Snark Busters 2: All Revved Up is a follow-up release to Snark Busters: Welcome to the Club - a welcome one at that. The first title was extremely fun and the second follows in its footsteps. A different character awaits this time, but the story is just as whimsical and enjoyable as the first one. The gameplay at its core is hidden object, but it plays more like a classic 90s adventure title than a traditional hidden object game, and this is a great thing.

In Snark Busters 2: All Revved Up, players are introduced to Jack Blair, race car driver extraordinaire. He's a thrill seeker who ends up following in his grandfather's footsteps - disappearing without a trace. The reporter makes a return this title, adding in the little news segments, and we even get to visit her studio and save her from something nasty. Just as in the first one, we're left with a cliff hanger, wondering what's going to happen next. We wonder if they've written out a storyline for these games and, if so, how many are slated for release.

For the hidden object aspect, the list is in pictures and players have to find the broken up pieces of each item. Pieces that are not visible on the current screen (or require some extra action to find) show up in red. The objects are generally not difficult to find, since it's pretty clear on each screen what doesn't fit. In fact, I start out the beginning of each level just going through the screen and clearing up the pieces that are visible, which isn't challenging, but also doesn't really detract from the gameplay. Once done, it's off to figure out where the other pieces are hiding, either on the screen visible but not so obvious, or hidden in different puzzles or cupboards. Once an object is complete, it can be used on the screen, and there's a universal object slot that allows for something to be moved from one screen to another, but that only comes into play rarely. Most items are assembled and used in the same scene.

The puzzles range from simple to moderate in challenge level. Most of them simply require paying attention to the game, since clues are hidden throughout. Others are puzzles reminiscint of games like Pipe Dream. Most of the puzzles come in the form of simply figuring out what to do with objects. For example, we assemble a wine bottle, but where does it go? Once we figure that out, it rewards us with other hidden object pieces, and this is where we think the game shines.

The art style is bright, even on the darker stages. It never feels too serious. After all, we're hunting a snark, an elusive creature that no one actually ever sees, which is hardly the most serious activity out there. If there is one complaint we have, although its a minimal one given the nature of these games, we'd have liked to have scene voiceovers instead of text for the cutscenes. It would have lent that little extra bit to the game (provided the voices were authentic). As it stands, it delivers the story all in text, which isn't unusual for this type of game, but it does detract some from the overall enjoyment.

Snark Busters 2: All Revved Up is a solid follow-up to the first title released last year. It's enjoyable and has us chomping at the bit for more. Time Manangement games have Diner Dash and matching games have Bejeweled - games that set the bar for those genres. Now hidden object/adventure casual games have Snark Busters.

Score: 8.8

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