PC Review: Nanny Mania 2 - Nanny Goes To Hollywood

Far from the first game I've reviewed where I didn't bother playing the original game in the series first, Nanny Mania 2 is yet another one of these. I'd never heard of the original, but seeing this one available - especially anything with Hollywood in the title - grabbed my attention, and I had to download it and try it out.

Now, true to form with my usual theme of PC games, it is indeed yet another 'dash' type game. (Yes, I hear your resounding groans here.) I must admit, this game was pretty lackluster. I'm guessing that it ties in following the heels of the first game that you're playing a nanny, but, immediately upon her arrival in Hollywood, she gets snagged up by one of the world's hottest actresses. (Given the way that she's portrayed, she seems to be a split between Nicole Richie and Angelina Jolie.) You're hired to keep house for her and take care of her children. Little do you know she's just going to keep on having and adopting more and more children as the game progresses.

Let me tell you that these people are complete and utter SLOBS. They leave dozens of articles all over their house (in every level, mind you) that you have to wash, dry, and put away. They leave garbage all over the floor, all through the house, that you have to throw away. There's piles of dirt to vaccuum, puddles to mop up, knocked over furniture to straighten, beds to make, food to prepare, dishes to wash, and that's not even counting where the kids are concerned. The kids fight and destroy the house in their aftermath; the babies need their diapers changed, bottles fed to them, and to be comforted whenever they fall down; the kids jump on beds and have to be put on time outs, etc. Not to mention, there's a dog that barrels through the house and destroys things, has accidents, and knocks things over, plus a bird who always seems to be on the loose. The house is in complete and utter chaos, and it's your job to fix it.

Also thrown randomly into the mix are relatives that come and overstay their welcome, paparazzi who stalk outside the windows trying to get exclusive photos to sell to the tabloids, and other such ridiculousness that could only happen in Hollywood. You're also on a strict timer, but this isn't all that hard to keep up with once you learn how to chain your actions and abuse the coffee pot.

It only took me about a week of casual playing to win the whole game, and I never felt particularly challenged by it. I guess for a younger crowd, maybe this would be the case, but for a teenager or an adult, definitely not. I'm going to rate this game a 3 out of 5 stars.