Review Family Restaurant Developer: GameDino Publisher: GameDino Genre: Casual Game Release Date: 2008 Platform: Review by Karla Munger January 7, 2009		Buy this game at Trade for this game at:
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We thought it would be fun to review some of the casual games we currently have available in our JA Casual Game Center. Needless to say, these games are very addictive and while our enthusiastic reviews are, for the most part short, the time spent playing these games is not. Once you have read the review, drop by the JA Casual Game Center and download a free trial version of the game for yourself, but remember - you have been warned!

The story is a familiar one: save the family business, obviously a restaurant in this case. As the chef, you must duplicate the game's recipes -- as well as ones you concoct yourself -- as accurately as possible while working against an increasingly unforgiving clock.

Unfortunately, Family Restaurant suffers from an all too common casual game malady. It starts out fun, is enjoyable for awhile, then gets so difficult that a single mistake can blow an entire level, and satisfying both speed and accuracy requirements becomes next to impossible.

To compound these difficulties, the game is sluggish throughout. Many crucial actions require several mouse clicks to accomplish where one should suffice. Combined with the speed required to succeed, this can really take a toll on one's mouse hand.

Concerning accuracy ratings, Family Restaurant is a crapshoot. You never know when a well-made dish will be rejected (no reason given) or a sloppy dish will be accepted.

The game also offers no way to delete a player's name once it's created. Further, the most recent name created is the one the game starts with even if the last session was played using a different one.

I was able to complete Family Restaurant's 35 levels only through brute force and sheer tenacity. Had I not been reviewing it, I would have left it unfinished.

The best I can say is play this game at your own risk. If you're new to time-management games (or have low frustration tolerance), do yourself a favor and avoid it altogether. I suggest going with Turbo Pizza, Snowy Lunch Rush, Diner Dash, or Diner Dash: Restaurant Rescue.

Try Family Restaurant for Free!