The classic and terribly addicting game Bejeweled by PopCap has made it's way onto the iPad. Bejeweled Blitz has been available on the iPad for quite some time, but the new Bejeweled HD offers 4 games modes: Classic, Butterflies, Diamond Mine, and Zen.
The general goal of all game modes of Bejeweled is the same: match gems that are the same color by swapping pairs of adjacent gems. There are two different ways to swap a pair. One is to tap one of the gems you wish to be included in the swap (it will be highlighted by a square around it) then tap the other gem you want to switch it with (they must be next to each other). The other option is to touch the first gem and drag it into the position of the other one.
The minimum number of gems of the same color that must be touching in order to qualify as a match is three. But if you create larger matches, you will get more points and gems with special powers.
In the Bejeweled Classic, the goal is to simply perform as many matches as you can. As you earn points, the bar at the bottom of the screen fills up and as time passes, the bar goes down. Your ultimate goal is to fill the bar before it drains.
In Butterflies mode, you start with one colored butterfly on the board. You can treat it just like a gem by matching it with same-colored gems. If the butterfly is included in a match, it gets set free. If it's not included, it moves up the board. Every move you make also introduces a new butterfly to the bottom of the board. If a butterfly reaches the top, it gets snatched up by a spider and the game is over.
In the Diamond Mine mode Bejeweled, the jewels are placed underground with a few layers of dirt at the bottom. Making matches along the bottom of the mine, will dig the dirt deeper. Each time all the column get below the line, you will be awarded 25 more seconds and the dirt will come up. You goal is to play as long as you can before the time runs out.
Zen mode is the "stress-free" mode of Bejeweled that doesn't have any pressure. There's no time limit, the bar at the bottom does not decrease, and there's no spiders taunting you at the top of the screen. Just sit back and relax and try to make the best matches you can.
As you may have notice, one of the most popular versions of this game, Bejeweled Blitz, is missing from Bejeweled HD. It is, in fact, represented on the main screen, but it's not actually included. Tapping on the Blitz icon will take you to the App Store to purchase Bejeweled Blitz separately (it's free).
The good
- Four games modes: Classic, Butterflies, Diamond Mine, Zen
- Fun
- Addicting
The bad
- Blitz mode is a separate app
The bottom line
I've always been a huge fan of Bejeweled and it's great to finally have more than Blitz on my iPad. My new favorite game mode is Diamond Mine. The Butterfly Mode is also very fun. Ok fine, I like all game modes of Bejeweled HD!
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