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Manage a beach side resort in this game, Tropical Mania. No time to enjoy the island as the manger of this resort. Keep customers happy by ferrying personnel, drinks, and snacks to the cabins. Race against the clock to complete the level and earn stars.

Game play is controlled by the mouse. A white slider with two available slots is used to carry personnel, food, and snacks to the cabins. Click on the item to put it into a slot, then click on the cabin with the matching picture to take it there. Each level is timed and the speed is calculated into the rating stars, bronze, silver, and gold. Carrying two items at time will yield more money bonuses and unlock more buildings.

The background of the Tropical Mania is very generic. There is no ocean or tree movement. Change the background on this game and it would be the same. It could just as easily been set in a jungle or desert. The slider is a bit generic and would have been better if it had been designed as a golf cart. It does flow from area to area smoothly. The personnel, food and drinks are pictures on cards. Most of the design detail is in the buildings. No customers are visible as all service is made to the cabins.

The music adds nothing to the feel of being on a beach. Instead of Hawaiian guitars, or beach sounds all that is available is a repetitive piece of classical music. The only time the splashing waves were heard was when a cabin was placed in the water. Only the sounds of money being made broke up the monotony.

The card-like characters and lack of interaction with customers is a big drawback to this game. There are a finite of places to build new buildings. Instead of a choice of upgrades, the game decides what is coming up next. The levels look very similar with minor changes in background and building placement. There is no way to tell how long a particular cabin has been waiting for something. This makes it impossible to prioritize an order.

Tropical Mania is a family-oriented game. The picture matching system makes it easy for children to learn the game. The timer and inability to upgrade the slot slide is an added challenge when shooting for stars. Levels can be replayed to improve scores.

Overall, Tropical Mania is geared more toward the family then for hard-core gamers. The game is relatively easy to play. The biggest drawbacks were the lack of being at the beach feeling and the lounging characters usually found on a tropical beach. Tropical Mania is not for the experience gamer as the game play and levels are far too short. For a family with younger children, this game may be considered. It is not a game I would buy. I rate this game a 2 out of 5.

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