Zuma's Revenge

Developer: PopCap Games
Publisher: PopCap Games
Release Date: Sept. 15, 2009
Systems: PC (reviewed), Macintosh
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Shoot colored balls at other colored balls.

0:00 I'm a huge fan of Bookworm and Peggle, but I've never actually played the first Zuma. That said, I did play Zuma knockoff Luxor for about five seconds before getting bored, so my hopes for this one are not too high. Then again, it is PopCap...

0:01 Lightning flashes over the PopCap logo, and a sea roils in the background during the initial loading. A frog on a raft with boxer short sails floats by. When the loading is done, the sky clears and an island with huge tiki torches appears in the background.

0:03 "Strange frog, why do you intrude on us?" says a hooded black figure. "This island is no holiday resort! Five fierce chiefs guard our mysteries!" "Ribbit," replies the frog. First up, the "Jungle of Mystery."

0:05 So I control the frog in the center of the screen, rotating him with the mouse. A click makes him spit a colored ball at an advancing line of similar balls spiraling around the center. Match three of the same color and they blow up. Match enough and the "ZUMA!" bar fills up and the line stops getting new balls. The mouse-based controls couldn't be more intuitive, and the interface makes it really easy to aim shots accurately. The graphics and sound effects are the usual infectious PopCap fare ... light and airy. I finish the first level in 38 seconds ... the "Ace Time" is 30. "Who are you, tasty frog?" asks the lion waiting a few levels down.

***-->CONTINUE READING AT CRISPY GAMER<--***

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Peggle (iPhone)

Developer: PopCap
Publisher: PopCap
Release Date: May 12, 2009
System: iPhone/iPod Touch
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Now easier than ever to play on the toilet.

0:00 Having played through versions of Peggle on PC, Nintendo DS and Xbox Live already, I'm not expecting a lot of surprises in this one. Basically I just want to see how well the addictive peg-popping experience translates to the iPhone's touch-screen.

0:01 I turn my iPod sideways to orient the PopCap logo correctly. As the game loads, it tells me it's "Cranking Awesomeness, Summoning Zen," etc. Before I know it, we're ready to go. That was fast!

0:02 I enter my name on a Peggle Academy "Certificate of Admission" using the iPod's crappy on-screen keyboard, and Bjorn the Unicorn makes his familiar introduction: "Ten Peggle masters are ready to teach you how to get the most out of your Peggle experience, and since I'm the boss, I get to go first!" Well la dee freakin' da!

0:03 Yup ... looks a lot like the first level of Peggle, all right. If you don't know somehow, the object is to use a bouncing pinball to hit the few orange pegs amid a sea of blue pegs. Interesting ... there's a wheel along the right edge of the screen that I flick with my thumb to aim my ball cannon at the pegs. I can also aim more directly by tapping anywhere on the playfield. Makes me wonder why the wheel is there at all...

0:04 Hey, where's the background music? Everything seems oddly quiet without it. Do they want me to go into iTunes to make my own soundtrack or something?

0:05 So far, this reminds me of Peggle: Dual Shot a whole lot. The resolution is a little better than it was on the DS, but it still doesn't compare to a full-size computer monitor or TV screen. Everything's just a little grainy and the animation is just a little jumpy.

***-->CONTINUE READING AT CRISPY GAMER<--***

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Bejeweled Twist

Developer: Popcap
Publisher: Popcap
Release Date: Oct. 27, 2008
Systems: PC (reviewed), Mac
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site

In a nutshell: A new twist on a casual classic. You see what I did there? Eh? Eh?!

0:00 I've played the original Bejeweled and a few other match-three-type games before, but never for very long. Even the critically acclaimed Puzzle Quest left me feeling empty. For the most part, I'm just not good at sensing the patterns needed to succeed in these games.

0:01 Some quick loading and ethereal music plays over a sort of purple spiral black hole. I enter my username and receive a "Trainee" ranking automatically. The music has switched to astro-funk.

0:02 The "How to Play" videos show how I can twist squares of four gems clockwise to make lines of three or more of the same type. Four or more in a row creates explosive "flame gems," while five gets me a "lightning gem," each of which can explode to get rid of nasty, unkillable coal. Locked gems can't be twisted. Bombs have to be removed before they asplode. If I make a bunch of lines in a row, my score multiplier goes up.

0:04 Playable modes include the untimed Zen mode, the five-minute Blitz mode, the classic, er, Classic mode and the locked Challenge mode, which has "brain-busting puzzles." Let's start with Blitz, as five minutes is usually my tolerance for these kinds of games.

0:05 Before we start, a cut scene shows a brightly colored 3-D spaceship flying toward a massive space cube. This seems a little unnecessary for a match-three game. "GO!" says a guttural voice. And I do!

Read the full review at Crispy Gamer

Venice PC

Developer: Popcap Games, Retro64
Publisher: Popcap Games
Release Date: June 26, 2007
Systems: PC
ESRB Rating: N/A
Official Web Site

In a nutshell: Galaga for mentally challenged people.

0:01 A cupid-styled angel explains that I have to shoot items straight up into matching slots. Reminds me of fitting blocks through holes in preschool.
0:02 Welcome to Venice. "Strong hands made me, gilt me, set me on the sea." Heady stuff. There's a decent bit of loading for a casual game.
0:03 "Victory" over level one already. That was possibly the easiest thing I've ever done in a video game.
0:05 So you can get "tumble bonuses" for hitting spots higher on the level and cascading the pieces down to lower spots. But they don't always work. Sometimes I get them, sometimes not. Annoying.
0:07 There's no time limit, which is a good things because it lets you plan out shots, but a bad thing because it takes away the one thing that might have made this challenging/interesting. Also, having to wait for a rotating platform to line up = boring.
0:10 The wing power up is a little too powerful, I think. You can go right up next to your target and shoot. Too easy.
0:16 Things are getting a little tougher now, with required bank shots, but still nothing too taxing.
0:20 It can be hard to predict where your bounces are going to go, especially off oddly shaped pieces like keys and stars. I prefer Peggle's strict determinism.
0:27 I've entered a kind of fugue state, playing without really thinking. Usually this would be good, like getting "in the zone," but really I'm more just bored.
0:32 The latest power up just let's cupid place the pieces for me. I just give the shots to him and he does all the work. Way to take away even the little bit of skill I've been using up to this point.
0:38 The last stage finally showed a bit of difficulty with hard to reach ricochet shots, but I still managed OK.
0:43 The game at this point seems to alternate between levels that a blind infant monkey could finish and stages that require some extremely lucky ricochets.
0:47 What is with this funeral march music? I think it's trying to be soft and lilting but it comes off more like a dirge.
0:49 The levels are getting pretty inventive with the concept, but it's a pretty weak concept to start with. Simple timing and angle puzzles are the best they have to offer.
0:50 These text intros are getting weird. "The plates shift like lovers' hearts, circling each other, orbits of doubt and hope." Trying a bit hard, there, guys.
0:58 After 58 minutes without losing or really having to think, I call it quits.

Would I play this game for more than an hour? No
Why? The concept is too basic, no matter how much they try to tweak it to make it interesting.

This review based on a full downloadable version provided by Popcap.

Talismania

Developer: RocketJump Games and PopCap Games
Publisher: PopCap Games
Release Date: Aug. 10, 2006
Systems: PC
ESRB Rating: N/A
Official Web Site

In a nutshell: Talisman Mania

0:01 Story in a nutshell: King Midas has to make money to spend on others so Zeus will un-transform his golden daughter from gold. Makes perfect sense!
0:04 Game in a nutshell: Rotate pieces to match up pipes and makes a path. Super simple so far.
0:08 Things I like so far, the presence of a bonus countdown timer that isn't too pressing; an interface that's incredibly easy to pick up. Things I don't like: The over-prevalence of one type of block which makes it too easy to circle around the goal.
0:11 Mini-game time. I'm clicking arrows to build a statue to Artemis. It's ridiculously easy if you've ever used a mouse before. "Fun Fact: Artemis was one of the few Greek Gods to remain chaste and unmarried." Bah! Get that book learning out of my game!
0:15 Immovable rocks are getting in my way now. Longer paths get me nicer buildings. The lack of a strict time limit means I end up tinkering away at my paths forever. I always think there's something better possible.
0:18 The "Talismania" mode is nuts. Click on blocks as fast as possible to turn them to gold. Nice action touch in a puzzle game.
0:19 Mini-game #2 has me clicking flying hammers. Its only slightly harder than the first one. I hope the challenge picks up soon... this is a bit simple so far.
0:22 Five levels down and I've built a cottage for some poor farmers (with a cute little pig!) "Our new cottage is wonderful! And Shiny! It's WONDERFULLY SHINY!" Awww.
0:26 Most levels I end up just below the "gold" line. I take too long tinkering to get the good coins. I gotta focus on speed instead, it seems
0:27 Wow! I save up ten stars for Talismania and manage to clear the whole board in a barrage of clicking. Satisfying!
0:30 Bonus game three. This time I have to click hearts and not harpies. I'm perfect again. The hit range on these hearts is ridiculous. If I click anywhere near them I get it.
0:32 There's a steady stream of new stuff in most of the levels now. Minotaurs, multiple talismans. My favorite is "Pandora's blocks" just for the name. Hooray for variety!
0:35 Things are getting complicated now, with more blocks and more paths to keep track of, Minotaurs on the loose, freeze blocks, etc. etc. I'm liking it.
0:39 The strategy is already getting much more innate. Less thinking, more rotating. My scores are showing the improvement.
0:45 These medusas and minotaurs are getting annoying, constantly destroying blocks. I need to watch out for them more, it seems.
0:46 All right! I've unlocked timed hero mode. Now this should be a challenge.
0:49 The first level of hero mode is dispatched pretty quickly. I like being able to focus on quick connections rather than long, complex trails.
0:54 "Talismania" seems a little overpowered. Every time I use it I max out my score for the level quickly. And I use it pretty often. Is this a puzzle game or a twitch game?
1:00 No matter how long a level takes in timed mode, so far I seem to gain all the time back at the end, and then some. It's not that much harder than untimed mode, unfortunately.

Would I play this game for more than an hour? Probably
Why? While the game is diverting enough and there's a little room for improvement in my strategy, it just seems too simple overall.

This review based on a deluxe copy provided by Popcap.

Peggle

Developer: PopCap Games
Publisher: PopCap Games
Release Date: Feb. 27, 2007
System: PC
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Super-happy Pachinko.

0:01 Bubbly music and a smiling sunrise introduce the game. My teeth start to hurt from the saccharine sweetness of it all.
0:02 The "Peggle Institute" asks your name for a Certificate of Admission. Cute!
0:03 "Hit orange pegs to win. You have ten shots." I can't remember the last game I played with such basic instructions.
0:04 I hit five orange balls with my first shot and luck into a free ball when I land in a moving bucket at the bottom. Beginner's luck?
0:05 I get bonus points for a "long shot" ricochet that I hadn't planned. As far as I can tell, I have no control over the ball after the initial shot... it just bounces based on gravity and the angle of the pegs. It's mesmerizing to watch, but hard to plan, so far.
0:06 Upon hitting the last orange peg, the action gets super slow-mo, the camera zooms in, and fireworks effects trail the ball while Ode to Joy plays in the background. You'd think I crowned a new pope or something! Bonus points for completing the level on the first try is a nice touch.
0:09 I complete level two with one ball in reserve. I'm still finding it hard to plan ahead past the initial bounce. I keep ending up with random clusters of bricks separated by a whole screen by the end of the level.
0:11 A Super Guide bonus shows where the ball will go on the first bounce. Helpful, but not excessively so... I'm more concerned about here it goes after that, which I only have a vague idea about usually. I like the ability to fine tune shots with the mouse wheel, though.
0:13 I get bonus style points for an extreme slide. A unicorn pops up and says I have "Mad skillz!" LOLZ!
0:14 If you get enough points in a single shot, you get a bonus ball. Nice.
0:21 There's an inherent conflict between going for points and going for the orange pegs to finishing the level. I like it.
0:26 I fail for the first time on level four. On my last ball I had one orange peg left, but other pegs were in the way. Gotta plan ahead.
0:29 My best strategy so far seem to be aiming for a dense cluster of pegs and hoping for the best. It's worked all right so far.
0:30 I actually aim for a ricochet from an orange to a purple across the screen. And I get it! Feeling very skillful right now.
0:31 I get a drum roll and a zoom as I get near the last orange peg, then an "Awww" sound effect as I just miss. I love it!
0:32 Next up is Jimmy Lightning the squirrel. He introduces a multiball power-up. MULTIBALL! BLERRRRRRRN!.
0:33 My first shot on the squirrel levels gets a multiball gets an extra ball frenzy and another "Mad skillz." There's absolutely no skill on my part this time. I get style points and even though I have no idea how I got style.
0:36 Despite the simple concept, there's some fine control needed for this game. Being off just a little in your aim can totally throw off a ricochet.
0:37 I like that the game is smart enough to identify a lucky bounce, and that it's nice enough to give me points for it.
0:39 The ascending chimes as you hit more pegs are a nice touch. The presentation is really top notch.
0:40 In another insanely lucky shot I get a triple multiball and earn two extra balls. On the one hand, it's annoying having no idea how I caused these amazing shots. On the other hand, it's awesome to watch the insane chain reactions I've caused.
0:47 New stage, new bonus. Kat Tut Is going to give me pyramid power. "It's subtle, but it can really help you out." I like subtlety.
0:50 It's not as subtle as the anthropomorphic Egyptian cat indicated. In reality it just makes getting free balls really easy. Not that I'm complaining.
0:52 I think I've gotten over the fact that this game requires minimal skill and just accepted that the randomness is what makes it so endearing.
0:55 "I once though nothing could beat playing with a ball of yarn, but Peggle tops it." Dude, I'm already playing the game. I don't need an ad for the game inside the game.
1:00 I can do no wrong this game. I get extra ball after extra ball and finish with 100% completion badge. I feel like I accomplished something but really it was mostly luck.

Would I play this game for more than an hour? Definitely.
Why? It's a mesmerizing, if not very challenging. A great game to play with the TV on in the background.

This review based on a Deluxe version provided by PopCap.