Every now and then a video game becomes a phenomenon. If you haven't been living under a rock, you may know of a little game called Bejeweled which earned that distinction a few years back. It wasn't just a game for geeks. People from all walks of life became obsessed with it: managers, bankers, lawyers, CEOs. It appeared on PCs and PalmPilots and PocketPCs in every corner of the world. Even today, people in the next room can hear a few chords of its catchy music or sound effects and know immediately what game is being played.
Now PopCap Games offers Bejeweled 2. Is it a worthy successor? Does it take Bejeweled to the next level? Read on, my friends.
Bejeweled
Bejeweled really is a simple game. There's an 8x8 matrix of colorful gems. Creating horizontal or vertical lines of 3 or more gems of the same color and shape causes them to disappear and the gems above them to fall to fill in their place. With luck (or strategy) this can cause more combinations to form and the points really start to rack up.
Two game modes offer different challenges. In "Normal" mode, the game is over when there are no more possible moves in the matrix. As moves are made and gems are cleared, a little bar fills up on the bottom of the game screen. When this bar fills up, the remaining gems swirl away and a new, fresh matrix appears. This mode is deceptively challenging. Speed is not the key here, in fact, speed will serve only to end the game quickly. Because this game ends when there are no more moves in the matrix, the key to a high score is patience, a keen eye and strategy.
The "Time Trial" game mode serves up somewhat more frantic gameplay. The gameplay is essentially the same, but running out of moves in the matrix in this mode simply causes the matrix to be replaced with a fresh one. Instead, the little bar at the bottom drains steadily over time and when it runs out entirely, the game is over. Clearing gems refills the bar slightly and, just as in "Normal" mode, filling the bar entirely will clear the screen and offer a fresh matrix. However, filling the bar will also advance the game to higher levels, where the bar drains ever faster. The strategy in this mode is to score combos, but to do so at an even pace. Letting the bar drain ends the game. Filling it up makes the game more difficult.
That's it, really. It's a simple, yet remarkably addictive game.
Bejeweled 2
In addition to a nice graphics and sound upgrade, the sequel introduces a few new gimmicks while attempting to keep the core of the gameplay intact. The biggest change to the gameplay itself is the addition of Power Gems and Hyper Cubes. These additions radically alter the strategy of the game, though.
Power Gems are formed when a row of 4 gems of the same shape and color are cleared. These look just like regular gems except for a little extra sparkle. When Power Gems are used to create a combo, they explode, destroying up to 8 gems around them. This can be a real pain. A well planned out maneuver can be ruined by an unexpected explosion.
Hyper Cubes are the Power Gem's big brother. Match 5 gems in a row and this bad boy appears. The Hyper Gem does not match any of the regular gems in the matrix. Instead, it can be swapped with any other gem. Doing so unleashes the Hyper Cube's power, sending arcs of electricity across the matrix destroying all of the gems of the same color and shape as the one the Hyper Cube swapped with in the first place. This is more of a "mix things up and see what happens" tactic than an actual strategy as the long term effects of the hypercube are practically unpredictable. On the other hand, a single Hyper Cube quite often generates enough points to advance to the next level, so it isn't entirely without strategic value.
Bejeweled 2 continues to offer the two game modes as the original, though the old "Normal" mode is now called "Classic" and the "Time Trial" mode is now "Action". Additionally, two new game modes are available, "Puzzle" and "Endless"
The "Puzzle" game mode presents a series of...well...puzzles. Instead of a whole 8x8 matrix of gems that are constantly replaced, the puzzles are smaller arrangements of gems. The point of each puzzle is to destroy every gem on the matrix. New in this game mode are stones, which can be moved around like gems but can only be destroyed by Power Gems or Hyper Cubes.
The puzzles are arranged in groups of 5. Each group is associated with a different 'planet', which is essentially a different pretty background image. Completing 4 of the 5 puzzles on a planet unlocks the next planet in the sequence and the difficulty of the puzzles grows significantly. Completing all of the puzzles even unlocks an advanced puzzle mode called "Cognito" which poses an even greater set of challenges.
The "Endless" game mode is for the ultimate casual gamer. It plays just like "Classic", but the game never ends. There is no timer. There is no losing. Perfect for anyone who just wants to sit back and veg while staring at sparkling gems, setting off cool explosions and trying to create those coveted Hyper Cubes. Absolute no-pressure gameplay. Now there truly is something for everyone.
Bejeweled 2 is just as addictive as its predecessor. In fact, the addition of the "Puzzle" and "Endless" modes just might make it more so. I like the Power Gem and Hyper Cube additions, but their effect on strategic gameplay might serve to drive away Bejeweled purists. I can only suggest that you grab the demo of each and decide for yourself which is better. To PopCap Games, I suggest adding a way to turn off these two features in the game options. It would be a shame for classic Bejeweled fans to miss out on the sequels otherwise welcome new features.
I'm a thirty-something computer programmer. I live in Delaware, but I grew up in Arkansas in a tiny town of 2500. We didn't have video arcades. Heck, it was nearly an hour's drive to anything as sophisticated as a Wal*Mart. Needless to say, my exposure to video games as a child was somewhat limited.
In the mid 80's, I cut my teeth on a used Atari 2600 bought at a flea market and a handful of games like Space Invaders and Pac Man. I was hooked in a blink. In the decades since, I've become a big fan of many genres of games. From first-person shooters to role-playing to strategy and everything in between. The only games that categorically don't interest me are sports games.
The easiest way for a game to win me over is to have a gripping story. I'll forgive a lot in a game that grabs me and keeps me interested. The inverse is true, too. If a game does not have a killer story, its gameplay had better be pretty darn compelling to make up for it. That doesn't happen very often
