The folks over at Astraware has been known to churn out games that they themselves design. Bubble Shuffle, their latest word-based game is another example of a home-grown offering.
Simply said, Bubble Shuffle is a fun undersea-themed word game, perfect for both kids and adults alike.
The game comes with four different modes to play in, two timed modes – Shuffle Rush and Fast Finder and two untimed modes – Shuffle Puzzle and Discovery. At first glance, the different modes might look similar. However, upon careful observation, you’ll notice the different entertainment values offered by each mode.
Let’s take a closer look at the different modes. Shuffle Puzzle and Shuffle Rush are quite similar to each other, with the difference that one lets you play at your own pace while the other challenges you to complete each level within the allocated time. As the name suggests, both Shuffle Puzzle and Shuffle Rush modes require that you find a word which uses all of the letters provided in order to advance. In Discovery and Fast Finder mode, you are tasked to find a certain number of words based off any length in order to proceed to the next level.
Regardless of the mode you choose to play, once you reach the required goal for each level, the Advance button lits up, allowing you to proceed to the next level. You may continue in the same level to find all of the possible words for bonus points though.
Gameplay is quite simple. Letters are displayed in bubbles which you then either tap or drag to move them into the black box. There’s a ‘Shuffle’ button that will help rearrange the bubbles that are currently not in the black box. Believe me, as simple as it sounds, using this button does really help you built certain hard to find words. Once you are confident that the word you just build is valid, tap on the Enter button to register it. Wordsworth Smartygills, the fish mascot of the game shall let you know if a certain word is not valid.
Taking a little cue from recent console games, Bubble Shuffle lets you hunt for what is similar to Achievements (or Thropies) via an Awards system. There are about seven awards waiting to be discovered, each represented by a sea horse. An award is rewarded for performing certain tasks, like forming obscure words without using the shuffle button.
Advanced users and those who want more challenges may opt to have the Extended Dictionary turned on – a feature common in most of Astraware’s word-based games. By default, this dictionary is turned off – truly obscure words are not included in the word list at the same time, the player will not be required to find those words to complete the level. However, finding them will still gain you a bonus. At the end of the day, the only matter here is whether you want the bonus of finding obscure words or the challenge in finding them.
Bubble Shuffle utilizes a very simple interface that is common among most iPhone applications. I have only one complain though – the bubbles are quite small and quite challenging if you have fat fingers. They should have been made larger to accomodate the extra screen estate of the device.
Being Astraware’s first word-based game for the iPhone platform, Bubble Shuffle is quite entertaining a title. The inclusion of the extended dictionary adds replay value to the game. Anagram-anglers would definitely love the challenges provided by the game, while casual gamers would thank the game for helping build and expand their vocabulary.
Bubble Shuffle is available from the iTunes Store for only $4.99 a copy. The game is developed by Astraware and is published by Handmark, Inc. Continuing the tradition of Astraware reviews, I shall leave you with a short clip of the game in action. Game screenshots follow after that.
Rating: 4.0/5.0 Taps
App Data
App Name: Bubble Shuffle v1.00 | Publisher: Handmark, Inc. | Purchase via: iTunes App Store @ $4.99 | Released: Feb 04, 2009 | Reviewed on: iPod touch v2.2.1
