaha.
Attend to guests quickly, for if you leave them too long, they become restless and will rile up the other customers. Give 'em a good whack to stun them, then plunk them back at their desired stations. All of this can be kind of overwhelming, which is why there are three kinds of helpful bonuses that will unlock as you play, and can be used once per level.
NOTE: Commands can be chained, but you can right-click to cancel your commands if you need to deal with an emergency... like a raging zombie pistolero!
The money you earn can be used to upgrade your equipment, which will make things go more quickly and/or make your guests happier when served. You can also upgrade your butlers so that they can clean stations for you - a VERY helpful ability since the undead seem to be so very messy!
Your butler friends can only do so much, as sometimes guests have more specific needs, and that's where the station
Mini-games come into play... Literally! Haha!
Each station has its own possible mini-game, and include things like:
- Formaldehyde baths
- Photos
- Bone-setting
- Accessories
- Meals
- Clothing
- Exorcisms
But wait, there's more!
At the end of some of the levels are minis that feature Johnny, who will make sure that the zombies (etc.) stay in the grave. These minis are a great place to earn some extra money, so if/when you find one you're good at, take advantage and plump up your wallet - you'll need those upgrades!
There are 8 themed locations, with a total of 46 levels. Although the basic look doesn't change, the music and layout will be different at each one.
Each location can be completed in three ways: Goal, Expert and Perfect. Getting perfect on a level means burying every guest with full happiness (as indicated by the stars over their heads), and is not really possible when you first start. You have to have the upgrades that add happiness, so wait to try for perfects later in the game.
Sights and Sounds:
The graphics are charming, as are the variety of guests that you'll be attending to. The sound effects are great fun, and the music suits the game nicely as well.
Verdict:
A cute and fun time management game with high replayability for those who want to get those perfect scores and in-game achievements. Recommended!
