Game review: Chuzzle - iPhone / iPod Touch (From Wimbledon Guardian)

Game review: Chuzzle - iPhone / iPod Touch

12:50pm Tuesday 15th December 2009

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When I got my iPod Touch for Christmas 2008 one of the first things I did as I begun browsing the App Store was see if PopCap was present.

You see, PopCap is the publisher responsible for some of my favourite games of all time, such as Bejeweled 2 and Chuzzle.

I was delighted to see a fantastic portable version of the aforementioned Bejeweled 2 was there, so snapped that up straight away.

Unfortunately there was no sign of the cute and furry match-three puzzler Chuzzle.

During this year two more of PopCap’s classics have arrived on Apple’s mobile devices – Bookworm and the awesome Peggle.

But still Chuzzle has been conspicuous by its absence – until now that is.

At last, after months of waiting, this brilliant fuzzball-swapping game has finally been released for iPhone and iPod Touch.

I recommend this simple yet deceptively challenging game to everyone. Just be prepared to give up hours of your life because it is wickedly addictive.

Chuzzle gets its name from the googly-eyed little squishball-like characters in the game.

The Chuzzle experience takes place on a 6x6 grid formed of 36 of the furry critters in various colours.

In each turn you must drag an entire row or column of the grid with your finger to try and line up a group of three or more same-coloured chuzzles.

When this happens points are awarded while the matched chuzzles pop and are replaced by new ones from the top of the board.

A flask at the bottom of the screen fills with each match and a level is complete when it’s full.

As you pull the chuzzles around the grid you need to be looking for whether you can make more than one match in the same turn or set off a chain reaction that will lead to multiple matches as chuzzles fall.

The rows and columns wrap around the screen so if you pull a row to the left the fuzzballs on the end will reappear on the right-hand side. Using this wraparound feature is essential to finding moves sometimes.

It’s not just popping chuzzles which changes the layout of the board.

Sometimes big squishballs appear taking up four spaces, meaning you have to drag two rows or columns around at the same time.

There are also glowing chuzzles which explode others around them when part of a match.

Locked chuzzles stop a row or column from being moved and can only be got rid of by connecting others of the same colour to them.

Rainbow coloured chuzzles provide a points bonus when matched.

In the unlikely event you get bored of the classic mode (which can be played on casual or expert settings) or you find it’s not quite to your liking then Chuzzle has three other modes.

In speed mode you’re racing against the clock while in mind bender mode the puzzle format is twisted around as there are specific patterns to make with the chuzzles. If you want a more relaxing game then the endless play zen mode is an option.

Like a good friend, Chuzzle wants to play with you. It wants to work together rather than against you to make the gaming experience fun.

It’s an incredibly likeable game oozing with personality. As hard as it gets sometimes Chuzzle never feels frustrating.

It’s a delight to play, with lots of bright colours and great sounds tickling the senses.

As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews match-three puzzle games are ten a penny for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Anyone who hasn’t played this one before may think the format is slightly stale.

It must be remembered Chuzzle was one of the leading lights of the genre when it first appeared on PC in 2005. Its format (and that of Bejeweled 2) has been copied by numerous other games.

As well as being one of the original leaders in its field Chuzzle remains one of the absolute best games of its type.

Its simplicity and addictiveness make it just about the epitome of casual gaming.

Additionally, Chuzzle is perfectly suited to the iPhone and iPod Touch platform.

The touch controls work like a dream and the format of the game is ideal for playing on the move, meaning you can take this fantastically cute and challenging puzzler with you wherever you go.

Verdict: 9.5 out of 10 – Simply one of the best games of its type ever produced and now one of the best games available for iPhone and iPod Touch.

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