SynthpopAddict's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:2,361
- Reviews Submitted:69
- First Review:November 20, 2011
- Most Recent Review:April 23, 2019
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Totally re-imagined with dazzling new HD graphics and spectacular effects, the highly-anticipated sequel is finally here!
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
Great upgrade of the original but too bad they didn't adjust the difficulty
PostedMarch 9, 2015
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Pros: Fantastic graphics, multiple difficulty levels/game modes
Cons: If you can finish the PC version of this game LEGITIMATELY on anything besides Easy, you have my eternal respect!
I played the original version of this game several years ago, and was glad to see a re-release that runs on newer OS. The attention to detail in the graphics is amazing and many times I had to make myself focus on actually playing the game, because the backgrounds and even the marbles are that compelling to look at. Thanks also to the devs for making the Scarabic Dawn board much less distracting to look at in this version!
The explosions and other sound effects/background music are set rather loud in the default, and I found them a bit too flashy in spots, so had to turn down the volume.
The game is otherwise the same as the original version of Luxor 2, which is regretful. I say this because the easy difficulty is completeable by experienced players, but on anything else, the learning curve ramps to virtually unplayable difficulty. I tried "normal", and went into level 10 with 30+ lives...and lost them all by the middle of level 12 [there are 14 levels total]! Come on devs, giving us a challenge is OK, but having 8-9 different marble colors arranged in almost nothing but singletons and rolling pretty much all the way to the end of the track in under 10 seconds when the level starts is a bit too much. Also, the boards start to take as long as 10 minutes apiece to play by the time you get to level 9 or 10, assuming you *don't* need to replay one. So don't be fooled by how baby easy the game starts out as it sure doesn't stay that way, at least in the PC version!
Pity that the difficulty wasn't adjusted to make it more accessible to players who want to go through everything the game has to offer, as this is such a beautiful remake. I'm not panning it entirely, but can't recommend it either.
Take a trip through a magical, snowy winterland in this frosty match-3 adventure.
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
A marathon, not a sprint
PostedJanuary 24, 2015
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
[review based upon completed timed and limited moves modes]
Pros: timed/untimed options, able to make moves constantly, lots of powerups, ability to customize many game options
Cons: overwhelming amount of things to do, demanding graphics, very aggressively timed in timed mode
This is a remake/upgrade of Jewel Match Winter Wonderland with some new ornaments added and a LOT more things to do. The game backgrounds have also been improved and there is a scene building element added. If it was featured in a swap M3 game before, it's probably included here, so even if you're experienced with this genre it'll likely take you a while to figure everything out. No storyline, minigames, or HOG scenes, this is all M3. Some of the powerups work differently than in previous Jewel Match games.
There are 3 modes to play the 100 levels in [timed, relaxed, and relaxed limited moves] and once you set your profile to one game mode, it's locked into that one forever so you have to create a new player to experiment with the different playing styles. The boards start out pretty small, but after about 20 levels they are the size of 5-6 regular M3 boards, which means that even though you can make moves constantly, this is not a fast playing M3. There's also so much you need to achieve to complete each level that it's easy to miss something. The timed mode is really aggressive as the timer averages 9-11 minutes for most of the game, so you will need to use your powerups regularly and shouldn't be surprised if you have to buy time. Limited moves mode is still challenging as there are enough moves given to where you need to plan your strategy carefully, but not so frustrating that you would need to buy moves constantly.
The graphics are extremely detailed and require very high screen resolution for the game to work properly in the default settings, so would recommend demoing the game first to make sure it will run on your computer [many game options including the graphics can be tweaked]. IMO the game boards are little garish and flat at the same time, even with the HD graphics. I also thought the soundtrack monotonous especially on the later levels which took as long as 15 minutes for me to complete and ended up turning the music off. If you don't mind taking your time playing your M3s, this is one you'll play over and over.
I recommend this game!
Use the power of your mind to place scales on the board and form clever combinations. Experience this unique twist on the match-3 genre!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
4.5 stars: Beautiful strategy game, a little short.
PostedNovember 29, 2014
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
[review based on completed game]
Pros: unique concept, most levels untimed, beautiful graphics/music, lots of powerups
Cons: difficulty is all over the place, game length, can't skip tutorials
This is a game that's easy to pick up, yet will still mentally challenge you. Only 9 of the 56 levels are timed, so for the most part it's not a click as fast as you can game. Even on the timed levels, the timer is pretty generous on most of them. The amount of powerups available looks like overkill because I only used three of them, and not all that often. Players can replay boards previously completed to earn more coins to buy additional powerups for later boards.
The HD graphics are beautiful and so is the soundtrack, which is very peaceful. The dark master character who does the game tutorials is very helpful, but unfortunately you can't skip the tutorials if you decide to replay boards or if you're starting a new game. I also noticed that the level difficulty fluctuates over all over the place even within one dragon chamber. Some boards were very easy, then there would be one that would be a real stumper, followed by easy/medium ones again. Whatever you do, don't click reset board on a timed level as that will cause that board to be an exercise in frustration [not sure if this is a glitch in the code?]
I found that once I got the hang of playing, it wasn't that hard to complete the game, so I'm glad I bought it during a sale as the game length was a bit short at 4-5 hours. If you like strategy games that will challenge you yet not extremely hair-pulling hard, you'll enjoy this one.
I recommend this game!
Get ready for the fur to fly in this wild and crazy matching game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
38 of 39 found this review helpful
Don't laugh too much...
PostedSeptember 25, 2014
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Pros: M3/puzzle fusion, most levels are untimed [see details below], cute graphics/music/sound effects, humorous game
Cons: If you want a game to relax to - RUN!!!
[review based on completed game]
At first glance, Claws and Feathers looks like a kid's game with the cutesy interface. Don't let that fool you though. The basic move concept [get the same color bird grouped together in threes] is easy to pick up, but the game is really hard to master. I was impressed with the unique obstacles, powerups, and how well designed the boards are, requiring the player to manage several details at once in order to play well. Every level has the primary goal of freeing all the caged chicks in order to win, which becomes difficult enough in itself. There's also an optional secondary goal which is even harder to pull off and will award you a gold egg if you do it.
Most of the 56 levels are untimed. If you go over the time limit on the few levels that are timed, you'll lose the gold egg but can otherwise take as long as you wish. Gold eggs or not, you're still going to have to do some heavy thinking. The boards get clogged up really fast, and there's not much in the way of tutorials. There are also no move hints given while you're playing.
There's not much of an actual storyline to the game, but the birds' quips in between boards are chuckle inducing. I also couldn't help laughing at the cats' antics.
You have to be pretty precise in where you are dragging a bird to move it. It's relatively easy to fall short one space and cause accidental trouble for yourself, or overshoot a little and have your move not happen at all. Then there's the red "failed" that appears if you miss the gold egg goal. But if you like your games to have strategy involved, will definitely recommend checking this one out.
I recommend this game!
Travel through time to find the lost artifacts and restore the lost collection!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Could have been great with a few tweaks. Don't fear the timer.
PostedAugust 24, 2014
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
[review based upon completed game]
Pros: Great graphics and music, timed/untimed options
Cons: Key hint left out of game instructions, can't make moves all the time, terrible storyline, a little short
If you want a straight up swap M3 game this isn't too bad. Every few boards there is a simple jigsaw puzzle to build but that's about all the interruption you'll get in the M3 gameplay. The tile sets and music are really nice in most cases, although some of the backgrounds/tiles are dark. There are a variety of objectives to deal with such as moving objects all the way down to the bottom or something across the board in a pathway, so the gameplay isn't just one M3 board after another.
M3s that you can't make moves constantly in typically offer more of a challenge, but I didn't find most of the game all that hard. Although there is an untimed option for those who prefer that, the timed option shouldn't be cause for worry. If you time out, the timer just refills and you continue on in the board from where you left off, so it's a "no lose" game. I actually found that off-putting. The game is a bit short at 51 levels.
A key part of the strategy--buying additional powerups--was completely left out of the game instructions/hints. I didn't figure this out until I had nearly completed the entire game. The storyline should have been left out altogether, because it had pretty much everything wrong with it: spelling errors, inaccurate historical data, and overall lameness. It seems the story was put into the game just to keep the M3 boards from appearing too monotonous and offer a reason for changing the graphics every so often.
I'm OK with having bought the game, but it could have been done better.
Can you carve a path of light through the darkness in this marble shooting adventure?
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 12 found this review helpful
Don't be fooled by the first half of Normal. This gets really hard.
PostedMay 1, 2014
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
[review based on completed normal difficulty]
Pros: Multiple difficulty levels, nice graphics/soundtrack, unlimited lives, new twist on marbles
Cons: Alternate ball swapping method, limited tracks, base game relatively easy but everything else is really hard
If you enjoyed the challenge of the original Sparkle and like the graphics in Sparkle 2, you'll want to check out Sparkle Unleashed. The base game starts out baby easy, but gets considerably harder as the marbles gradually start moving faster and new marbles that are unmatchable and/or chained begin to appear. There is a challenge mode that unlocks after you've played a few levels of the regular game which is a fusion of the survival/challenge modes in the previous two Sparkles. What appear to be checkpoints in the game map at first glance-the braziers-are actually spots in which new powerups will unlock. Although the plethora of powerups from Sparkle 2 is back, you can now only have a limited number of these powerups at any time which you pick from the powerup selection screen.
Once the 107 days (levels# are completed in the default normal difficulty, Hard difficulty unlocks, and if you can go through the entire game in Hard, Nightmare will unlock. As of this writing I've gotten through 30 levels in Hard and it's definitely hard! At least the player never has to worry about running out of lives and can restart from the level they left off at. Winning 5 stars in challenge mode is also no easy feat. Even the trophies are much more difficult to win than they were in Sparkle 2, so game completists will be working for quite a while. I've noticed that Sparkle Unleashed is a bit less forgiving about marbles touching the hole...you can have a marble or 2 go into the hole but not for as long a period of time as in the earlier games, and trying to pull marbles out of the hole before they all go down the drain is considerably harder since the game doesn't seem to want to help you out with ball colors if marbles are too close to the hole.
The devs left in the alternate method of ball swapping from Sparkle 2, which is to click on the shooter itself to toggle the next marble in the queue. This is something I wish they'd omitted and just used the typical right clicking #which also works#, because it's possible for the shooter to "stop working" if the cursor is too close to the shooter itself or the wrong color marble will be fired due to an unexpected swap. And unfortunately these situations tend to occur at the worst possible moments when the marbles are close to the holes, as the holes are often near the bottom of the screen where the shooter is. Despite the length of the game, there are only 21 actual tracks to play #at least in normal), and some of them don't reappear that often while others recur 6-7 times, which makes the game get a bit monotonous. There seem to be no secrets to discover in the game screens as there were in previous Sparkle games, and the storyline is extremely weak and could have been done away with altogether. You'll probably love to hate those chains too, but if you enjoy harder MPs you'll get many hours of gameplay from this one.
I recommend this game!
Embark on an exciting journey through time to save the world from destruction in this unique Match 3 game.
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
May not be worth the frustration.
PostedNovember 30, 2013
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Pros: timed/untimed modes, nice graphics, variety of challenges
Cons: becomes extremely difficult even in relaxed mode, challenge mode appears to be an exercise in frustration, can't make moves all the time
Call of the Ages is a swap M3 in which fragments of a target item must be dropped to the bottom of the board. Be warned that although the initial boards start out extremely easy, the difficulty ramps up to near insane levels. I finished the timed mode, but just barely...some boards took 10-15 attempts near the end of the game, and many boards had to be restarted at least 1-2 times by the midpoint. Although there's an option to shut the timer off at any point in the game, there are obstacles in some boards which still make them "timed" in another sense (take too long and the board is automatically forfeited, or becomes too blocked to do anything#.
I enjoyed the crisp, clear graphics and the soundtrack was generally OK. Did notice that the music and tile sets began to repeat by about the fifth of the eight countries though. The storyline shown in videos in between countries was passable. Once a country is completed, the player has the option to replay the boards there in either regular #improve your score or collect powerups you missed the first time# or "challenge" mode #solve the boards with a specific goal to earn a gold star). The challenge mode wasn't a challenge in the first two countries, but by the third it rapidly became ridiculously hard and left me wondering if the developer really expects anyone to get the gold stars in every game board. As of this writing I have not been able to complete enough of the challenge mode to unlock the bonus boards.
It's definitely NOT an easy game, so I wouldn't recommend this to anyone looking for a game to relax to. I am a little on the fence as to how much I will continue to play it myself, and I typically enjoy challenging M3s. Strongly encourage playing the demo first to see if the game concept is to your liking, and don't let the first dozen boards fool you!
Experience a whole new dimension of fun with Jewel Venture, an exciting puzzle game that takes Match-3 gameplay to new heights.
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
OK game, if you understand it
PostedJuly 25, 2013
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Pros: most of the game modes are untimed, multiple play modes, varied challenges
Cons: poorly designed instructions, very difficult in timed mode, mediocre graphics/game interface
[review based upon completed time challenge and adventure modes]
Jewel Venture is a swap M3 with 10 different twists. There is no storyline at all. At first glance, there appear to be four different modes, but time challenge and adventure are the same game, only one is timed and the other untimed. In these modes the player goes through all 10 varieties of the game boards per planet with the goal to get through all 10 planets. The other two modes are both untimed: planetary, in which the player plays only one type of board per planet, and endless, which is a screen of just swapping jewels for relaxation. Moves can be made all the time, and there are a lot of powerups, which are extremely useful especially if playing the timed game.
Jewel Venture is a swap M3 with 10 different twists. There is no storyline at all. At first glance, there appear to be four different modes, but time challenge and adventure are the same game, only one is timed and the other untimed. In these modes the player goes through all 10 varieties of the game boards per planet with the goal to get through all 10 planets. The other two modes are both untimed: planetary, in which the player plays only one type of board per planet, and endless, which is a screen of just swapping jewels for relaxation. Moves can be made all the time, and there are a lot of powerups, which are extremely useful especially if playing the timed game.
This would be a much easier game to learn if the instructions were more detailed or if there were actual tutorial boards put into the game. The single screen that is displayed with a few thumbnails before the game boards appear isn't necessarily understandable unless one has played a lot of M3s and some of the board types are quite tricky even without a timer running. It's a good thing that most of the game is untimed, as the timed mode is extremely challenging (the timer is 3 minutes at most per board, with some at only 1 minute). Star achievements and trophies can only be won in the timed mode, but most of the trophies are of the "playing it long enough" kind. Those who are three star completists will likely be frustrated, as it takes some seriously quick reflexes and a little luck to three star many of the boards in the second half of the game, and some don't appear possible (45 seconds or less to double match an entire board doesn't appear doable to me at least!).
The graphics are very similar to the original Bejeweled and there is even the across the screen flash present. The game interface has a few annoyances: the "blocked tile" popup appearing every single time a chained/blocked powerup or jewel is clicked upon, the menu and restart board buttons having a very small active area to click upon, the lack of an easy reference to how to get and use the powerups, and a general clunkiness when attempting to pause a game in progress. I also could not minimize the game window while in windowed mode. There are reportedly over 1000 levels to play because there are 100 levels per planet in planetary mode, but some of the planets appear to just have the player doing the exact same board pattern 100 times, only with a different assortment of jewels each time.
Don't play this for the looks, but for the challenges. Would not recommend for M3 beginners.
Challenge the darkness with your swift orb-matching skills, mighty magical enchantments and earthshaking power-ups!
Overall rating
4
/
5
10 of 10 found this review helpful
Nice sequel
PostedJune 22, 2013
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Match 3, Marble Popper
Current Favorite:
Zenerchi
(22)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Pros: ability to vary difficulty, pretty game interface, powerups, secrets
Cons: alternate way of ball swapping, almost too easy, minor game design issues
If you've played "snake" type MPs, you will be familiar with the gameplay in Sparkle 2. Many, if not all, of the people who designed the first Sparkle worked on this one as well, and there are a lot of similarities to the original. These include the three different play modes, simple but beautiful game graphics, and Easter eggs (secrets) to find throughout the game. A few of the game levels are back from the original, but renamed. The most noticeable changes are that the marbles are bigger and the difficulty level is more variable. It seems that every type of powerup that was ever in one of these types of games appears at some point in Sparkle 2, and players can choose up to 4 "enchantments" to equip their marble shooter with for additional help in popping marbles. These powerups and enchantments gradually unlock in the adventure mode and carry over to the challenge and survival modes. The enchantments can be changed/removed at any time. The adventure mode is now a fixed length of 92 levels (days) instead of the 85-89 in the original depending on what pathway was taken.
There is a very marginal storyline with voiced-over scenes when a checkpoint is reached in the adventure mode. What appears at the very end made me chuckle.
My actual rating is 4.5 stars, for a few minor things. The alternate way of swapping the balls is to click on the shooter itself (the usual MP strategy of right clicking also works). Because the marbles are so big there are times that they come close to the shooter, and if the player isn't paying attention to where the cursor is being aimed, it will appear that the shooter has suddenly stopped working and is just switching balls around. With all the powerups and enchantments, experienced MP players may find the game too easy--to date, I never finished all the difficulty levels in the first Sparkle, but got through adventure mode in Sparkle 2 in four hours using 4 enchantments. I also did not find the other modes all that difficult with a full set of enchantments, but have noticed that the gameplay gets really fast and furious without certain enchantments, so am curious on how it will replay without extra help. The soundtrack was OK, but got monotonous. Once adventure mode is completed, it cannot be replayed under the same player name. Lastly, I wonder why this developer hides the player profiles as much as they do...I have an entirely different game by this same group, and it has the same problem of the player having to hunt around to get to a player profile creation screen. But overall, this is a well designed game and should provide hours of enjoyment.
I recommend this game!
Zenerchi
Stressed by the strain of your routine? Revitalize your chakras and encounter your inner chi, one color match at a time.
Overall rating
4
/
5
Challenging ring puzzles
PostedJune 12, 2013
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Pros: Unique concept, beautiful graphics/soundtrack, timed/untimed modes
Cons: *Very* challenging in either mode, instructions not very detailed
Zenerchi's premise appears simple enough: match 3 or more of the same colored ring segments by spinning the concentric rings. However, one should read all the instructions before starting to play, as it's not quite that easy. There is no storyline to the game, but players will earn a contemplative quote for achieving an expert level score on a board. Previously completed boards can be replayed at any time to try to better your best score or to try to earn the quote. Your score for the overall game goes up for all boards played, even for replaying boards, and total score can be posted globally so you can see how you match up to other players, should you be curious.
The fusion of logic puzzles and M3 gaming is really well done, and the graphics/soundtrack are beautiful in their elegant simplicity. The "zen" concept of the game seems to be an oxymoron though...this is a game you will really, really have to use your brain on before you can be successful, which doesn't equal a chill-out game in my opinion. You may be glad that there are only 50 levels in the timed mode, as the boards start to get seriously hard by about the 25th one. Having an untimed option for the timed mode boards would have made this a 5 star game IMO as the developers clearly took their time in creating clever puzzles, but the speed at which the player must think to win the later levels is frazzling. (I did finish the timed mode, but there were times when I thought I never would!) The untimed mode is *not* the same collection of levels, and the boards have a different twist to them. So far I have only done 10 of those boards, and they are not a cakewalk.
The game tutorials will get you through the early levels, but learning the advanced tricks is another thinking puzzle for the player to decipher. I recommend this game, but only if you like harder puzzles/M3s.
I recommend this game!