 Finally, PocketPC users can purchase a fully enabled VGA game. I understand that others are available, but considering the popularity of Bejeweled 1, this should be a great success. Even though I have never played Bejeweled 1, I can say that Bejeweled 2 is a joy to play. The graphics are very clear and everything looks so smooth and wonderful.
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The opening screen has a button that you must tap to continue and you will then be taken to the main menu, which is a bit strange, but not a big deal. It seems like going directly to the main menu would be more effective. At the main menu, four play modes are available, consisting of the following:
Classic Play a standard game and try to get as many points as possible
Action Timed game mode
Puzzle Clear the board in as few tries as possible with as few pieces left over
Endless A continuing game that simply counts the number of boards you have completed
Each mode has different characteristics that make them unique and fun to play. The amazing graphics make the game very fun to play and addicting. Add the fact that the game is also fun means that most people will get very addicted to the game very quickly. Even though most aspects of the game are very nice, I am disappointed to see how some portions of the game render slowly. These include the first screen before a game is played, which shows a low frame rate when it is displayed. Interestingly enough, the actual game looks amazing and there is very little of this slow frame rate in the actual game, except when the level is beaten and the entire screen changes because of a circle in the center that gets larger to cover the entire screen. This process also shows a slow down in rendering speed. Other than this, the VGA graphics are rendered very nicely.
The price of the game seems to be slightly higher than I'd like to see it, but this is a controversial issue anyway. However, I understand that games take a long time to develop and you can be assured that you will be getting an excellent game for that money. Since most games are around the price of this game, $19.95, it is hard to complain about this specific game.
Bejeweled 2 adds some great items that are not present in the original Bejeweled game. Power gems, hyper cubes, and time bombs are all added to make game play more addicting and interesting. Astraware also did an excellent job of making the images in the game look very realistic and "good enough to eat." Games like this are fun simply because of the very well designed graphics.
Full instructions are also included that can be displayed before each game. They are very easy to understand and include pictures for every step. Games are automatically saved upon exit and can easily be restarted when the game is opened again. Jewels will twinkle occasionally for added guidance and appearance.
Overall, I am impressed with the quality of the game, aside from the occasional slow downs. This may, however, be caused by the device, which is the HP iPAQ HX4700. Please feel free to post if anyone notices slowdowns on other VGA enabled devices.More information |
