JadeDragon's
reviews and playing tips: Palm and Pocket PC games
Zuma by Astraware,
Price: $19.95 Reviewed January 2005 by Marc Morgan
Zuma is a new
game from Astraware, the company that brought you great hits
such as Bejeweled and
Insaniquarium.
It involves shooting a colored ball at one or more other color
balls on a path, trying to make groups of three or more so
they disappear. Also, you have to do all this before the balls
reach the end of the track, and its game over. It sounds confusing,
but it’s really simple. But, how does Zuma work
out on the small screen?
In Zuma, you are a little
frog idol, who must beat all the levels by shooting colored
balls at other colored balls that are following a path towards
a skull idol. Making a group of three or more balls causes
the set of balls to disappear. After the balls disappear,
if two balls of the same color are next to each other in
the track, they will attract to each other, and if there
are three or more, they will disappear as well. This will
continue until there are no more opportunities for three
or more balls to disappear. Every time a combo happens, you
get more points. To finish off a level, you have to get enough
points to fill the bar at the top-left of the screen, and
then get rid of the remaining balls on the screen. However,
there is a catch. You have to get rid of the balls before they
reach the skull idol at the end of the track. If the balls
reach the skull idol, you lose a life, and if you run out of
lives, it’s game over. After every few levels, a different
colored ball is added, to make the game even more confusing.
Luckily, there are also things that make the game easier. If
you shoot at balls through a gap between other balls, you will
get a gap bonus, which can help you out. Every once and a while,
a ball will change to have a symbol on it. Destroying balls
with different symbols have different effects. Some effects
are blowing up, slowing down the balls’ movement down
the track, and moving the balls backwards up the track. There
are also coins that will appear at random at set points on
the level. If you shoot one, you will get points to help you
out. However, the coins usually appear in spots such as corners
where balls may be blocking your way. Zuma can be
a challenging game, but it’s really fun and addictive.
Like many other Astraware games, Zuma is played using
your stylus. To fire a ball at a group of other balls, you
simply tap where you want the ball to go. If you tap on the
frog idol, the ball will switch with the next ball in line.
Also, at the bottom of the screen, you can tap on buttons to
turn the music on and off, turn the sound effects on and off,
pause the game, and abandon the game. The controls are pretty
easy to master.
The first thing you’ll notice
when you start playing Zuma is
the beautiful colors used. The different colored balls will
really stand out on your Pocket PC. When the balls move along
the track, there are rolling effects. There are also settings
for the graphics for you to use. You can turn shadows on and
off, and you can turn the advanced rolling effects on and off.
I noticed that the game looked nicer with the shadows off.
The advanced rolling effect setting is to be used if your Pocket
PC seems to lag while playing, because of a slower processor.
Overall, the graphics in Zuma are stunning!
Zuma features both music and sound effects. The music
and sound effects follow the theme of the game, and really
add to the experience. The music is calm, and follows the theme
very well. The sound effects to too. Some examples of where
the sound effects are used are when you fire the ball, when
balls disappear, when combos are made, and when balls with
the special symbols are destroyed.
Zuma is a great game for people of all ages. The
gameplay is great, the music and sound effects are great, and
the graphics are stunning. The theme is carried throughout
the whole game. Zuma is one of those games where you
will keep playing until you finish the game, and you even continue
to play after you finish it. I hope there will be a Zuma
II!
Playing Tips and Hints
Try not to waste time, as Zuma is a fast-paced
game
Don’t give up if you lose,
as it can happen often
Tap on the frog idol to switch balls
if you can’t
make a move
Palm
Pocket
PC
Ratings (scale of 1 to 5):
Graphics
The colors used in Zuma reflect
the theme of the game, and are stunning!
Sound
The music and sound effects in Zuma work
well with the theme, and enhance gameplay.
Fun Meter
The overall gameplay experience is great,
and the concept of Zuma is unique.
Addictivity
Chances are, once you pick up Zuma you’ll
play it until the end, and maybe even more!
