In 2003 Pop Cap Games came out with a charming, colourful and addictive match three ball shooter game called Zuma which sold 17 million copies. That figure doesn’t add in the people who have played it online at various game sites. The game has played beautifully on every OS and computer I’ve used which is a credit to the game coders.
While I don’t think I’ll ever beat Jackie Strickland, a 67 year old grandmother from Alabama whose ace time is 5 seconds on one of the levels, I’m working on it. And the world’s top Zuma player is Rick Fortin from Quebec – one province over from me. Gray gamers rock!
Zuma fans are not likely to be disappointed with the sequel and it’s great to see a game company treat a sequel and it’s customers with solid respect.
Zuma game developers rock! This was worth the wait.
Zuma’s Revenge takes the happy little original Aztec shooter frog to an island. With improved graphics, funny whimsical verbal asides, a relaxing caribean music score, the famous Pop Cap sound engineers careful sounds, an addition of a few sarcastic Tiki enemies and extra challenge levels, it took me 15 hours to work my way through the adventure mode. I’m still not done.
That’s the great thing about Zuma, and now Zuma’sRevenge, these are games you keep coming back to. To be honest, I think the graphics in Zuma’s Revenge exceed Luxor.
I’m currently working on the Iron Frog challenge which does not give the player easy chains of same coloured balls. You work for every point.
In Zuma’s Revenge, unlike Zuma, your amphibean is not static on every level. When you get two columns of balls coming at you, there are boards where you can pop him over to another lily pad. There is also a level with a slider, so you can slid him cross screen to score your points.
Zuma and Zuma’s Revenge are both relaxing and challenging, depending on what you are setting out to accomplish. If you are working on beating your own scores or ace time, it’s a challenge. Hmm. Relaxing challenge works for me.
In Zuma’s Revenge the intrepid frog sails off to an island to confront the Tiki gods. The island has 6 zones which increase in difficulty with engrossing absorption. The graphics are lovely, and you can read about the art work here. Zone 1 is Island welcome (each zone has 10 boards), 2 is Wish you were here, 3 is Visit fabulous lost city, 4 is Greetings from the coast, 5 is Wish you were here, and 6 is a graphic delight: Greetings from the lost volcano temple. One you complete a zone, a post card pops up to mark your play when you return.
There are new power ups in Zuma’s Revenge. (Hint: use them). Filling up the power bar by firing matches stops adding balls to the cue. You snooze you lose, as in Zuma, the balls snake toward the death mask and you lose a life.
Zuma had four power ups. A slow down ball, a back up ball, an explosion ball and an accuracy ball.
Zuma’s Revenge keeps those four and adds a laser coming out of your frog’s eyes (Hint: Shoot power up balls) a glowing nuke ball which eliminates the ball colour you shoot at, and a fun tri-shot where your frog shoots three iron balls to destroy the surrounding balls you aim at.
Each of the adventure levels end with a Boss Battle, where a Tiki god who
has been taunting you fires back. I won’t give anything away, at least one is a laugh out loud war, and you get as many chances as you need.
Another hint. When you get to the end of the adventure mode and credits start to roll, don’t click out.
In the first Zuma you only see the credits if you put your cursor on the sign, and play the notes in sequence three times. (theme: Close Encounters of the Third Kind) A space ship comes down and rolls credits.
The developers of Zuma’s Revenge have not lost their comical bent.
You have to unlock your challenge modes in Zuma’s Revenge. Each one has an ace time to beat in 3 minutes, as you beat ace time more challenge modes are unlocked. Again I was surprised, Pop Cap gives more challenge modes than you initially see, which is quite generous to us Zuma addicts. (Hint: There are 70!) Thanks Pop Cap!
Iron Frog is a one try and you’re dead gauntlet of colour, speed, tactics and accuracy. It supposedly has 10 levels of play, I wouldn’t know about that, because I’m stuck on level two.
Heroic Frog is a more difficult replay of adventure mode. Haven’t gotten there yet either.
hehe, writing this I want to go play.
The graphics really are excellent, there are new back end features such as 3D particle and widescreen support, and the same smooth play Zuma is known for. Heck, for me the graphics are art, even picky gamers could be be delighted, especially with the volcano temple.
If you have someplace to go and start playing - watch the clock - tempus fugit with this gem. Even the game load bar makes me smile, having gone in and out a few times I notice the script isn’t the same every time.
If you haven’t tried Zuma, I recommend heading over to a game site and downloading a hour free play.
Pop Cap has released this game in 8 languages which is going to build a huge fan base, as well the download and CD release was simultaneous which is something many casual gamers appreciate.
This isn’t a game that needs the ad and sales department pushing it. Fans and newbies will do the work for them.
Give Zuma’s Revenge a free try. Zuma’s Revenge will have a familiar feel to Zuma fans, and I think that is what makes this new one as enduring as the first one.
Zuma’s Revenge official site
System requirements:
OS: XP/Vista
Memory: 256 minimum, 768 MB recommended
Ram: 700 MHz minimum, 1 GHz recommended
Direct X: 8.1 minimum, latest recommended
Available for Mac
Price:
$19.95/US for download
download & CD: $27.90/US
Zuma download pack: Zuma & Zuma’s Revenge $29.95/US
Top bang for your buck.
Ribbit. Zuma fans, weigh in. Blast or bust?
Comments are open.
given sales have flattened, and the black accessories are out in North America, I wonder if the black Wii (only available in Asia) may hit our market sooner or later.
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