I just downloaded PopCap game‘s newest – Bejeweled Twist. The first couple versions of Bejeweled games grabbed me right away. This one? Meh.
But then, I decided to start paying attention to what the game was offering. The concept is simple – spin a set of four jewels, try to get three in a row. It lacks the immediacy of the original, but it gives some new twists that add depth and strategy. Here’s a video someone else made showing a bit of gameplay.
Read more of what I saw in the game below the hump.
Unlike the first 2 versions, you don’t have to make a match-3 on every move. This lets you twist things in such a way as to set up a 4-in-a-row twist. If you do this, you can an exploding jewel. Much like the original, these blow up when matching in a 3- or 4-in-a-row.
On top of the regular play, you build up your multiplier by making consecutive matches. That is, each move has to make a match, or you reset your multiplier. Get 3-in-a-row 3 times, and all subsequent are worth double points. Get 5 more matches in a row, and your points are tripled. I didn’t get further than a 3X multiplier, but I imagine it will keep going higher.
You can also get bonus points by clearing sets of jewels in a particular order of colors. For example, clear a set of white, then red, then purple, then another set of white. This gets you a big points, and clears any penalty jewels (covered below) – at least, it cleared the penalty jewels I’d seen.
Now, on top of the bonuses, you get penalty jewels, too. These drop in occasionally, and come with a number on their face. Every move you make decrements the number. If it reaches zero, bad things happen. I confess to not knowing what bad things, as I never let one run out.
I haven’t purchased the game yet, but I intend to. Once I get a little further, I’ll pop up some more images and throw in some more play details, if there is any interest. Honestly, this is clearly a deal for $20. Admittedly, it’s no Peggle, but it’s a fantastic, quick-play casual game to have around.
[tags]Bejeweled,Bejeweled Twist, PopCap, Casual Game, Casual Gaming, Peggle[/tags]