Mystery Case Files: Huntsville is an adventure-puzzle casual game developed by Big Fish Studios and distributed by Big Fish Games. It is the first installment in the Mystery Case Files series. The game is available exclusively at Big Fish Games website. The Mystery Case Files franchise is the number one brand in casual games and has sold more than 2.5 million units to date.
Story[]
Huntsville allows the player to assume the role of Master Detective to solve a series of crimes in the small town of Huntsville. The game features a number of locations to explore as well as a collection of puzzles and other challenges.
S.T.A.I.N.[]
Later in the game, one of the villains captured will have evidence that will lead to the criminal organization called S.T.A.I.N., which is behind the crimes in Huntsville. Among its members are:
- Gertrude Goodlittle - Leader of S.T.A.I.N.
- Harold Funkmeyer- 2nd-in-command of S.T.A.I.N.
- Darla Rudder
- Rudy
- Elmer
- Luna H. Tick
- Bill Larson
- Gill T. Azell
- Eugene Needlemeyer
- Ty
- Doris Blevlins- AKA Klatu Barata Nicto
- Lou
- Hoodwink Harry
- Violet Burgundy
- Slick Rick
Plot
The town of Huntsville is threatened by a crime organization called S.T.A.I.N. The Master Detective, an intern sleuth from a royal agency called Mystery Case Files, is sent to apprehend the criminals. By searching for clues and unearthing each criminal using her Crime Computer, the detective one by one exposes each member of S.T.A.I.N., earning a promotion after every case. After S.T.A.I.N.'s 2nd-in-command is arrested, the detective discovers the hideout of S.T.A.I.N.'s leader, Gertrude Goodlittle, the town librarian. The end of the game shows a newspaper displaying S.T.A.I.N.'s arrest.
Gameplay
Huntsville marked the introduction of the hidden object game - a genre of casual game development in which a player must locate a list of objects which are hidden among many other objects on the computer screen. Once a player has located all the listed hidden objects, they progress on to the next area of gameplay. In case a player is unable to find a required object, many hidden object games offer a finite number of hints.
Like all Mystery Case Files titles, Huntsville relies heavily on hidden object gameplay. Upon completing each hidden object puzzle, players return to their 'Crime Computer' where they solve subsequent puzzles to gather evidence and help pinpoint the thief. A player is given a limited amount of time to complete each puzzle. If the player fails to successfully complete a puzzle in this time, they must begin again with an entirely new scenario.
Huntsville features over 15 crimes in over 20 locations. Moreover, each time the player solves a crime, they can restart and play a new scenario with new clues and a new thief.
User Interface[]
Huntsville requires a standard computer mouse.
Reception[]
Following its release on November 18, 2005, Huntsville broke all previous casual game sales records by over 100%, selling over $1 million worth of digitally distributed (downloaded) copies in under three months[1]. As a result, it moved into the top 10 sales positions on all major casual game distribution websites[2].
Huntsville was initially released as an online game download for the PC and soon after for the Mac OS. In July 2006, Big Fish Games signed an agreement with Activision Value to distribute the game beginning in September 2006 at retail locations throughout the United States. [3]
References[]
- ^ "Big Fish Games' New Title Mystery Case Files: Huntsville Hits Record Sales". PRNewswire. 2006-03-07. http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/03-07-2006/0004314754&EDATE=. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
- ^ "MCF: Huntsville Sales Data". GameSalesCharts.com. 2007-12-13. http://www.game-sales-charts.com/cms/index.php?option=com_dbquery&Itemid=33&task=ExecuteQuery&qid=20&cqo_game=Mystery%20Case%20Files%3A%20Huntsville. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
- ^ "Activision Value Publishing, Inc. to Distribute Big Fish Games; Three Successful Online Titles Selected for Retail". Activision, Inc.. 2006-07-31. http://investor.activision.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=205812. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
External links[]
Reviews[]
- Review of MCF: Huntsville at Gamezebo.com