QuickLook.Technobrains

When I first heard about Bubble Shuffle for the iPhone I thought it was just a renamed iPhone version of the game Bubble Babble and I thought “great, Bubble Babble is coming to the iPhone!”  Then when I realized it was a sequel I thought “even better!”  Now that I’ve spent some time playing it, though, I’m not sure I find it as endearing as the original.  The sites and sounds are familiar in a good way, but the game play just doesn’t seem as original as the first game.  Bubble Shuffle was an okay placeholder, but thankfully they finally ported Bubble Babble to the iPhone.

Bubble Shuffle is all about words.  More specifically, it’s all about “how many words can you form with letters x,y and z?”  There are four modes of game play in Bubble Shuffle: Shuffle Rush, Shuffle Puzzle, Fast Finder and Discovery.  The first two are a pair and so are the second two, each differing only by the fact that one mode is timed and the other isn’t.  In the Shuffle variants, you must get at least one word with a certain number of letters in it.  All the rest are icing on the barnacle, as it were.  In Fast Finder and Discovery you must build a certain number of words from the letters you are given.

Need A Six Letter Word

No matter which mode you play you are presented with a list full of blanks that shows how many words can be formed with the letters you are given.  To form words you can either click on the letter bubbles in the correct order or drag them to the area where you are spelling the word.  When you feel you have a valid word press the Enter button.  You’ll either receive points for the word and it will be added to the list, or you’ll be told that it’s not a proper word.  Either way the spelling area will be cleared.  If you make a mistake you can press clear to remove all the letters, drag the letters around the spelling area to rearrange them, or simply drag a letter you don’t want out of the spelling area.  Finally, if the order the available letters are displayed in isn’t helping you to think, click the shuffle button to rearrange them.

Like most puzzle games these days there are awards to be won for achieving certain milestones, but Bubble Shuffle only has 7 altogether.  There are also records, including high scores and the quantities of certain lengths of words that have been found.  The awards are broken up by mode.  Finally, the state of each mode can be saved independently in terms of progress in a game, which is actually pretty nice.  My biggest issue with Bubble Shuffle is that it’s not all that exciting.  Games that have you spell words are a dime a dozen on the iPhone, but Bubble Shuffle doesn’t really offer anything above and beyond that.

Graphically the game looks decent, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary.  The words in the “already solved” list are actually quite readable, which is nice given the limited room available.  The fish that guides you through the game is cute, but other than a little bit of a shake every once in a while it’s not very animated.  The only other real movement in the game is the slight ripple of water at the top of the screen.  Sound effects are okay, but they don’t really add anything to the game.  The music is pretty decent, but it more or less heightens the peaceful, dull nature of the game.

Given the plethora of word games that are available for the iPhone, Bubble Shuffle really needed to do something different to stand out, and unfortunately it didn’t.  It’s a solid game, but it doesn’t bring anything new to the table, and what’s there gets kind of boring after a while.  The atmosphere is pleasant but uninspirational.  It’s a shame that with the wealth of puzzle goodness Astraware / Handmark has at it’s disposal that Bubble Shuffle had to be one of their first iPhone puzzle releases.

Final Verdict: Not Recommended
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[Note: image courtesy of App Shopper]

Reviewed Platform: iPhone
Device Used: iPod Touch
Software Type: Game
Developed By: Deluxeware

If you’re looking for something that exploits the power or unique capabilities of the iPod Touch, eXact isn’t it. However, if you’re looking for a simple puzzle game that challenges your capability to think ahead then eXact might just be for you. This is one of those games that, rather than trying to break any new ground, presents a proven concept in a slick, professional package. Is this eXactly what you’re looking for?

100 Point Bonus

As with many other puzzle games, the premise behind eXact is to either clear the playing field or get a certain number of points to move on to the next level, depending on which mode you’re playing. Each level starts with some randomly generated clumps of blocks scattered around the board. Along the four edges of the board there are two rows of blocks. These are the blocks you use to try and clear the board with. When you touch a block in the inner row it will slide into the center of the board, stopping when it hits another block or the other edge of the board. The idea is to get three or more blocks of the same color together, in which case they will disappear and you will be rewarded with some points. The outer row of blocks, though a bit harder to see because they are shadowed, gives you a clue as to what’s coming up next. This is important because planning ahead can save you some headaches down the road.

Once you get a few levels into the game you are rewarded with some special blocks to play with. Bombs will destroy any block within a 3×3 radius of where it stops. X-Stones will push any row or column of blocks it comes in contact with over by one square. They can only be destroyed by bombs. X-Gems will transform into a random color once they stop moving. Finally there are mystery blocks, whose purpose will be revealed when they are used. The only real obstacles in the game are filling up the board and time (if you’re playing Timed mode), but you always have to be cautious that you’re not sliding blocks haphazardly, because the playing field can fill up quicker than you think.

50 Point Score

There are three different game play modes in eXact. Arcade mode is the easiest of the three in that your goal is to fill a progress bar at the top of the screen by scoring points. Once the progress bar is filled you move on to the next level. There are no time constraints, and you only have to worry about clearing the playing field if you want bonus points (which, of course, help fill up the progress bar). In strategy mode you must clear the playing field to advance to the next level. You can play a board as long as you like, but ultimately all the blocks must be destroyed to move on. Finally you have Timed mode, which is Strategy with a timer. Personally, my brain doesn’t think quickly enough for this mode, but it’s certain to please even the most hardcore puzzle gamer. When not in timed mode there are occasions where the game feels a bit slow, but then when you stop to consider the strategic nature of the game that’s not really a big deal. My main gripe with the game play is that the squares are a bit small, but there’s an undo button should you slip and launch the wrong block, and until you’ve actually let go of a block, you can slide your finger away to let go of the block without releasing it.

The graphics are typical puzzle style graphics. They look polished, but there’s nothing special about them. There are little effects from time to time, like sparks that fly when you get a match, and the word Bonus popping up when you match 5 or more squares at the same time. As usual, though, you don’t really need fancy images to get the point across here. The sound effects are fine and serve their purpose. If they were more prominent I probably wouldn’t like them so much, but they pop up just enough to add ambiance without getting annoying. Unfortunately there is no music in the game, and with the slow paced nature of the game play for Arcade and Strategy modes, this is a sorely lacking feature.

Graphics: 8
Sound: 5
Installation Ease: 10
Fun Factor: 9
Usability: 10
Documentation: 10
Adjustability: 6

Addon Packs: NO
Suitable For Young Kids: YES
Online Support: YES

CONS:
- Slow Pace
- Blocks A Bit Small
- No Music

PROS:
- Great Variation On Match 3 Games
- Game Modes Have Different Objectives
- Overall Presentation Is Polished

OVERALL::
eXact is one of those nice games that surprises you with it’s challenge given the simplicity of the premise. It’s a wonderful variation on the highly overpopulated match 3 genre, and is sure to provide you with hours of game time. The slow pace of Arcade and Strategy modes might be a turn off for some, but the quick thinking required for Timed mode should please even the puzzle game fanatics. At a price point of 99 cents, eXact is worth every penny.

Overall Rating: 8.3

App Store Link: eXact