After years of ‘Match 3’ games like Bejeweled and Puzzle Quest and even multi-dimensional ‘Match 3’ games like Puzzle Quest Galactrix, there was only one natural course to follow .. MATCH 4! Of course, since Match 3 games already offered extra bonuses for a 4th matched item, the folks at SPB needed to do something different. Here is the scenario: you make the connection between three sides of a rectangle! So how well does this game work in terms of keeping interesting going in a seemingly saturated matching-game field? Read on and see!
The Hype:
Based on SPB Quadronica game, SPB Quads is the new arcade game for Windows Mobile touchsceens with very addictive gameplay, attractive graphics, two different gaming scenarios, and online high scores support.
Main Features
– Two game modes for different gaming scenarios
– Addictive game play
– Attractive graphics
– Six different bonuses
– Online high scores
– Native support for 240×320, 240×400, 320×320, 480×640, 480×800 WM touchscreens
– Finger-friendly interface
The Reality:
I love puzzle games – from Bejeweled to Puzzle Quest to Luxor to Zuma to Tetris and more, I’m a sucker for a interesting ‘time waster’ with an interesting twist. That is exactly what Quads delivers – apparently based on SPB’s Quadronica game, Quads is all about matching three corners of a rectangle, which results in the entire area being destroyed and you gaining points.
The amount of points you gain is related to the area you eliminate, along with any special blocks that might have been contained. These special boxes can also be activated causing something specific to occur (e.g. explosion, etc) in their area, gaining you even more points. As you gain points you ‘level up’, which can result in gaining one of six bonuses.
There are two basic modes: Timed and Endless. As you might imagine, in Timed mode you are in a race against the clock, whereas in Endless mode you simply keep matching Quads until there are no more rectangles to be formed.
My main question is about the value: a few years ago I wouldn’t have blinked about spending $10 for this game. However, since the introduction of the iTunes App Store, $10 has suddenly become a lot of money for a simple puzzle game like this.
Fortunately there is a demo download available. It has some restrictions and works for 15 days. My advice is to try that, and if you are bristling against the restrictions, or are still playing after 15 days, then immediately buy this one! It is the sort of game you will always be happy to have on your device for a quick diversion!
Where to Buy: SPB Software
Price: $9.99
What I Like:
– Fun gameplay
– Nice graphics and effects
– Free trial download available
What Needs Improvement:
– Remains to be seen if people will still pay $10 for a simple puzzle game in an ‘App Store World’?