Customer Reviews

Mystery P.I. Portrait of a Thief

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Yet another twist on seek and find mystery games. I got it for my birthday and played it 3 straight hours yesterday. At first I thought it was going to be too easy but I found it is not. Like usual you have to find items in messy cluttered rooms. What makes it hard is a few of the items I don't know what the item is. Hard to find when you don't know what you are looking for. Just when you get them all found then you have another puzzle to solve and time is ticking away.

Make sure to look for a key and a paintbrush in each picture as they unlock free play games.

I very much like this game. I also suggest Cate West game and Mystery Files. It's fun to have 3 different ones going at the same time. Keeps the mind sharp.

Five stars for sure.

+ Pros:

+ Very addictive gameplay
+ Builds in difficulty
+ Unlockable awards
+ 3 modes of play

- Cons:

- Repetitive levels
- Game can be beaten in 2-3 days
- A carbon copy of Amazing Adventures: The Forgotten Ruins.

In Mystery P.I., you play the part of a detective assigned to finding an art thief. Each level has a picture with several objects littered throughout it. The goal is to find all the items on the list before time runs out. The time limit is very generous, and there is an option to turn off the timer for newer players.

If you're unable to find an item, a "HINT" option shows the general area to find an object, but using this subtracts points from your final score. Tapping the screen too many times can also subtract points.

At first, the items to find are described clearly:
2 coin stacks
3 lighters

However, as the game progresses, the descriptions become more challenging:
2 Artist's models
Wrist restraints

In addition to the items on the list, each level has a paint brush and a key hidden in it.

Collecting all the paintbrushes unlocks locations in Unlimited Seek & Solve. This mode allows you to visit each location and find every single hidden item. As you find items on the list, new clues take their place until all the items are found.

Collecting all the keys unlocks the games in Mini-Game Free Play.

The Mini-Games are:

Memory Match
Jigsaw Puzzle
Tile Rotate
Mah-Jongg Match
Word Puzzle

Now if you fancy yourself an expert, there are 10 awards to earn:

(1) Golden Key - awarded for finding all 17 keys.
(2) Golden Paintbrush - awarded for finding all 17 paintbrushes.
(3) Golden Painting - awarded for completing "Find the Art Collection" mode.
(4) Golden Magnifying Glass - awarded for completing "Unlimited Seek & Solve".
(5) Golden Sculpture - awarded for reaching the rank of Master P.I. at 10 million points.
(6) Golden Frames - awarded when you reach 15,000 points in Memory Match.
(7) Golden Jigsaw Puzzle Piece - awarded when you get 18,000 points in Jigsaw Puzzle.
(8) Golden Rotating Tile - awarded when you get 18,000 points in Tile Rotate.
(9) Golden Mah-Jongg Tile - awarded when you get 18,000 points in Mah-Jongg Match.
(10) Golden Word - awarded when you get 15,000 points in Word Puzzle.


I must admit, this is a very addictive game. The gameplay is very easy to pick up - I didn't even need to read the directions.

One problem was the repetition. After unlocking the first few levels, I found myself revisiting the same pictures, but with a different list of items to find. This made the game a little boring - not a good sign.

However, my main complaint is that this game is a clone of "Amazing Adventures - The Forgotten Ruins." Both were produced by Popcap, this game came out about one month later, but the gameplay is almost identical. Many of the same objects are found in this game, the same hints, and the same requirements to unlock awards.

If you check the image I uploaded of the instruction manuals side-by-side, they are almost identical. Only two of the Mini-Games were changed.

If I hadn't played Amazing Adventures first, I would have given Mystery P.I. 4 stars without hesitation - but I had to take away another star for the lack of originality.

I received "Mystery P.I." for Christmas and have been enjoying it ever since. I'm in my 70's and use these games for mental exercise as well as fun. I was delighted with this game because it allowed me to turn off the timer and play in "Relaxed Mode". It is an "I Spy" clone with a twist and being able to play it at my own speed has made this one of my favorite DS games.

I love this game. Can't put it down since I bought it. If you like seek and solve games, this is one you must have. You are given a list of objects that need to be found in the picture, and you keep moving on to the next one. There is a goal you are trying to reach, usually solving a mystery of sorts.

First of all, I knew I would like this game, as I have become a fan of PopCap made games, especially Amazing Adventures: The Forgotten Ruins. I also like MillionHeir and these are very much like MYSTERY PI: PORTRAIT OF A THIEF. As you become the PI, Private Investigator, it is your job to track an art thief to get back some missing paintings that were stolen. As you collect awards you will meet new characters along the way and unlock some mini-games like in the two above-mentioned games. There are mini games like tile flip and Mahjong tiles that are fun to play when you need a break from the mystery.

If you love "I Spy" type games, then you will love this. The difference is that although you do have many things to find in each picture, MYSTERY PI results in taking you somewhere else so it is a connected story unlike "I Spy". One trick I'll let you in on is that there is a key and a paintbrush in each picture puzzle, and if you find them, they will unlock free play games. It does seem easy at first but every once and a while, you come upon something they ask you to find that you may not have any clue as to what it is. It happened to me and maybe it was just my lack vocabulary knowledge but I don't think so. MYSTERY PI is well worth the money and I highly recommend it for great fun that keeps you thinking but doesn't stress as far as dexterity and timed battles and shooting skills.
Submitted by K. Haney for Amazon VINE, January, 2009

This is exactly the same game play as Amazing Adventures. The theme, of course, is a mystery involving lost art, but nothing new added.

The mini games are the same, Mahjong tiles, puzzle pieces, tile flip and now they added word find. Some may find these mini games to be repetitive and simplistic.

I finished this in one weekend playing on and off a chapter at a time.

This game is becoming increasingly hard to find in stores and online. So if you love seek-n-solve games and you are contemplating this one and you find it, just buy it.

I have had a Nintendo DS since September 2008, and no previous experience with video games. Most games I have explored fall into one of a few categories: games which require skills of moving objects from place to place or solving puzzles, and games which tell more of a story--mysteries--which must be solved. Even these require puzzle solving and moving objects. But they are more fun. The best of these I have tried is Professor Layton and the Curious Village.

So, from my limited repertoire of game expertise, I find that the Mystery PI, Portrait of a Thief is a good and absorbing game. The purpose is to become a PI and solve the mystery of missing paintings by building a portrait of the thief. For those with vast experience in these games, this one seems to offer all sorts of hidden goodies and things to unlock. For the novice player, like me, it is fairly easy to follow and unravel, though more time may be needed and I recommend for impatient players like me, the use of cheat sheets. Once you grasp the concept of what you are expected to do, when you see the problem again, in another form, it becomes a lot easier to solve. For me, these sheets act as learning tools.

This is one of the better and more fun games on the market for Nintendo DS and I recommend it.

I love how this game is designed for a wide age range. There are several mini puzzles that work for my young sons (7 & 5) and the mystery case works for my tween neice. Everything works for me. I can waste plenty of time trying to beat my best score in the mini games. You start by matching tiles (4 options: identical, similar, related or random) and have to work your way up to unlock the rest.

I have Millionheir (another good mystery game) and they both work well for both adults and kids. I'd give this one an edge since it is offers more options. It has a handy "pause" feature since you are playing against the clock.

My only complaint about not figuring out how to edit a choosen profile has been answered here by someone who kindly pointed out the steps. Thanks!

This game is worth the price and it sure makes waiting on line a breeze!

When I was a kid, I use to read Highlights magazine and Children's Digest. The idea of finsing the hidden objects in a street scene or a farm house amazed mw. I was like many adults who with others enjoyed Where's Waldo.

This Game Bot DS game is similar to that, with each level a detective report to help you solve the crime of the misssing painting.

Then there are bonus levels of word searches, matching items and a jigsaw puzzle...which intrigue children and adults aline

Want something fun to just to enjoy..want something to bring adults to childhood memories and still enjoyment...this is it!

Bennet Pomerantz
AUDIOWORLD

It has been several months since I received this game. I held off writing my review because I wanted to be sure each of my children tried the game after I finished it. You see, I rather enjoyed the game myself. It's an addictive, yet somewhat repetitive seek and find game where you, the main character, are a detective in search of an art thief. There are many objects, treasures and keys to be found, and you get to play a handful of typical memory/tile games. Overall I found it quite interesting and fun but my children don't agree with me at all. I have a boy (age 9) and two girls (ages 12 and 15), which have all taken their turn playing this game. My son completed the game in about two to three days, while both of the girls simply lost interest within the first couple of days. All of my kids said it just didn't have enough "action" to hold their interest. My son said "It's boring to be a detective looking for an art thief." He concluded, "It would be better if you were looking for a killer or a car thief or something."

I think this game is worth playing and I'm sure some people will love it, while others just will not care much for it. It's a great brain exercising game but I think many adults may like it more than kids actually do. I can't speak for other parents out there but from my perspective this game is just not exciting or unique enough for my children. If your children like mystery and puzzle games then they may very well enjoy this. If they prefer battle, adventure or arcade style games then this may be a flop for them. I am giving it 3 stars overall. 3 stars for creativity, 3 stars for fun but only 2 stars for the level of challenge.