I was very pleased to see Bejeweled 2.0 ($19.95 from Astraware) arrive in my inbox Sunday! I had a serious addiction to the original game and had been looking forward to the release of the sequel since I learned it was in development.
It’s a great advance from 1 to 2.0, though one caveat. You can’t run it on a low-res device. Bejeweled requires a high res screen so Treo 600 users are out of luck. Fortunately, I also have a T3 here in my gadget lab, so I’ve been able to play… and play! Actually – one more caveat. I like the music so far, but miss some of the intensity I felt when playing the first game as time threatened to run out. The music is now much more ambient and does not pace with the game clock.
Bejeweled 2.0 has 4 modes (Classic, Action, Puzzle and Endless) of play which is two more than the previous game and things can get quite a bit more complex. The original work is still there, just enhanced with better graphics, transitions, features and sound. The new power gems make for some exciting combinations and effects and can push you further than you might have previously risked before clearing a series in order to get the bonus!
In my humble opinion, this game meets the few requirements I have for games in the puzzle genre – simple, yet continuously addictive play with high repeat value. I found myself victim to the Tetris effect – close your eyes after a long session and you can still see the game board with the pieces moving! Puzzle mode adds a good degree of difficulty and gives you more of a brain teaser as well. I’ve taken a variety of screen shots for you…
