Zuma’s Revenge

Developer: PopCap Games | Publisher: PopCap Games |Release Date: 2009 | Genre: Arcade / Puzzle / Simulation |Website: Official Website | Format: Digital Download

The original Zuma is a great example of PopCap games adding their own addictive flair to a rather simple concept. It featured a frog idol with the ability to rotate and shoot colored balls from its mouth. The goal was simply to match these balls with other colored balls that are slowly winding their way around a groove towards a pit. Match three colors and the balls disappear, but fail to clear all the balls before the first one drop in the pit and you lose a life.

Zuma’s Revenge sees the return of our froggy hero and this time he finds himself washed up on the shores of a mysterious pacific island. Sixty new challenges await in the adventure mode but this time the presentation has been polished to a shine and some new bosses await you at the end of every tenth level. The goal is still exactly the same as in the first game but, when it is as fun and addictive, this it hardly matters.

Graphics

The visuals have been given a nice boost with widescreen support and a much higher resolution. This ensures that, while the game will still run on modest hardware, those with beefier machines will definitely reap the benefits. The match-three gameplay is a true test of accuracy and reflexes. While not quite as addictive as previous PopCap hits such as Peggle or Plants vs Zombies, it will still keep you engrossed for much longer than what you would expect.

According to Steam, I have spent twelve hours playing the game which includes completing the adventure mode and winning the “Ace” trophy in four of the challenge cups. I have also tried my hand at the “Iron Frog” mode, which challenges you to complete ten very hard levels with only one life. There is also the “Heroic Frog” mode, which is basically another run through the adventure mode levels, but slightly harder.  All in all I definitely feel like I got my money’s worth with Zuma’s Revenge.

Gameplay

The gameplay remains largely the same and you still control a rotating, ball shooting frog in an attempt to clear colored balls before they reach a pit. The placement of the frog changes each level as does the pattern of the groove that the balls roll in. Some levels now feature two lily pads that you can jump between for better shot placement, There are even levels where you can slide your frog left and ride along the bottom of the screen while making shots. The boss levels make use of this sliding gimmick and you have to clear a gap between the balls in order to take pot shots at whatever tiki boss is baying for your blood. There is a checkpoint every five levels so you don’t have to go back too far when you lose all your lives, but the challenge ramps up considerably once you near the end of the game.

To make things a bit easier, you can still use power-ups to assist you and addition to the accuracy, bomb, reverse and slow-down abilities of the last game there are three new additions. The laser power-up enables you to pick off individual balls in the groove which is useful for getting rid of pesky colors that is blocking big combos. There is also a canon power-up that shoots out three balls cutting a swath through all the balls on the board and a lightening power-up that destroy all balls on the board that is the same color as the one you hit first.

Sound
The audio is good but once again there is nothing here that is as memorable as Peggle or Plants Vs Zombies. The sound effects and music fit the game perfectly and never becomes annoying. The “Tiki Temple” keeps tracks of all your statistics and there are some Steam achievements to aim for but unfortunately no multi-player mode.

Newcomers will probably have the most fun with Zuma’s Revenge, but even if you played the original to death there is still fun to be had here.