Match 3 duel – Bejeweled 2 versus Match 3D Flick Puzzle.
Bejeweled 2 has been hanging around the App Store since August of 2008 making it a seasoned scrapper. Bejeweled 2 is published by PopCap known for games such as Peggle and Bookworm.
Match 3D Flick Puzzle showed up in the summer of 2009 sporting a lean physique, and has been called Bejeweled in a 3D cube. Match 3D Flick Puzzle is published by Playscreen, a publisher trying to gain ground in the casual market.
The two contenders will be judged on the following:
Addictiveness
A dead heat as both games set their hooks in you right away. From the first time you play you will start seeing possible match combinations wherever you go. In Bejeweled 2 you have a bar at the bottom of the screen to fill to reach the next level, and in Match 3D Flick Puzzle you have a set number of blocks to remove before proceeding.
Casualness
Bejeweled 2 is the pinnacle of casual gaming with the ordinary classic mode. You can spend hours on a train or bus playing without actually involving your brain into any real problem solving. Match 3D Flick Puzzle demands more out of you even if you choose to play classic untimed mode. This is because of the perspective of a 3D cube that takes more effort to process. If you want your match 3 game to be of a more hardcore nature Match 3D Flick Puzzle is a perfect choice.
Game modes
Match 3D Flick Puzzle has got more options letting you play timed/untimed and with or without locked blocks but in the end both games have the same game modes making it yet another dead heat. Classic, survival and endless are available for both games.
Graphics
Bejeweled 2 is really slick with great effects and no tendencies for any glitches or hiccups. Match 3D Flick Puzzle has got some glitches and jagged edges when you rotate the cube. But it looks fantastic anyway, and the accomplishment of creating a working match 3 3D cube is remarkable. Thus I have to give the graphical edge to Match 3D Flick Puzzle.
Sound
Another dead heat as first of all both games let you continue listening to your own music, a must for any casual game. The voice, sound effects and mystical ambient music of Bejeweled 2 are of high quality. In Match 3D Flick Puzzle you get three tracks to listen to with two being quite calm, and one being really catchy techno stuff(“A Born Winner”). In conclusion both games give you ear candy, and further enhance the addictiveness.
Game life
Both games lack online scores, unlockables and achievements needed to reach the top ratings. I find this strange that such a basic feature as online leader boards is missing in two major match 3 games. If you get hooked though you can keep playing these for too much.
Fun
Finally the fun factor, and that is a hard one to determine as it is really all about my personal taste. I have to award the fun factor to Bejeweled 2 as it lets me enjoy gaming even when I am tired after a long day at work. The voice in Bejeweled 2 telling me that my score is amazing really lifts my mood, and it is easy to have another go just to get that positive reinforcement. Match 3D Flick Puzzle is a fun game too, but also demanding more of me as a player.
And the winner is…none…or actually both of them!
Final Rating
I can’t pick a winner as both of these are high quality titles easily recommended. Both lack online scores which drags the final scores down by at least half a star each. Bejeweled 2 is the perfect casual game while waiting for the bus, and Match 3D Flick Puzzle is perfect for the longer train ride.
Match 3D Flick Puzzle
Bejeweled 2
