Look Out For Explosive Gems In Jade Monkey
Jade Monkey (Free) by Dream Forge Entertainment, LLC is the classic game of "Bejeweled" which throws some extra options your way.
Most of us probably know how to play Bejeweled by now, but for those of us that don’t, the explanation goes something like this.
You have to line up three or more same-color gems vertically or horizontally which destroys those gems, giving you points and causing more gems to drop down onto the board.
Only one gem can be moved at a time and by only one step at a time. There is also a countdown timer to keep in mind at the bottom of the screen.
All of this is perfectly normal for this type of game, but here is where Jade Monkey is different. At the very bottom, there is a series of buttons designed to help you in some way.
On the board, there are occasionally skull stones. They can never be lined up into groups of three since there are never enough of them, but by pressing the skull button, you can destroy all the skull stones. This makes for a handy way to rearrange some pieces. Similarly, there are round coin-looking stones which can be destroyed by the “coin-button.” The game calls them spirits, but they look like coins to me.
There are also buttons for increasing the amount of time you have left, the number of points you get for a short time, and if you’re stuck, pressing the question mark button gives you a hint.
The most fun ability is the one to destroy all power gems. Power gems look like regular gems with a glowing, sparkling effect around them. When detonated, they take a bunch of other gems along with them in a spectacular blaze of glory.
The timer seemed quite short to me and while Bejeweled games often allow you to increase the time remaining every time you destroy some gems, Jade Monkey does not seem to allow this except through the extra time button. This made games very short and is quite the drawback.
Not all features are fully explained such as the circular lights around the edges. I suspect they may have something do with increasing remaining time, but it’s hard to tell as you have to be really quick.
In any case, if you enjoy Bejeweled-type games, give Jade Monkey a go since it is free anyway.
