Customer Reviews

Big Kahuna Reef [Download]

5 star:		(108)
4 star:		(60)
3 star:		(26)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(37)

 

 

I bought this after playing the demo. It is the perfect casual game for a netbook user. It plays flawlessly on my Eee PC 900HA.

The game is simple and easy to pickup. Unique puzzle shapes and "locked" cells add some challenge to the typical match-3 style game play.

What I liked most was the fact that it had a built-in screen saver. This is a virtual aquarium of sorts, customizable with 22 species of fish and 3 different reef backgrounds. New fish are rewarded/unlocked when you complete certain levels. This is what really kept me into the game; I kept pressing on to unlock the next fish.

Game graphics are decent. Screensaver graphics are great and very realistic.

The relaxing island-style music gets a little repetitive, but that's my only complaint.

Highly recommended time-killer. Grab it for your next long flight.

This game is relaxing. There is soft music with a tropical sound and beat playing as you match 3 or more tiles to clear the screen.

You earn more fish as you play and can fill the tank as full as you like and choose different reefs. This is a game Like Bejeweld or Super Collapse, if you like those then you will enjoy this one.

Lots of different tools also to help you clear each level. I'm enjoying the game very much. Adult gamer.

The price cannot be beat. THANKS AMAZON!

This game is fun. Nothing too complex. Similar concept as Bejeweled. The game doesn't take up the whole screen either. Its a great game to have running while you may be busy with something else. The rounds are timed, however, once you click away from the game's active screen, everything pauses. This is good for if you need to run off and do something else, you won't time out of your current round.

It's an 'underwater' puzzle game with a background on little fish swimming.

The goal is to match at least '3 of the same' by flipping 2 adjacent items for those items to disappear so that others can pour in. If the matches happen on top of a wooden box then that part of the box 'breaks'. The game advances to the next level when all the boxes are broken.

The game is free but I wasn't very impressed. I stopped after a couple of levels and I don't believe I'd be playing it again. It gets three stars for being free.
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Notes:

I had to install Amazon's 'downloader' software before downloading the game itself. It was pretty quick and it appears to be harmless.

When installed, if you keep the defaults, all games go as subfolders inside a folder named Amazon Games.

For those who are wondering about a potential Trojan: I scanned the both the install file as well as the game directory after installation using AVG and SpyBot (on 4/25/09), and they detected no virus/malware. Presumably, the warning was a false alarm.

However, what you're getting here is not the full game of Big Kahuna Reef, but as others have pointed out, merely a demo of the game which lasts 30 minutes. Unfortunately, this is not really enough time to get a good sense of the program at all (and certainly not enough to get a real sense of enjoyment), though it was of moderate fun the short while it lasted. My recommendation? Don't waste your time with this; if you've already played the game and want the full version, you won't get it here. If you haven't, this little taste won't be enough to really give you a feel for it.

Big Kahuna Fish is a simple, but strangely addictive puzzle game. I wouldn't call it fun but it is fairly engaging. A minor complaint is that there is an ad for the sequel game after each fish is unlocked.

The main reason I'm writing this review is to confirm that the game is indeed FREE. Many people have complained about this download being a 30-minute trial upon installing. I encountered the same problem myself but I figured out that this is because when you start the game for the first time, it links up with the Amazon Downloader. If the Downloader is running, it checks your Amazon download history, sees that the game was "purchased" at $0.00 and activates the full game. If, on the other hand, you don't have Amazon Downloader active or if it's been uninstalled, the game will remain a trial and you'll be another person complaining about it on Amazon's website.

This is a roundabout way to offer a free game, but there are probably two reasons why it's like this:

1) Amazon is slowly taking over the world through their programs, and
2) The game was actually sold at a regular price in the past.

I couldn't find any information in the help section about the Downloader having to be active, so Amazon should be ashamed about that. But I imagine they use the same method for all of their free games so we might as well get used to it.

Hope this helps.

I got the full game free on a special offer from Amazon. When it works, it's an entertaining match three game with enough levels to keep me amused. Unfortunately, after a period of playing, something happens and the dreaded "Cannot MapAndLoad" message appears. I've re-downloaded three times, with the same result. Amazon's help only applies to downloading. It would be good if there were a link to the software developers. The whole experience is discouraging, and a mark against Amazon.

According to many reviewers, the free download of Big Kahuna Reef is a demo that expires after 30 minutes. I am up to level 56 and the game is still going strong with no sign of any time limitations.

It's a silly game, of course, but it gets harder and harder as you ascend each level and it's a great excuse to put off vacuuming or some other tedious occupation. It looks like I will be able to match little goodies forever. 4 stars because Big Kahuna has quite a bit to offer for absolutely nothing.

This is supposed to be a free game, but it's really a time-limited demo... shame on Amazon!

Big Kahuna Reef [Game Download]

The game seems well-constructed and was enjoyable to play, but I uninstalled it quickly. It appeared on my main Amazon page as a 'recommended' item with a cost of $0.00; nowhere did it clearly say that it was a 30-minute version that was timed to expire. I appreciate that developers need to get paid, but if this is a trial version, then SAY its a trial version. Heck, put an asterix next to the $0.00 so folks know. I would have gladly tried it out and paid for the full version if I was aware of this up front, but instead I had to download and run the the 'Amazon Software Installer' and then the software itself. No thanks- please be more honest up front.