WHAT'S HOT
Bejeweled is essentially
a puzzle game. Players must match the colored
jewels in lines of three horizontally or vertically to
clear them from the board. Bejeweled 2 adds a
number of special pieces: Lines of four jewels
are awarded with a Power Gem which explodes when it's
combined with two other pieces. Lines of five
merit the Hyper Cube, which will destroy all pieces
the match the piece you put it on wherever they are on
the board. There are also inert "rocks" and
"time bombs." The combination of puzzling out
the correct configurations of pieces to clear the
board and the arcade like graphics make Bejeweled 2
hard to put away.
To make matters better, the game loads quickly and plays very
responsively. It also allows multiple players to
keep their own progress through the levels and, of
course, has a high score list for bragging rights.
PROGRAM FEATURES
Bejeweled 2 starts with the main menu screen:
(click on any of the images for a full-sized VGA-resolution image)
The (X) in the upper right hand corner leaves the
program. This actually shuts down the program,
freeing up program memory. However, Bejeweled
automatically saves the game in progress so you'll not
lose anything.
Next, in the top center, is the current players
name. Tapping the name will allow you to change
to or create new users, each with his or her own
progress tracking:
At the bottom of the screen are (Options) and (High Scores) buttons. As you'd guess, the High Scores button calls up the "Brag Sheet:"
"High
Scores" shows a list of the current high scores
(Export) allows you to create a record of your success to have included in Astraware's online high scores record. (Reset) sets the scores back to the built-in high scores. (Menu) returns to the main menu. (Statistics) calls up a screen showing the current level of expertise (or lack thereof) of the current player:
(More) lists additional high scores.
Back on the main screen, (Options) calls up a menu of items you can change:
(Sound) allows you to separately set the volume of
Sound Effects and background Music. Graphics
allows you to turn on or off the "Shimmer Wave" effect
that periodically occurs on the playing grid.
You can also select between a screen Split effect or a
Tunnel effect when you switch levels. The
Shimmer Wave and Tunnel effect are more graphically
intensive and may be slow on systems with slower clock
speeds. Giving you control over this is a sign
of Astraware's customer focus: They want you to
have a responsive game play on any compatible system.
(Game) options allow you to turn off or on hints for next
moves, the Hint Sparkle effect, the Clock display, and
the Battery level display. (Register) allows you
to enter your Registration code. One of the kind
features of the Registration screen is that it turns
back on the Title bar with the Start Menu on it.
This allows you to call up the e-mail that gives your
registration code or the encrypted storage program
where you're be keeping it. (About) displays the
current version information including options for
displaying credits for the PopCap and Astraware teams.
There is also an option to show information on how to
contact Astraware's customer support. (Exit)
will leave the Bejeweled 2 program. (Back)
returns to the main menu screen.
On the main menu screen, you'll also see that Bejeweled 2 has the Classic mode of Bejeweled. To that it adds the Action, Puzzle, and Endless levels:
Beginning with the Classic mode, when you start play, Bejeweled 2 will begin with a built-in tutorial. (You can turn this feature off.)
Bejeweled 2's built-in
tutorials help explain the game-play in each of the
four playing modes
Once you've stepped through the tutorial, the playing screen slides into place.
In addition to the jewels, you also have a (?) Help button that will display a "hint" on a possible next move. A hint is also displayed if you wait a while between choosing pieces. You can turn that feature off if you wish.
Bejeweled 2 is
suggesting I move the white crystal near the bottom
right
At the top left, is the menu slider. It pops out the menu that allows you to return to the Main Menu, re-display this level's tutorial (Help), or change program Options. There are also buttons to return to the game play, slide the menu back, and mute or restore sound.
As you begin to eliminate pieces, you may set up a row of four matching pieces. In that case, you get a Power Gem:
When you connect the Power Gem into a row of three matching pieces, it explodes, taking any of the pieces next to it with it:
If you connect five matching pieces in a row, you get a Hyper Cube:
The Hyper Cube looks
more like a Hyper Sphere to me
The Hyper Cube will destroy any pieces that match the piece you drop it on, wherever they are on the playing field:
The Hyper Cube I placed
on a white gem is destroying all the white gems on the
board
As you complete a level, you'll "warp" to the next level of play:
If you do decide to quit in the middle of a game, Bejeweled 2 automatically saves the current game. When you return, you'll be asked if you want to start over on that game or begin where you left off:
The "Action" play mode is very much like the Classical mode. The exception is that the power meter at the bottom of the playing field drops during play. You replenish your energy by taking out gems. If the power level falls to zero, you lose the level:
In the Puzzle play mode, each level of play is made up of a particular puzzle. Your job is to figure out how to eliminate the gems in such a way that there are none left at the end of the level.
The Puzzle mode -- form
sets that eliminate all the gems and rocks on the
board
The Puzzle level has an additional slide-out menu that shows the "map:"
The Puzzle Level map --
two puzzles in this level completed; three to go
Each level is made up of five puzzles around a central hub. You solve them in turn to power up the warp to the next level. There is also a "Galaxy Map" that allows you to select the "hub" level:
The Galaxy Map --
complete the hub levels to return to Earth
The final play mode is the "Endless" mode. It uses the same configuration as the Classic and Action levels, but adds an additional slide-out that shows your level of expertise:
The Endless play mode --
each completed level gains you an inset gem
HELP SUPPORT
Bejeweled 2 doesn't have a
traditional help file. Instead, it has built-in
tutorials for each play mode. These are quite
simple, but affective. The program also has the
option to turn the tutorials off after you know what
you're doing.
If you need assistance with the program, you can also contact Astraware
directly via e-mail for program support or feature
requests or visit
their online
help page.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Bejeweled 2 runs on any
Pocket PC 2002 or Windows Mobile 2003 (First or Second
Edition) Pocket PC. The program takes 3.5MB
of storage memory and a whopping 10.13MB of program memory to run.
BUGS AND WISHES
I experience no errors, bugs, or issues either in
installing or running Bejeweled 2. The only
issue I have with the program is that it takes 10.13MB
to run. That's a lot of RAM. There is an
ameliorating factor, however: Since the program
automatically saves your game and truly exits,
restoring the RAM it uses, it's not taking up memory
when it's not being used. Still, it makes me
wonder if there's a way to split the game into
sections that only load as needed.
The game is nearly perfect in its simplicity. I'd hate
to mess that up with adding a lot of additional
features. One idea I did think of was to extend
the concept of Power Gems and Hyper Cubes a bit
further. Some possibilities include an item that
would destroy every gem on its row and column or
another that would do the same for diagonals. You'd get these if you made a set of Power Gems.
PURCHASING
Bejeweled 2 is available for purchase
from the Astraware web site for $19.95. There is also
a level-limited trial version.
PROS
- Versions for QVGA and VGA resolution screens
- Excellently rendered graphics
- Multiple levels for varied game play
- Separate progress and statistics for multiple players
- Automatically saved game
- Pause and Quit controls
CONS
- Extensive memory use
OVERALL
IMPRESSION
There's a reason why
Bejeweled and Bejeweled 2 are as popular as they are:
They combine problem solving with graphic action and
add eye-pleasing graphics and an ear-pleasing
sound-track. With Bejeweled 2, you can play the
game in the fast-paced Action mode, the relaxing
Endless mode, or the challenging Puzzle mode. So
whether you're the "think fast" or "think hard" type,
this game has a suitable playing mode.
My only issue with the game is that it does take up a lot of
RAM while running but, even so, it gives it all back
to you when it's not being played.
If you're looking for a complex story-line or nerve-wrenching
reflex action, look somewhere else. If you want
a game that combines logic and action in a fun way,
download the trial version right away. I'd
venture to say that you'll find it as difficult as I
did to put it down and you'll be buying the full
version in short order.
All screenshots in this review are taken using SOTI's Pocket Controller Pro
