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
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