POSTED 19/9/13


SPARKLE

10tons
Vita/PSN

Seriously, games devs really overcomplicate things sometimes.

Ruh-roh! The light’s gone from Crowberry Woods! Now, any normal person would just flick the light switch to the ‘on’ possie and get on with life. But no, here you have to orb-sling to smash evil balls of colour before they overrun the place. A place that also has big mofo mushrooms.

We’ve only one thing to say for this convolution of the simple matter of letting there be light – YAY!

You see, we can’t go any further without mentioning the ‘P’ and ‘Z’ words. Of course, they would be ‘Puma’ and ‘Zopcap’. Erm, hang on...

Yes, while other than Plants vs Zombies, which is likely available for our hairdryer it’s so omnipresent, Popcap have inexplicably shunned the goodness of Vita. No Peggle, no Bejeweled, no fucking Zuma. Bastards! But Zumaholics can thumb their noses at their former dealers – yes, former - as the lovely 10tons people have, umm, “taken inspiration from” (yes, that’ll do nicely) Zuma and delivered the curiously titled Sparkle. It has nothing to do with the My Life Story song, and couldn’t be better if it did.

Through 100+ squiggly mazes you hurl coloured balls at one, two or three streams of other coloured balls, as they trundle increasingly speedily towards black holes that signify death – for you. Power-ups that pop hither and thither can help, although do you go for them and break your chain, thus slowing down your completion time (and likely pissing off Fleetwood Mac)?

The introductory difficulty is challenging – and lives are limited. If you cark it on the final level (you will) and need to restart you’re skipped five levels back. ARGH! But, destroy the vortex and ensuing difficulties, although obviously more challenging, offer an unlimited lives option. Shame there are no real scores to beat though – oops.

Let’s uncomplicate. Zuma (and puzzler) fans, get this!

CLICK THIS!



CLICK THIS!