ZenGems -It is a GEM!

When I first saw ZenGems I thought to myself it would just be another match three puzzler. If you’re into casual games you know that there are hundreds and hundreds of games that fall under this umbrella. It really takes a lot to differentiate a game in this genre with all the offerings. And this game knocked the ball out of the park in that regard.

There are three modes of play with close to 200 levels! In adventure mode you discover that virtue medallions have been taken from the temples all across the land and a boy named Hoshiko along with his aging grandfather are on a quest to reclaim them from the villainous Yama-O-Rakas. Each time you solve a puzzle you reveal a piece of one of the medallions. In arcade mode part of the grid is underwater. It offers all new distinct levels. The third mode is Strategy mode and this is a play till you fail arrangement. What I liked about this mode is the feature that allows you to play from any of the worlds from adventure mode without unlocking them first.

I usually get pretty bored with these types of games in around twenty minutes or so but this one just kept rolling along and held my attention. That my friend is when you know you have a winner on your hands. The gameplay is such that before you know what hit you, you’re hooked. This rascal is addictive!

I just loved the sounds of the broken glass when you broke a gem and the sound when you completed a chain was very cool also. The graphics were good and blended well with the backgrounds. And let’s not forget some outstanding power-ups. A fireball, color burst and energy ball all help you along with your task but it is the pusher ball that really bails you out when you are at a loss for a move. With this power up you dictate the direction via an arrow pointing right or left. When it lands on a ball or a gem it pushes in the direction of the arrow. Play the game and you will see what a valuable tool this can be!

It is my opinion that this game will be one of the best selling games of this genre and will be a big hit.