CASUAL GAME
Snapshot Adventures: Secret of Bird Island
($19.95, www.largeanimal.com, Windows 2000/XP/Vista)
Over the years, a steadily increasing number of sports and hobbies have made their way into the virtual world. Among the latest to make its way onto a computer screen: the exciting world of birding. Yes, birding.
Players in Snapshot Adventures travel around the country to photograph birds. Each assigment requires you to submit your favorite shots to a panel of judges who will evaluate your work, taking into account a number of factors, including composition and pose. As you'd expect, the assigments get tougher — and players can unlock access to items that can assist in capturing very specific shots.
The game bears a superficial resemblance to the popular Deer Hunter series of the late '90s in its outdoorsy appeal — though this game rewards a different kind of shooting skill. But there's a more rewarding aspect to this game than merely snapping pics, and that is the gently addictive pursuit of stalking and locating (those birdsongs are real) your feathered quarry. B+ — Jon Grover
