Halloween X: a Halloween themed Match 3 game
If you take a gander Top 100 free game apps in the App Store, you will see in the top 5 is a game called “Line Up Free”. Now, this review isn’t for that game, but these games are out there in the App Store and they clearly are making a success. Halloween X is a basic simple “Match 3 of the same”, high score game. How does it compare with smash hits like “Collapse!” and “Removem”? Let’s match these apps up and see which one ends up on top.
Gameplay:
There’s a lone and singular main mode, but what’s interesting is that the game provides unlimited levels. But rather have it keep track of levels, or any sort of your progression, it gives you 5 lives. You lose a life when you tap a single icon that is not surrounded by it’s matching elements, much like other puzzle strategy games. For instance, if you have cleared the screen of it’s Halloween goodness except for just 1 pumpkin icon and 1 skeleton icon, well you’re going to have to sacrifice one of your “lives” in order to get rid of them. This proves to be the challenge for the gamers because the levels don’t get harder or any more complex as you proceed further into the game. This may be fine for some people, but I would’ve loved to have some sort of progress reporting back to me to let me know of my accomplishments. Yes, it’s a high score game but why not have a level count or some other way to let us know just how amazing or crappy we are?
The in-game graphics aren’t too shabby. The icons are assorted “Halloween” creatures, from pumpkins to skeletons, and they have a good amount of detail. As you match them up, the elements disappear magically along with a spooky sound effect to go along with it. It’s above average graphics for this kind of game. I’ve seen worse. The only gripe I had was the front menu looked incredibly boring and had a cheap feel to it. The font the game developers used was as simple as “Times New “Roman” and there was nothing really attractive about it. For a Halloween game, you would think maybe they could add a spooky font or some more graphics because it just looked unprofessional even for a $0.99 game.
Last but not least, the game lacks what I like to call, “Dealbreaker Numero Uno”. That’s the “Resume Game” feature after exiting the app. If you’ve got your highest score ever with 5 lives still left and you get a phone call or you accidentally hit the home button, say goodbye to that score. It’s gone. Not only that, there’s not even a “Pause” button. Your only option is to go back to the main menu and that erases your progress. This has to be priority one for the game developers.
Controls:
With games like these, controls aren’t really that important as much as the gameplay. It’s your simple touch the screen and watch the Halloween heads disappear!
As they advertise in the App Store, it’s a simple puzzle strategy ‘tap-the-screen’ game action. It’s very responsive, however what hinders the gameplay is that the icons are pretty tiny. It’s pretty easy to touch the wrong icon and as I mentioned above, that’s a big no no because you only get a limited amount of “mistake” touches. For your common thicker fingered fellow, he or she would not be too happy.
What We Liked:
+ Unlimited levels
+ Online global and local high scores
+ Halloween theme
+ Global leaderboards
+ Spooky Halloween-esque sound effects
+ Not too shabby icon graphics
+ Will work for the colorblind
+ No “Pause” in-game or “Resume Game” after exiting app
What We Disliked:
- Repetitive
- No soundtrack
- Boring front screen menu set up
- A tad buggy with submitting scores
- Keeps no track of your progress
- Introduces nothing new to the genre
- Little creativity
Final Verdict:
Halloween X by Nordic Electronics is a common “match 3″ puzzle strategy game that most of us gamers have all played before. While it’s everything a “tap the screen” match ‘em up game with a Halloween twist, it’s nothing new and main menu graphics just look cheap which reduces it’s professionalism. If you love these kinds of games, then this will be a solid season app for your collection but be warned that it has little creativity and will feel like every other similar game you’ve played before without a “Pause” or “Resume” game option.
Related posts:
- Colorix: A Visually Stunning Match-Three Puzzler
- Circletris: Tetris? Vertical Match-3? That’s in the Past!
- Steamballs: An Inventive Twist on Match-3
Category: Games
