The Zenses (Ocean and Rainforest) are similar in style and they both promote relaxation. Produced by Game Factory, a company known for producing enjoyable children and family titles for the DS and Nintendo consoles, Zenses fits right into the Game Factory theme. The goal is not to win as much as it is to let go and to take a few minutes just for you. Using a selection of games, some calming new age music, cute graphics, and a laid back atmosphere the Zenses games give you the chance to play a calm, thinking game rather than to get pumped up, like some games cause people to do. The result is quite different. It’s one that some people will really enjoy and others would rather leave behind. Like the gaming women I mentioned, again, I fall somewhere in the middle.

I enjoyed playing Zenses Ocean to a certain extent. First, let me point out that of the two Zenses titles Ocean is actually the weaker of the two. Rainforest seems to have better games, but they are both somewhat enjoyable in their own way. I think the laid back atmosphere works well, but for some, the lack of multi-player, and the basic nature of the game will be a deterrent. I didn’t feel it was a deterrent as much, though I did get the feeling that this might be better received on the PC as opposed to the DS.

Now that we have looked at some of the basics, lets consider the games for a minute. In Zenses Ocean there are a selection of games you can choose from. Most games incorporate the Ocean theme nicely and include graphics that are shells, pearls, turtles, and other ocean items. Each round for each of the games begins horribly easy but as the levels progress you will notice that they do get at least a little bit harder each time. I didn’t have a huge problem completing them, though some did require more thought than others.

The games include Zen Stones, Turtle Turn, Shell Twirl, Pearl Diver, Wave Breaker, and Hot Spot. Naturally, some of these games are more entertaining than others. Zen Stones was one of my favorite games and Hot Spot was on of my least favorite. In Zen Stones, the object is to connect the matching stones, two at a time to remove them. You tap two stones that are near each other and they disappear. The goal is to empty the board. It can end up being tricky because as you remove two stones, the others move positions. Wave Breaker is another fun game. Your job is to look at the objects on a beach and find them after a wave covers them up with sand. Shell Twirl allows you to fill sections with shells and other objects. You get extra points by matching the colors of the nearby objects.

The goal of Hot Spot is to take apart a sea creature (it changes with each one completed) and reassemble it while the parts of the creature slowly spin around. Turtle Turn has that whole Othello feel to it, with players touching turtle shells, flipping them, and watching the shells around it turn black or white. The goal (of course) is to match the pattern at the top of the screen. The problem with Pearl Diver is that you get limited turns to connect Pearls to remove them from the screen. You can get extra turns by making triangles, but it doesn’t always work out. Even when it does, it isn’t the most exciting game in the bunch.

This will definitely be a more female oriented game. The question of whether or not it’s worthy to add to your DS collection will depend on you. You can pick this up at Amazon for around $25 (less if you purchase from an individual seller). At $25, I would hesitate to recommend it because you can pick up any number of casual style games for a less expensive price. However, if you want something relaxing to kill a little time and you can buy it at a deal, you should really enjoy the Zenses line of games. Of course, you might want to consider the slightly more expensive Rainforest title instead.

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Of the two titles, Ocean and Rainforest, the latter is certainly the most well thought out title. If you have to choose one, Rainforest is the more popular title and definitely the one that seems to be worth the purchase. Still, this is not going to appeal to all people. If you like your games with mounting difficulty and action the Zenses likely won’t be for you. However, if you’re looking for games that you can play for a few minutes at a time that will take your mind off of things then these should be just what you are looking for.

The six included games are Treasure Spin, Stack Jack, Twist n Turn, Flower Board, Sapphire Wheel, and Solitaire. Each game is explained in part below.

Flower Board: In this game where you need to use the flowers to create various combinations that are required to move on. You begin with a small selection of flowers and need to get more on the board from there.

Sapphire Wheel: Here you have several different shapes of colored gems. The goal is to take the shapes from the wheel and make larger shapes out of the colored gems that are available.

Solitaire: With Solitaire the goal is to move the stones from one floating square to a new one. You have to skip squares in order to do this correctly and you only have a certain number of tries to get the job done.

Treasure Spin: This game has you working with some stone blocks and some flowers. The goal is to rotate everything in order to get the flowers to jumble around into a position where they are able to touch one another.

Stack Jack: With Stack Jack you have colored rings slowly falling towards the bottom of the screen. It’s your job to match them up before losing them.

Twist n Turn: In Twist n Turn you have a few moves to swap or move the available gems until you are able to match the top of the screen.

The theme for this game is all about the Rainforest, so the games all include flowers, stones, waterfalls, and things that you might expect to see in a Rainforest. The graphics fit the game well and work excellent with the relaxation theme. You easily get that feeling that you’re transported into the setting of the game. The music also follows this lead and includes some nature sounds along with the basic new age music that is included. Women, especially those that are not into hardcore shooter style games, should like this mix quite a bit.

If you’re a fan of DS games and you find you have a limited amount of time, or you’re looking for something that you can pick up and put down easily, Zenses Rainforest might be for you. Both Zenses games are available at Amazon. Rainforest is currently retailing for around $30. However, if you buy from one of the independent sellers on Amazon you can pick it up much cheaper. For this reason, I definitely recommend picking it up at either Amazon or on eBay depending on which offers the better deal.

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We will begin emailing winners for this the week of October 22, 2008, which means you have until October 21, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release:
With My Life Handheld, you choose and care for a pet, play fun games and go on fabulous shopping trips, all in the palm of your hand. Start by customizing your character. Choose your size, style, fashion and look, right down to the color of your eyes. Build relationships with virtual friends, family and pets. You can even add to the experience with MyStuff accessory keys and fashion keys; and expand your virtual world.

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