Game Reviews

Juice Cubes

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Juice Cubes
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| Juice Cubes

Whatever quirk of human psychology it is that makes forming groups of three so gosh-darn satisfying, it's safe to say to game developers have exploited the heck out of it - mobile game developers more than most.

The latest mobile game to push these neurological buttons is Juice Cubes, a Hawaiian-themed, fruit-flavoured match-three puzzler that's published by Rovio.

It boasts the production values and easy charm that we've all come to expect from that name, too. Cutesy fruity anthropomorphic tiles sway to the beat of soothing tropical tunes, and before long you'll likely find yourself bobbing along to the beat as well.

Do the twist

But in a subtle break from genre norms, Juice Cubes doesn't ask you to swap adjacent tiles in order to form those matching sets. Instead, it allows you to draw a connecting line across the game grid, linking similar squares by moving vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.

As such, it's often possible to draw a long chain of matching tiles - forming a line of jolly bananas, say - that crisses and crosses around the board.

Naturally, these lengthy matches are handsomely rewarded. Any matching chain that comprises four or more fruits will produce a bomb, and the longer your chain the greater its explosive power.

These cocktails of fruit and high explosives soon establish themselves as the surest path to a three-star rating for any given level, and encourage you to plan your matches so as to create explosive opportunities.

Different but the same

Structurally, Juice Cubes borrows liberally from Candy Crush Saga. The level select screen, for instance, takes the form of a gradually unfolding map, while every failed attempt to complete a level will cost you a 'life'.

Of course, these can be quickly replenished by spending some real-world cash, or by simply pestering your Facebook friends for more.

But those aren't the only similarities that Juice Cubes shares with King's massively popular puzzler. The limited number of turns, the objective-based levels, and even the user interface will all ring a bell with Candy Crush players.

For our money, it's Juice Cubes that's the better game, thanks to charming presentation and its subtle but tactile twist on the match-three formula. But these are both social games at heart, and Candy Crush Saga is, at least for now, where the majority of your Facebook friends list is likely to be found.

Juice Cubes

A jaunty, colourful, and polished puzzler. It may be derivative, but Juice Cubes is charming and tactile enough to recommend
Score
James Nouch
James Nouch
PocketGamer.biz's news editor 2012-2013