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Zuma Deluxe (PC)
by Donnabroom
~~*~~ Zuma Deluxe ~~*~~
Several years a go I used to play a lot of a game called Zuma Deluxe, it took up many hours of my time and I played it so much eventually I got bored with it. I hadn't played it in years and then recently I received an email offering me a free copy and I downloaded it right away for old time's ... sake.
~~*~~ Introduction ~~*~~
Zuma was released in 2003 by Popcap Games (www.popcap.com) and it was initially available on the PC. Since that time it has been released on several platforms including the Xbox 360 (via the Live Arcade) and there is even a version on Facebook.
Popcap have released loads of games of this ilk (simple yet addictive) and they offer low prices, free trials and fast downloads. Popcap is a great site to visit if you need something to fill the hours!
~~*~~ Game-play ~~*~~
The game has an Aztec theme going on and you take control of a huge stone frog that sits in the centre of the screen. You have to destroy all the balls that roll around the screen (they follow a visible path) that are heading towards a creepy looking skull that greedily opens his mouth as the balls get closer and closer. If one of the balls reaches the mouth all of the other balls will whizz around the path really quickly down into the mouth; lost forever. At this point you loose a life, your lives are denoted at the top left of the screen by little green frogs. Obviously you want to avoid this so you have to eliminate all the balls first. "How" I hear you cry, why by shooting balls out of your mouth! How else?
Your little frog holds 2 balls, one in his mouth ready to go and another in his back. You can see what colour the balls are and clicking the right mouse button allows you to switch between the 2. You have to aim the little coloured ball at the balls around the path to make groups of at least 3 at which point they will vanish.
More balls just keep on rolling until you fill an orange meter shown at the top of the screen, once the meter is full you will hear "ZUMA" and no more balls will released. You fill the meter by destroying balls and you can earn bonuses by getting several matches in a row, hitting coins that randomly appear, shooting through gaps etc. Every time you earn 50,000 points you get a spare life and believe me, in later levels you will need them!
Sometimes "power-ups" appear on random balls like an exploding ball which takes out all the balls around it, a slow-down ball and a ball that makes the balls travel backwards. You activate the power-ups by destroying the ball it is on.
There are a 2 game modes in Zuma, the first mode is the adventure mode where you progress through the various levels and the other is a gauntlet mode where you go back to one of the levels you have reached in adventure mode and balls just keep coming until you run out of lives.
~~*~~ Graphics & Sound Effects ~~*~~
The graphics have aged well and although 2D and very basic they fit the feel of the game perfectly. The Aztec theme works well with the stylised effect and it all looks good together. The contrast between the earthy coloured backgrounds and the brightly coloured balls is good and makes it easier on the eye.
The sound effects are good with a satisfy "ping" when you hit the balls and a "plock" when the balls are released from the frog. Again they are basic but fit with the game. I have no idea what the music is like because I always turn it off.
~~*~~ Where to Buy/Pricing ~~*~~
You can download Zuma to try for free for 1 hour from popcap.com and the full games costs £9.95 and is 7.17 mb.
~~*~~ In Conclusion ~~*~~
I love Zuma and think it is such a well thought out and designed game. Everything works together to make a very simple idea highly addictive and great fun!
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Zuma Deluxe (PC)
by Mama-Q
This game is so simple in it's concept and so addictive when you play - it's like the 2004 version of 'Angry Birds.'
With graphics that an Amstrad would be jealous of the rules of the Zuma game are simple: the frog in the middle of the game fires out an assortment of coloured balls from his (her?) mouth, to match with the ... coloured balls scrolling nearer and nearer the pit, where the frog will disappear into if you're not quick enough. Control your little frog with your mouse and fire using the space bar or your right mouse button. And if you don't understand that description then think of Bejewelled, it follows the same model as this game.
This is the sort of game that doesn't take skill, it takes practice to get 'good' at. There are over 20 'temples' to explore in this game in 'Adventure' mode which see's you working through various levels within the temples. Don't want to have a Zuma Adventure? Then run the game in 'Gauntlet' mode to brush up on your skills.
The soundtrack is basic, but has a funky Aztec beat to it. There are various other sounds, like the sound of the balls hitting against each other (keep it clean!) and the 'Zuma!' noise once you complete a level. The graphics are basic, but not 1980s basic ;).
There are different bonuses to be collected throughout the game - a hint for you: try and shoot into the coins as coins means prizes! There is the 'pause' looking balls that come up which will slow down the procession of the balls for a few seconds on the game, the 'back ball' which will push the balls back on the line and the 'bombs' - these will blow up a good line of balls and can be good if your balls are going towards the gaping mouth that swallows them up!
I got the game free by singing up with the PopCap newsletter (which I have every intention of cancelling) and that's not bad as they quote the game being £9.99. I find that a little pricey considering that most apps are way below this price range, but hey, someone must be paying for this game!
Overall it's a fun little game with no real 'extras' or depth to the game - what you see is what you get. Not for serious gamers, but for those who want to blow off a little steam at the end of the day...although don't get too addicted ;).
Zuma!
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Solitaire (PC)
by kat1234
It's the most basic of card games and is automatically loaded onto most PCs so I'd hazard a guess that you've at least come across solitaire in your time. Many of us have played it. I have. A lot. It's one of those games that you find yourself playing (not sure why you loaded it up in the first place...) and you look at a clock and ... an hour has passed. Or one that you sneak on to at work/school when bored and feel like such a rebel, minimising the window every time someone approaches.....
THE GAME
So, how do you play? Well, as mentioned, it is a card game and it is to be played by one player. The computer deals out a regular deck of cards into 7 piles, starting with one card in the first pile, two in the second, three in the third and so on. The last card in each pile is turned so you can see what it is, the remainder are face down. The cards not dealt are left in a pile at the top left of your screen.
The top right of your screen has the four 'home' positions. Here you must collect the cards in their four suit piles in the correct order from ace to king. Each pile must begin with an ace so you need to move cards until you find them. You do this by moving cards between columns so that they go in descending order and alternate between red and black suits. This sounds complicated but it is easy once you get the hang of it!
Once you have moved all the cards on the table that you can, you can use the deck of undealt cards. By clicking on the pack, the cards will be turned over in multiples of three and you must use the top one each time. To win the game you must complete the four home stacks.
PLAYING THE GAME
The game is really simple to play. Control is with the mouse, you simply move to position your cursor and either click to turn a card or select a card. You can then hold the button down to drag your selected card into position.
A good feature of the game (particularly for younger players, although I have used it too!) is that you can request a hint if you are stuck. If there are any moves left it will highlight the card that can be moved to you. These is a useful help if you are learning the game!
If you use up all the moves a note appears on the screen telling you that there are no more moves and gives you the option to quit or deal the same cards again (good for those of us who simply WILL NOT be beaten!).
MY OPINION
This game is basic and really easy to play. It is very simple to pick up and the rules are very easy to understand. The controls are really simple which adds to the ease of play. It is also addictive because it feels like it is really easy to play but it is actually quite difficult to complete! There is a great level of satisfaction when you do complete and win the game but this often leads me to 'just see if I can do it again!'. I find it really addictive as I don't like to be defeated so will often play until I do win. This can lead to me popping on to pass a few minutes but being stuck on the computer much longer than I anticipated.
I enjoy the game because it does make me think but at the same time it is quite relaxing! I often find myself opening this up when I am on hold on the telephone as it is easy to play without completely concentrating on the game.
The graphics and sounds are very basic, but I don't feel that the game needs really advanced graphics, it's not really the point of this type of game. Sometimes the simplest things are the best!
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