Gary Gadget: Building Cars (Win/Mac) Review

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(More customer reviews)This game is perfect for my son as he works on cars with his grandfather at his auto body shop.My son is 8 and it appears that he'll get bored with the game fairly quickly as it's not very challenging for an 8 year old.I'd say that ages 5-8 would work best for this game.

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Product Description:
Design, Build and Drive! Put together engines, gadgets, doors, wheels, lights and tons more! Just about everything you think can be used for making a car is in Gary's junk yard. It's up to you to recycle these wacky old parts into amazing vehicles in the workshop.

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Where in the USA Is Carmen Sandiego Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently bought this game for my 10 yr. old son. I remember first playing this game when I was about his same age. This game has greatly improved, information wise over the version I remember. There are maps built in and an atlas. All the info they need is contained in the game. This makes looking up the clues much more fun! My son has a lot of fun learning about the states, while chasing crooks.
We use this weekly, as his homeschool US Geography lesso, and when he's done solving his 2 cases, he often wants to keep playing in the explore mode. This game is chock full of information, maps, and fun animations, while at the same time being fun, and giving the child a sense of accomplishment as the go up in rank.

All around this is a highly entertaining game, with great educational value. I highly recommend it, and so does my son. ;o)

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Carmen Sandiego is filching America's precious treasures. Since her latest escape she's recruited a whole new gang of villains. They must be stopped. No excuses. Acme is under severe pressure to halt Carmen's crime wave. Report to HG immediately to receive your Videophone and Dataminder. Don't let Carmen pull the wool over your eyes!

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Freddi Fish 5: The Case of the Creature of Coral Cove Review

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(More customer reviews)First things first: the suggested age range for all Freddi Fish games (3-8)is very misleading, no matter how smart you think that your 4 y.o. is. Everybody thinks that their very bright 4 y.o. should be able to enjoy the game- and if they don't, it's a problem with the game.The fact is that it takes until 5 / early 6 for both the spatial concepts & (esp.) the level of perserverence needed to get developed enough to enjoy the game. And then they enjoy it hugely.Our girls (now turning 6 & 7) enjoyed this Freddi hugely, as they have the others.

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Product Description:
Building Block for PreschoolSuccess Product FeaturesOver 75 Awards of Excellence!There's more to this case than meets the eye!Join Freddi Fish and her best friend Luther for the grand opening of beautifulCoral Cove Park - But wait! A mysterious sea creature has been seen lurkinginside. If the park is to open on time you have to help Freddi and Luther findthe clues solve the puzzles and get to the bottom of this watery predicament.Skills LearnedProblem SolvingLogical ThinkingShapes & ColorsNumbers and CountingMemory BuildingListening SkillsProduct FeaturesNew locations and puzzles each time you play!Packed with puzzles games and activities!Find the clues and collect the tools to solve themystery!Includes 11 exclusive Freddi Fish audio tracks!Windows RequirementsMicrosoft® Windows 95/98/Me/2000 or XP Vista Pentium 133 MHz32MB RAM or greater20MB free hard disk space (if you wish to save gamesin progress)Quad-speed (4x) CD-ROM drive1MB Windows 95/98/Me/2000 compatible SVGA video card(compatible with DirectX version 5.0 or higher)Windows 95/98/Me/2000 compatible sound card(compatible with DirectX version 5.0 or higher)DirectX version 5.0 or higher (DirectX 8.0 includedon disc)Macintosh Requirements132 MHz PowerPCSystem 7.5.520MB free hard drive space32MB RAMQuad-speed (4x) CD-ROM drive

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Bookworm Deluxe Review

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(More customer reviews)I am addicted to Bookworm and need to acquire more willpower, fast, to limit my daily gametime. I find myself spending hours playing, late evenings especially, and, (blush), sometimes at work. Trying to accumulate a high score - my personal best - like at the Olympics, is the most addictive part for me!! I used to play Scrabble on the PC and loved it, but Bookworm is by far the better game - I think. I have limited myself to no more than an hour per day, OK sometimes 2 hours - but that is time used to build vocabulary and other skills, rather than watch one of my favorite TV programs. See how easy it is to rationalize? Actually, Bookworm has helped to improve my Scrabble skills also. There's almost an entire dictionary of possibilities stored on the CD.

The concept of Bookworm is simple. One needs to make words by linking adjacent letter tiles. The more complex the word and more difficult the letter, (z, x, q, like Scrabble), the higher the score. Short, or low scoring words, cause fires to start with letters at the top of the PC screen, the library wall. If a word is not formed from the burning tile letters before they reach the bottom, then the game explodes - kaput! The higher your score, the more burning tiles appear. Thus the level of difficulty increases. Also, the longer one plays a particular game, thus using up a variety of tiles, itbecomes more difficult to find either vowels or consonants. Scoring then becomes even more difficult.

There is a leisurely paced Classic Game, and no beat the clock option. I personally prefer this one. It gives one time to really think and look for many-lettered words. Then there's the Action Game, where you have to beat both the clock and the burning tiles. Since one is more inclined to go for short words when the clock is ticking, there are more burning tiles here. It really gets the adrenaline going! There is also a Save Game option which is terrific. Once I begin to score in the high numbers, which can take a while, I get tired, and am able to save the game without losing points, and can come back to it another time. The players' high scores are saved in the Hall of Fame, so it is easy to compete against yourself or another player.

The book worm, Lex, (from lexicon), is a funny and bizarre creature who makes weird noises, supposedly to encourage the player to feed his endless appetite for words. When a particularly good word is formed, he belches! I enjoyed this feature for all of five minutes, and then turned down the sound. However, I think kids would love this vocabulary tapeworm. And Bookworm is perfect for children and adults alike. The game is from Activision. It is fun and educational and I highly recommend it. The CD version is more complex and has many more possibilities than the free download found on the Web. I tried the download before buying the game.
JANA

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Product Description:
BookWorm brings you great word-building action! Link letters and create words to feed the hungry BookWorm -- but watch out for fiery red letters, because they'll burn your library down if you're not careful!

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Personal Trainer: Cooking Review

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(More customer reviews)The Nintendo DS is an amazing piece of technology with far more potential than to just play video games (though it's certainly ideal for that).Personal Trainer: Cooking is the rare software that pushes the DS in a new direction while putting this potential to great use.You won't find high scores, cute characters or bonus levels in this game, because it's really a cookbook - a really good cookbook.

I was blown away by the quality of production for this game.It's much easier to use than I expected.By default you can select a country from a map and browse popular recipes from that area, or you can search the entire contents by main ingredient, calories or cooking time. All the menus are straightforward and both the hand writing recognition (which you can use to make notes) and voice commands work great, despite loud noises (pots and pans clanking) being picked up erroneously.The included videos are similarly high quality and very helpful if you are unfamiliar with any part of a recipe.You'll also find a glossary, conversions, sustitutions, and a handy timer.

When making one of the nearly 250 recipes included, you'll get a step-by-step walkthrough.It's easy to go through the entire recipe before you start to see what you'll be doing, but it's certaily not neccessary.The ingredients and kitchenware you'll need are listed for you when you bring up the recipe.Just lay out the DS on the counter where you can see both screens and if you need to go back and repeat instructions to any step or go ahead to the next step at any time you can do so with a voice command or using the touch screen.As mentioned, short videos are available to show you many of the required culinary skills.You can bring up the appropriate video for a step (when applicable) with voice command or touchscreen as well.

If you are a seasoned, worldly chef, you'll likely find the production values to be overkill and many recipes too basic.Yet the average home cook will likely find the perfect introduction to at least a few dozen unfamiliar dishes.For the young or inexperienced cook, this game is a cheaper and better pimer than practically any cookbook.

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Product Description:
Personal Trainer: Cooking brings gourmet cooking from around the globe to your Nintendo DS. It features a DS Chef, your own private cooking instructor who talks you through 245+ recipes from over 30 countries worldwide. It's a combination of interactive cookbook and live cooking demonstration that'll have you cooking like a pro, even if you've never lifted a ladle before. With so many recipes, you can find something new and tasty to make no matter what you're in the mood for. You can search a map by country to find regional dishes or select options for low-calorie foods, specific ingredients or short cooking times. Each recipe contains step-by-step directions and photos to make it possible to prepare dishes you've never tried before. Use the stylus or simple voice commands to "turn the page." Hands covered in batter? Keep your DS clean using voice commands to continue to the next page, repeat a step, go back, and more. A tap of the touch screen lets you adjust the serving size automatically, and users can write and save cooking notes, just as they would in a paper recipe book. Recipes include photos of the dish as well as instructional videos on how to perform different cooking techniques, such as how to chop an onion or clean a fish. Users can access a handy reference function to explain unfamiliar terms and cooking techniques when they appear. The software includes a timer and calculator, as well as a search function to help you find what you're looking for. Cooking Guide also includes an ingredient checklist to use as a shopping list. Just put a ? mark next to the items you need and bring your Nintendo DS to the grocery store. You and the Chef will collaborate on a wide variety of recipes, with videos of techniques, explanations of ingredients, and expert advice. With its innovative interface and the interactivity that only the DS can provide, it's a perfect learning tool for the budding chef. As you browse recip

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Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection (Mac) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this for my three children (4,6,8). They have been playing it regularly for almost two months now. The oldest has gone through some of the scenarios to actually "play" the game. The two youngest play the "kid's zoo" scenario which gives them access to all of the animals and they never run out of money regardless of what they do. The 4 year old can't read so she has to have help with a lot of the parts. Her favorite activity is to name all of the baby animals.

We Googled for easter eggs and found a few mythical animals and funny things we can do. The children have found those interesting.

One thing to note, you can feed animals to each other (all of the killing and eating takes place in a cloud of smoke) and when carnivores escape (either because you aren't maintaining their cages or you bulldoze a hole in the fence) they will tackle your guests and bite or eat them until caught by the zookeepers. No blood, but the people scream.

All in all, this game has been worth the price. It is in the regular rotation with our other computer games and looks like it will be there for a while.

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Zoo Tycoon Complete Collection contains the original Zoo Tycoon game, along with the Dinosaur Digs and Marine Mania expansion packs. Enjoy the fun and challenge of building and managing the ultimate zoo.

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Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords Expansion Pack Review

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(More customer reviews)DO NOT BUY THIS IF YOU ALREADY OWN BEYOND THE SWORD! All the core game changes, including wonders and civilizations, are included in Beyond the Sword. Only get this game if you want to have the scenarios that were included in Warlords.

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Expansion Pack to the Game of the YearProduct Information[Requires Sid Meier's Civilization IV to play]Civilization IV is more than just a great combat game: you can also achieve victory through diplomatic cunning cultural or religious alliances and technological dominance.Civilization IV delivers faster mid and late game AI turns and offers greater control over your civilization's government and religions while at the same time de-emphasizing the less fun micromanagement (cleaning up pollution for example). And there's more! Civ IV has been designed from the ground-up to deliver fantastic multiplayer gamingoptions. Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords is the firstexpansion pack for the award-winning game that has become an instant world-widehit. Paying homage to some of history's greatest military leaders theexpansiondelivers six unique and interesting scenarios giving players the chance to changethe course of history with the help of their new powerful"warlord" unit. Civilization IV: Warlords includes new civilizations leadersunits and wonders thatoffers even more fun and exciting ways for players to expandtheir civilization's military power as they strive for world domination.Product FeaturesWarlords – A new great person type called the Warlord will be an indispensable asset to any player bent on world domination.Vassal States – You no longer need to obliterate an enemy to defeat them. Conquer your enemies and subjugate them to your rule.Game Scenarios – The expansion will deliver six new historical scenarios spanning Alexander's conquests through Genghis Khan's dominance of Asia in addition to other scenarios that challenge the way that you currently play the game.New Civilizations – Six new civilizations will be included giving you even more options when

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Smart Girls: Playhouse Review

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(More customer reviews)My 4 year old daughter likes to sneak and play her big sister's Nintendo DS when she's at school.This is the ONLY game (we have around 20) that she can play without help.There's no reading required, and there are lots of activities (she loves the coloring) for preschoolers.Even my older daughter pulls this out to play every once in awhile.It's not a game with a storyline or goal, just a bunch of activities for younger kids.

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Product Description:
Let's Play! Filled with fun, exciting wholesome games for girls. Children will have fun with this title for hours on end! This title is a great entry point for young children who want to get into the world of casual videogames. By keeping the titles fun and simple, while providing a challenging and rewarding experience, children will be able to gain a wholesome experience. It's like carrying around a closet full of family fun games that you can take with you anywhere!

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Mind Quiz Review

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(More customer reviews)Having used this for a week, already my brain feels bigger, and when I flex it in front of the ladies, well, let's just say size does matter . . .

OK, so that wasn't true.But this is: I find the puzzles challenging, engaging, and interesting.I like the fact you can track progress, and the fact there are multiple levels, so you can move up if you need more of a challenge.Between the accuracy and time scores, the game keeps challenging you.

While this isn't the best game I have ever played, it's certainly entertaining.My kids like it, too.

If it happens to stretch my brain a bit, well then, that's just a bonus.

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Stimulate your brain with plenty of entertainingmini-games!Product InformationMind Quiz is a collection of 15 exercises designed to exercise and improve yourthinking skills. Exercise 10 minutes a day and build your concentrationproblem-solving and verbal skills and reaction time. You can track yourprogress on daily brain tests and do the exercises in Practice mode to improveyour skills or purely for entertainment.Activities IncludeAnagramsSpelling TestWord SearchMental ArithmeticNumber CrunchNumber SequenceSpatial ExercisesMemory ExercisesLogic ExercisesProduct FeaturesTake a daily brain test to improve your mental abilities.Train your brain with 15 fun interactive exercises.Discover strengths and weaknesses by checking your progress chart.Minimum RequirementsWindows XP Vista1 GHz Pentium III or AMD Athlon or better processor512 MB of RAM40 MB Hard Drive space64 MB DirectX 9 compatible Video CardDirectX 9 compatible Sound CardDirectX 9.0c (included on disc)8X CD-ROM driveWindows compatible mouseRecommended RequirmentsWindows XP VistaPentium 4 processor 1 GB of RAM80 MB Hard Drive space128 MB DirectX 9 compatible Video CardDirectX 9 compatible Sound CardDirectX 9.0c (included on disc)16X CD-ROM driveWindows compatible mouse

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Let's Draw! Review

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(More customer reviews)Great Game!!!I bought my 5 year old dev. delayed daughter this game, and she loves it!!!so easy to use!!!!She loves to draw, there is even some great games on there!!!I even play with it!!! Highly recommend this game.I have been looking for a game that is easy for her to do, and not much "reading" to move on to the next level, well this is it!!!Very easy for her to navigate thru, she has not put it down!!!

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Let's Draw! is a simulation/edutainment game for DS and DSi designed to introduce children to the creative process by making drawing easy, accessible and fun. Built around game functionality that allows children to envision objects and animate them with shape, color and sound, Let's Draw! takes things even further by allowing kids to save their creations and easily import them into a variety of mini-games, quite literally bringing imaginations to life as never before.

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Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy Review

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(More customer reviews)Nancy Drew 19: The Haunting Of Castle Malloy

-Before I Begin...
My review will be spilt up into sections and have a in-depth look at that topic. If you hate reading medium/long reviews or just don't have the patience I would not continue reading, but if you want to learn the most about the product before you buy it you'll continue.

-Interface
The interface is the same as always, point in the direction you want to go in a and click. However, moving around the castle grounds is through a third person view which offsets the whole "I'm Nancy Drew!" feel. But don't worry it's only when your outside in the dark so you never see Nancy, just a figure pretty much. What stupifies me is that Nancy talks on her cellphone in the opening scene but she loses it somehow and we have to use a payphone, so there is no cell phone icon in the interface. This interface is great, the only thing that bugged me was the third person affect when outside the Castle of Malloy.
**** -Plot
In this adventure, Nancy is off to Ireland as the maid of honor to Kyler Malloy, who is getting married to Matt Simmons in a couple days. But when Nancy arrives, Kyler says that Matt has vanished! It is up to Nancy Drew to find Matt and save the wedding. The plot is good but they could have emphasized different parts more. Like the fact that Kyler and Kit Foley (Matt's best friend) were a couple before. Sadly, there is very little drama about this love triangle (maybe because all the Nancy Drew games are quite modest). Very little of the castle history is revealed as well. The fact that half the castle is blown to pieces is interesting but not much more information is given on why it is blown up. I think the basics of the plot are there, but more development could have gone into it.
***

-Characters
There are four characters, each with different personalities, in this game. However, since one is missing, there are really only three characters. The character development and interaction was dissapointing. The backgrounds of each character are very briefly revealed and only one character stood out. Your bride to be is Kyler Malloy, who recently found out her family heritage. She is sweet and kind but not much else to her, she believes that Matt's dissapearence is a prank. Then there is Kit Foley, who is Matt's best friend. Kit is in the real estate business, and unfortunately even more boring than Kyler. He doesn't have much personality and simply believes that Matt has walked out on Kyler. Finally there is Donal, an old Irishman who is stubborn and quite a hoot to listen to. He is the caretaker and believes that "faeries" have taken Matt because he is not Irish. I would talk about Matt, but you don't see him until the end of the game, which is rather dissapointing. It would have been nice to at least meet Matt in the begining before mysteriously vanishing. Overall, the characters seemed to be irrelevant to the game at all because you hardly talked to them. The game could have been outstanding if they just developed the characters more.
***

-Setting & Graphics
First off, the graphis were amazing. However, everything else was completely wrong. I found it completely crazy that the game took place in ONE NIGHT! I thought Nancy was supposed to be there for a week or so, but no. This time constraint really affected the game. It was so dark and gloomy the whole game that you could not see Ireland's beautiful landscape when outside. There was a lot of places to go, but it was completely barren! The castle had only three rooms for you to explore: the Great room, the Library, and the Nursery. And each of those rooms had very little to read, touch or look at. It would have been nice if Nancy had her own room (It is a castle for heaven's sake! It should be pretty big inside, am I right?), but apparently everyone sleeps in cots in the Great room. Did I mention the Great room has a huge hole in it from the explosion years ago? The outside grounds and the Screaming Banshee Inn are also pretty barren as well. There is virtually nothing to snoop in, no historical documents about the castle, no artwork to admire, nothing. Extremely dissapointing, I would give this section two stars but the graphics are so amazing that it gets that extra star.
***

-Puzzles/Activities
The puzzles were outstanding! Most of the puzzles were original, challenging and thought provoking. This is the highlight of the game. If you liked Crystal Skull's puzzles you'll like these ones a lot. I really enjoyed the fact that there was always something for you to do. If you ever needed a break form the puzzles, you can go to the Inn and play minigames. None of the puzzles were randomly thrown in, they all made sense. There are chores, but you don't have to repeat them everyday (Mainly because the game is all in one night). And the chores are easy, fun, and make sense in the game. Overall, the puzzles made this game, without them, I would not reccomend this game.
*****

-Scare Factor
This is a new section that covers the scariness of the game. The mood was dark and gloomy, and you would always here an erie wailing (from an alleged Banshee). The Nursery in the castle was downright creepy to be in. There were one or two startling moments, especially as the game climaxed. I think the scariness was on a good level, not to scary but not too mild.
****

-Ending
Unfortunatley, the ending was abrupt like some previous games, but what was refreshing was that there was no timed puzzles or racing through mazes. You could take your time at the end, find/question Matt and finish the game peacefully. In fact, the ending puzzles were some of the easiest in the whole game, which was a let down after all you have been doing throughout the game to win. But you might be dissapointed with how Matt vanished, I was pretty dissapointed. Since the plot wasn't brilliantly detailed or anything, the resolution could be explained without leaving any facts or problems hanging in the air.
***

-Overall
I'm not going to lie I did enjoy the game, and I will be seeing myself playing it again and again. But it doesn't give you that "wow" factor that Phantom Of Venice gave me. It seemed like it wasn't all the way developed. Potentially, it could have been the best game in the series if they just developed the plot, characters, and setting more. Hardcore Nancy Drew fans may find that something is missing, but there is plenty good in this game to buy it. I would recommend this for its puzzles and its scare factor (Perfect for Halloween night). Nancy's next adventure is Ransom Of The Seven Ships, which includes Bess & George! Sounds promising!

Add all these up and divide by 7...
4 *'s (Interface)
3 *'s (Plot)
3 *'s (Characters)
3 *'s (Setting & Graphics)
5 *'s (Puzzles/Activites)
4 *'s (Scare Factor)
3 *'s (Ending)
= 25 Stars Divide By 7 (Categories) = 3.5 = Rounded to 3 Stars

-Other Recommended Nancy Drew Games
The Phantom Of Venice
Danger On Deception Island
Last Train To Blue Moon Canyon
Legend Of The Crystal Skull

Thanks for reading my review!

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Product Description:
Touted as the most romantic event to grace the ruined halls of Ireland's Castle Malloy, the Simmons-Mallory wedding was supposed to be a fairytale beginning, but now the groom is missing! Did a banshee crash the wedding or is this a case of cold feet? Can you, as Nancy Drew, unravel the knot of scattered clues and scary superstitions? You'll to catch more than a bridal bouquet to make this is a happily ever after!
Meet The Suspects
Kyler Mallory
A stock broker in London who lived with Nancy's family as an exchange student four years ago. She is now engaged to Matt Simmons and is excited to hold her wedding at Castle Malloy. Her grandfather, Edmund Mallory, recently passed away and named her as the sole beneficiary. He never spoke about his childhood and Kyle is just now learning about her true family history
Matt Simmons
A travel and sailing free-lance writer for magazines. Known for his dry wit, Matt loves to play pranks on others. Friendly and likeable, he had planned on getting married in the Bahamas, but agreed to change his plans to make his fiancee, Kyler Mallory, happy.
Kit Foley
Matt's best friend and accomplice on sailing trips. Kit was born in the US and is the son of a Krolmeister Inc. VP. The company transferred the family to London when Kit was young, but he never picked up the British accent. He currently works as a land developer, and he arrived early to help Matter and Kyler prepare for their wedding
Donal Delany
As Castle Malloy's ever-present caretaker, he's been watching the grounds for too many years to count. This Irish born gentleman isn't particularly fond of foreigners and he's the first to admit it. He is however the resident expert on Irish mythology and lore, which might explain his overly superstitious nature.

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