Game Reviews

Sparkle 2

Star onStar onStar onStar offStar off
|
| Sparkle 2
Get
Sparkle 2
|
| Sparkle 2

Sparkle 2 isn't what you'd call an original game. There's nothing wrong with that, but if you're looking for a fresh puzzler full of new ideas and exciting innovations then you should look elsewhere.

If, on the other hand, you're looking for a game that's well put together, entertaining, and a lot like PopCap's Zuma, then you're in luck. What Sparkle 2 lacks in new concepts it makes up for in polish, and the time you'll spend flinging its gems around will be a pleasant one.

Diamonds are not forever

There's a plot about magical keys at work behind the game, but it's all a bit of fluff to add colour. The bare bones of the experience revolve around matching three gems of the same colour. Most of those gems are rolling down a track towards a hole.

You're in control of a gem-shooter positioned somewhere on the level that can blast new coloured blobs into the mix. You fire it just by tapping where you want the gem to go, but the parade of other coloured stones rolls on regardless, meaning you need to be quick with your shots.

Gems pop up at random on your shooter, but tapping it lets you swap between two different colours, allowing you to pick a better shot if the colour you've been given isn't going to do you much good. Clear all the gems and you finish the level.

There are powers and boosts that pop up as you play, some of which slow down the stream of gems while others let out fiery bursts that clear the screen. There are also random gems that can be used to burst connections of any colour.

Pop

The game isn't particularly taxing, although it does have moments of tension as the gems roll closer to the hole you're trying to protect. Usually you're no more than a couple of shots from safety, though, and the levels are brief enough that it doesn't really matter if you die.

You'll unlock new playing modes as you work through the game, and there are enough levels on offer that you won't feel short-changed.

Sparkle 2 is a simple, inoffensive little puzzle game that the dedicated could happily sink a few hours into. Just don't expect your mind to be blown or your expectations to be challenged and you'll get along just fine.

Sparkle 2

There's a lot to like here. And as long as you're not looking for anything new, Sparkle 2 is decent fun
Score
Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.