Feb 28, 2011
Since the release of the original Bejeweled, the “match 3 gems” style of puzzle game has become a genre all its own. Every platform (including Android) has received a number of “match 3 gems” puzzle games that emulate the gameplay style first implemented by the original Bejeweled. Publisher EA and developer Pop Cap Games have brought Bejeweled 2 to the Android Market in order to compete with the “match 3 gems” games already available for the Android platform.
Bejeweled 2 brings all of the elements you’ve come to expect from the series to your Android device. The game includes three different game modes: classic, action, and endless. Classic is exactly what you’d expect – you continue to match three gems at a time to earn points to advance to the next level. Action mode pits you against the clock to see how far you get before you eventually run out of time. Endless mode is exactly what it sounds like – a never ending game of Bejeweled. Though the three modes are all structured differently, they still feel very much the same. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – just be aware that you won’t find much diversity of gameplay across the different modes.
True to the Bejeweled series, Bejeweled 2 rewards players for matching either four or five of a kind, as well. Matching four gems of the same color nets players an explosive gem of that same color which, when matched with two others of it’s kind will destroy everything around it. Matching five of a kind will score you a hyper gem, which, when swapped with another gem will destroy every gem that shares the swapped gem’s color. These special gems add an element of strategy to the gameplay in Bejeweled 2.
Though Bejeweled 2 comes with all the trappings you’d expect from the series, it doesn’t really do enough to set itself apart from other “match 3 gems” puzzle games on the Android Market. In fact, it even lacks features like online leaderboards, which are offered by several of the free alternatives. If you really love the style and gameplay mechanics present in the Bejeweled series, then this is the game for you. If you’re just looking to match three gems at a time, there’s probably an alternative that will better suit your wants and needs. Bejeweled 2 is a great game, but unfortunately, it just doesn’t do enough to set itself apart from the clones the Bejeweled series has spawned.
