[Review] Zuma's Revenge™

[R e i]

PopCap’s new Zuma game, Zuma’s Revenge, further proves just how powerful an addicting game can be. Zuma is closing in on quite a milestone this year, actually. Unbeknownst to this writer, this fast-paced tile-matching puzzle series has been around for close to 10 years. With unique gameplay and creative power-ups, the it has good reason for lasting so long.A few new power-ups have also been added. The laser will instantly eviscerate any balls you aim it at. Another will load the frog's mouth with three cannon balls that will fire at once in a spread shot, bashing through anything in their way. You'll also find PopCap's usual lighthearted sense of humor here. Once you've hopped through the story mode you'll unlock a couple bonus modes with a higher difficulty level: Iron Frog Gauntlet and Heroic Frog. There are also fun challenge levels that require you to achieve a certain score before time runs out.Whatever deal PopCap made with the devil seems to be worth it, as the publisher/developer's string of fun casual games continues with Zuma's Revenge. The original was released back in 2003 and moved 17 million copies, but we're only now getting a sequel. You'll find the same core gameplay with flashier graphics, new power-ups, and a few new game modes. If there is a complaint to be made about Zuma's Revenge it's that the game is maybe too similar to the original. But more Zuma will likely be welcome to most gamers, this one included. If you are not one of the 17 million people who have played Zuma, this is a match-three game with a twist. You control a spinning frog who fires colored balls from his mouth at a long line of marbles slowly snaking towards a pit of despair. If the chain reaches the pit, it's game over. So our hero, the frog, must spit balls at the snake, creating matches of at least three same-colored balls and eventually clearing the board. Making a match will leave a gap in the chain, which creates an opportunity for combos. Same-colored balls are attracted to one another, and if a gap leaves, say, a yellow ball on either end they will snap together and potentially create another match. Zuma's Revenge could be called Zuma Comes Back for Seconds, as it plays just like the original but adds loads of new levels. There are a few new features, but they don't change the game significantly. My favorite new addition are boss battles at the end of every area of the island (oh yeah – Zuma's Revenge takes place on an island). These challenges break up the action and put the frog at the bottom of the screen where he must fire balls at the devil on top. The usual lines of balls get in your way, though, creating a Space Invadersish test of skill

The objective of the game is fairly simple: clear the board of all the colored balls making their way to the game-over skull. Each level contains a unique and creative map, which the different colored balls make their way through. It is up to the player (in the form of a frog) to launch and create chains of same colored balls, effectively clearing the level when all the balls have disappeared. There are also boss battles and challenge maps in the game. The boss battles are a huge highlight, at least for me. I appreciated how each boss had a unique set of attacks and effects, which forced me to create a new strategy for each encounter. The gameplay is smooth, easy to pick up on, and never frustrating. Using a stylus (or a finger), players flick the balls across the screen. Players can also move their frog avatar to different positions on some maps via the touch screen.If you are not one of the 17 million people who have played Zuma, this is a match-three game with a twist. You control a spinning frog who fires colored balls from his mouth at a long line of marbles slowly snaking towards a pit of despair. If the chain reaches the pit, it's game over. So our hero, the frog, must spit balls at the snake, creating matches of at least three same-colored balls and eventually clearing the board. Making a match will leave a gap in the chain, which creates an opportunity for combos. Same-colored balls are attracted to one another, and if a gap leaves, say, a yellow ball on either end they will snap together and potentially create another match. Zuma's Revenge could be called Zuma Comes Back for Seconds, as it plays just like the original but adds loads of new levels. There are a few new features, but they don't change the game significantly. My favorite new additions are boss battles at the end of every area of the island (oh yeah – Zuma's Revenge takes place on an island). These challenges break up the action and put the frog at the bottom of the screen where he must fire balls at the devil on top. The usual lines of balls get in your way, though, creating a Space Invaders-ish test of skill.

Zuma’s visuals and sounds are nothing phenomenal, but they don’t necessarily need to be, and with no story or foreseeable goal aside from completing each level, the game’s basic nature works well. I found myself coming back time and time again, just trying to get a better score after completing the game. Zuma’s Revenge is an exceptional pick-up-and-play game. Fun to play when and wherever, this kind of game is best experienced on a portable game system, and now it is.Did you enjoy Zuma? Of course you did, and you'll enjoy Zuma's Revenge; just don't expect a reinvention of the wheel. And if you haven't played Zuma: welcome to our planet. Can I interest you in a fun match-three game?New to the XBLA version are Spirit Animal companions that act as a level-up system. As you play you power up your companions for boosts like shot speed and point bonuses. RPG elements like these are always welcome. Zuma's Revenge also makes good use of Xbox Live with leaderboards and a 'friend score to beat' feature that should drive friendly competition. Once you've hopped through the story mode you'll unlock a couple bonus modes with a higher difficulty level: Iron Frog (for hardcore Zuma players) and Boss Rush. There are also fun challenge levels that require you to achieve a certain score before time runs out. Verdict.