Match Spheres To Score Bonuses And Collect Coins
The Treasures of Hotei ($1.99) by Branavets challenges you to collect 11 magic coins to present as a gift to Hotei, the god of abundance and good health.
This matching game works with basically the same rules as Bejeweled. You’ll need to match at least three similar spheres to score points. Bonuses are awarded for matches of four or five spheres. The bonuses include a bomb (destroys all spheres adjacent to it), lightning (zaps out all spheres in its row and column), and fire (eliminates the whole row).
So how is this game any different than Bejeweled? You will need to collect four pieces of a coin before time runs out.
Each piece is collected when you drop it past the bottom line by eliminating the spheres around it. Another apparent difference is the design of the spheres. Instead of glittery gems, you’ll need to match fish, puffins, sharks, ship wheels, and asps (very dangerous).
Gameplay can be tedious, especially when you go to the trouble of collecting the four pieces of the coin, only to do it all over again in the next level.
However, things do get exciting when multiple bonuses start firing off in a chain reaction. I was also surprised to discover that you can move any sphere, regardless of a match.
This game doesn’t score high on originality, though it is a viable alternative to Bejeweled if you’re looking for a change. It also comes in three flavors: $1.99 for the iPhone, $2.99 for iPad, and $4.99 for Mac.
