Review: The Treasures Of Montezuma HD - Stop Waiting For Bejeweled HD?

Overview

It seems PopCap is taking their sweet time in porting Bejeweled over to the iPad, but there are plenty of other match threes waiting to be played. One such game is The Treasures of Montezuma HD which uses the same swapping mechanic, but adds more to it. There are all kinds of bonuses, and special totems to use on your quest.

Features

There are 41 levels across five chapters, and in every level you have a certain number of gems to collect. There are gems embedded in random pieces across the board, and you need to free them all in the time limit to complete the level. As you complete levels you earn stars to pick up power-ups and totem abilities. The totems are activated when you make consecutive matches of the same color, and each color offers a different power-up. There are also mini-games at the end of each chapter.

The Good

The game has all the fun of Bejeweled, and then is intertwined with tons more action. Once you unlock the power-ups and totems there is a plethora of treasure destruction all at once. The game is set up well to create extensive combos as you clear large portions of the board, and then are quick to make any switches that you can to keep the combo alive. Once all the totems are unlocked it seems like every move you make has a special that is possible, and you really need to think ahead to the next match after the one you're currently making. Every level introduces more gems to unlock, but the same time limits, so you need to be quick, and the time constraints really keep up the tempo. This is match three at it's finest with no dull moments, huge chains, and all kinds of power-ups.

Making it through every level in the game will take a number of hours, and there are two difficulty modes to warrant playing through the game again. The game looks great on the iPad with such fine style in every piece and background asset. Then there are the matching and power-up animations that really shine on the larger device. A very nice soundtrack is included that embodies an Ancient jungle culture theme.

The Bad

The game lacks online high scores so you only have a local score table. There are local trophies to earn, but it would be nice to have some online connectivity. The gameplay itself is still the same swapping mechanic over and over again that most have experienced before.

The Verdict

The Treasures of Montezuma HD is an excellent match three game that is high on action and fun. The game is designed really well with a high degree of polish and silky smooth controls. The game is great for the iPad, and adds enough new elements to the Bejeweled formula to stand alone. For $4.99 Treasures of Montazuma is worth picking up on your iPad. Be sure to try the lite version to get a taste, through the lite lacks the majority of the power-ups and consequent action and fun.