A Review Of Three New Games
(Bejeweled, Zuma and Shape Shifter)
from Astraware

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Bejeweled 2

I didn’t think it could get much better than the original Bejeweled. However, Astraware has come up with another winner! This isn’t an update to the original game, but a completely new and improved version. The gems have returned and have more features than before.

The game play is the same. Match three in a row for them to disappear. Matching four will create a power gem, five will create a hyper cube. Power gems will blow up and destroy a few surrounding gems. A hyper cube can be matched with any gem and it will destroy every gem of that type on the screen with a lightning bolt. It’s quite impressive!

Bejeweled 2 has four game variations built in. The first being the classic game. You also have a timed game, puzzle game and a never ending game. The never ending game is for those who hated getting the ‘No More Moves” message. You can literally play forever! The puzzle game is awesome! The object is to figure out which order to match the gems in order to remove them all. It’s not easy, so they offer help right on the screen. Just click the little question mark and you’ll be given the next move. It’s addicting and very challenging.

Bejeweled 2 sells for $19.95 and is available for Pocket PC (2002 or greater), Palm and Windows PC. The graphics are very sharp. If you loved the original, you’ll absolutely adore this version! The Pocket PC version requires 3.5 MB of RAM for storage. Try it or buy it here!

Zuma

The balls are on the move and it’s your job to blow them up! Colorful balls follow the path until the reach the end. The object is to use the frog to throw the same colored ball in to the line. By matching the colors, the balls will be destroyed. There are bonus balls with different symbols imprinted. By destroying those balls, you can earn extra points, reverse the movement for a while, slow down or even explode!

Each level must be unlocked to play the next. A total of 13 stages with up to 7 levels each! It’s very addicting and fun to play. Be quick… those balls are rolling towards the center and will quickly disappear into the hole. After each level, you can see hints on how to earn extra points. Every so often, a coin will appear in a corner of the screen. By hitting a coin, you’ll earn even more points!

Zuma sells for $19.95 and is compatible with VGA devices. It’s available for the Pocket PC, Palm and Windows PC. The game requires 2.1 MB of RAM for storage on your Pocket PC. Zuma requires Pocket PC 2002 or greater to play. Try it or buy it here!

Shape Shifter
From Astraware & Gamehouse

When I first loaded up Shape Shifter, I thought it looked too simple. I’ll admit, I was very wrong. It’s more challenging than shoving two hundred monkeys into a barrel! It just looks deceptively easy.

Shape Shifter offers two games in one and up to 99 levels, not including bonus levels. Beat the Clock is the basic game where you must complete the level in a set number of seconds. By matching shapes with little sparkles, you can earn extra time, wildcard pieces and extra points. The shapes start out looking very different. As the levels progress, it gets tougher to find that match. If you don’t see a match, quickly click on the disposal icon to the left and keep going. Time waits for no one!

After you have cleared a few levels, you’ll be allowed to try your hand at a bonus level. You must quickly match ALL of the shapes before it scrolls off the screen. You can either click or drag the shapes. I found it easier and quicker to just click. Think of it as a carnival shooting gallery. Shape Shifter is one of those games you can play for a few minutes and start up again later. It’s a great way to pass the minutes while waiting. It’s just as addictive as the other two games offered by Astraware. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Shape Shifter is available for the Pocket PC (2002 and later) and Palm devices. The game requires less than 1MB of RAM on your device for storage. Shape Shifter also sells for $19.95. Try it or buy it here!

Something I really love about Astraware is that they offer both the Windows ActiveSync installer versions as well as the CAB versions of their games on their site. You can download the games directly to your device for quick installations.

Special thanks for Alison from Astraware for allowing us to review full versions of all three games.
The games were tested using a Verizon XV6600 Pocket PC Phone Edition.

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