the second in rokaplay's resort series, a follow-up to [b]5-star rio resort[/b], and since they're mostly the same, I used [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/dohi64/recommended/636050]my review of rio[/url] as a base, only changing stuff that's different this time. like this one showing up simply as 'hawaii resort' in the library instead of its full name.
after acing resort management in rio, your rich dad tasks you with repeating it in hawaii, still gaining income by playing one match-3 level after another, though once the last building is bought, there's no more 'story'.
just like in the first game, there's [b]no timer[/b], but there are [b]3 difficulty levels[/b] this time: [u]normal[/u], [u]casual[/u] with more available turns, and [u]relaxed[/u] without a turn limit. it can be set on every level, and while I don't play match-3 on anything but untimed/no turns, the the first game wasn't so bad with a turn limit, so I went with casual this time.
if you play a level on relaxed, you can only get 1 star, but the rating system doesn't matter, it's only +150 coins for each star, based on how many moves you have left by the time you're done. this is a slight improvement, as the first game only gave 50 coins per star.
money is only used for erecting buildings, and this time they're 100% cosmetic, not necessary to unlock power-ups. once you build the first batch of five, the next five become available, and so on. I had all of them built by the time I finished level 80-something, so there's no need to replay levels dozens of times for money.
because of the resort management theme you're not simply matching various tropical items, but also serving guests, so your goal on top of removing various tiles from the levels is to do it by matching stuff the guests yearn for. some levels have so-called impatient guests, but it doesn't mean their needs are timed, instead you need to match 4 of the same thing to satisfy them.
if there are only regular guests around, you'll still want to go for matching more than 3 this time, because [b]4 of anything creates a bomb[/b] now, not just orange juice, [b]5 of the same creates a rocket[/b], homing in on tiles, and [b]6 creates lightning[/b], destroying everything in four directions. no need to charge power-ups by taking them to the bottom of the level anymore, nor to farm them on one level to make shorter work of some trickier ones later. I consider this a welcome change, I hate the get-to-the-bottom mechanic, and this also means more tactical gameplay (and more frustration when you can't create bigger matches).
speaking of non-favorite mechanics, there's water and hot chocolate on some levels that slowly spread around, creating more removable tiles, and yes, they're just as annoying as in other match-3 games. there are also crates with braces in this one, meaning they can only be destroyed from certain sides. and there's more.
instead of some bonus solitaire outside the [b]96 levels[/b], this time every 10th level or so (10 of 96 altogether) is a [b]fast-clicking guest-serving minigame[/b]. food on the left, guests coming from the right with their needs, and you have to complete their order one at a time, click on the guest, and - get this - click on the money they drop as it bounces around, before it disappears, otherwise you don't get paid. hated it, but there's enough money from match-3 levels, so coins can be ignored, plus these are skippable anyway. no stars in that case, but the next level still unlocks.
[b]the graphics and music are recycled from the first game[/b] for the most part, the former is still fine, the latter is still irritating, but the sound effects are okay and there are separate volume sliders, full screen and windowed mode, plus a jumping coins toggle. trust me, turn it off.
I didn't like how the resort area moved along with the cursor, can be really nauseating, and just like in rio, I ran into a bug a couple times where the level wouldn't finish after doing all that was necessary, but alt+tabbing or pausing the game and continuing fixed the issue. and there's still no 'next level' button on the level complete screen, have to go back to the map first.
another change from rio is the addition of [b]achievements[/b], both as worthless steam pop-ups and an extra source of income, as each gives you a few hundred extra gold, not that it's really necessary.
mainly due to how power-ups work, [b]I enjoyed this more than rio resort[/b], and found fewer frustrating levels. #69 was definitely one, and #94 had the same gimmick: create a bunch of rockets or you're not getting anywhere. #72 bugged out several times, the second prism that would've destroyed the rest of that row didn't always trigger, had to retry it several times, and after an hour I gave up on 3-starring level 96.
other than these issues, it's an easy recommendation for fans of the genre, but I think it's a bit expensive, so grab it on sale.
