Bejeweled Twist

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Bejeweled Twist
Bejeweled Twist cover.jpg
Steam header
Developer(s)PopCap Games
Griptonite Games (co-developer for DS)
Publisher(s)PopCap Games
Designer(s)Jason Kapalka
Brian Fiete[5]
Composer(s)Peter Hajba, Philippe Charron
SeriesBejeweled
EnginePopCap Games Framework
Platform(s)Windows, Java ME, Mobile, Zeebo, Flash, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi (DSiWare), Symbian^3
ReleaseOctober 27, 2008 (Windows)[1]
November 30, 2009 (browser)
May 7, 2009 (mobile)[2]
December 14, 2009 (DSiWare)[3]
January 19, 2010 (Nintendo DS)[4]
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player, Multi-player

Bejeweled Twist is a tile-matching puzzle video game developed and published by PopCap Games. It is the third game overall and first spin-off game in the Bejeweled series, as well as being the first PopCap title to be released in high definition and feature widescreen support.

Bejeweled Twist differs greatly compared to previous entries in the series. Instead of swapping two adjacent gems, the player now rotates four gems clockwise. The game features four modes, and introduces several new elements to the series, including the Lightning Gem, the Supernova Gem, and Bad Gems; as well as Instant Replay features and improved ranking systems.

The game was originally released on October 27, 2008, for PC and Mac, and has received mixed to positive reviews.

Gameplay[]

Bejeweled Twist plays similarly to its predecessors. Instead of swapping two adjacent gems, the player rotates four gems in a 2x2 space clockwise. Like its predecessors, the game involves attempting to create matches of three or more gems in a row to clear them from the board. When this occurs, the gems above it are affected by gravity, falling down and potentially creating cascades.

Unlike previous entries in the series, it is no longer required for a move to create a match of gems. Making consecutive valid matches adds ticks to the multiplier bar, which is located to the top left of the screen. When the multiplier bar is filled, the score multiplier increases, with the multiplier going as high as 10. When the multiplier is filled at the tenth multiplier, it will begin filling in a new rainbow layer onto the bar. When it is filled, a Bad Gem (or if there isn't any, a random gem) will turn into a Fruit Gem, which destroys all gems of its color off the board when matched, similar to the Hypercube in previous entries, as well as adding extra ticks to Bomb and Doom Gems, and destroying all locks from the board.

Like its predecessors, Special Gems return. Making matches of four gems in a row, L, + or T shape matches create a Flame Gem, which destroys the eight gems surrounding it when matched. New to the game is the Lightning Gem, which is created by making a match of five gems in a row. The Lightning Gem destroys all gems on its row and column when activated. Additionally, matching six or more gems in a row creates a Supernova Gem, which destroys all the gems on its row and column on a 3x3 radius.

New to this game are Coals, which cannot be matched, but release a large point bonus when destroyed. Twist introduces Bad Gems, which usually hinder the player's progress. Bomb Gems must be destroyed before their counters hit 0, which causes them to explode and end the game. Locked Gems prevent the player from rotating an area of gems with a lock on it. Doom Gems cannot be matched or moved, and their counter only goes down when matchless moves are made.

Other new gimmicks include the Speed Bonus, which gives the player a score bonus if consecutive matches are made quickly enough, the Bonus Challenge, which provides the player with extra ticks and the destruction of a Bad Gem when the gems shown on the panel are matched in order, and the Mega Fruit Bonus, which is activated after the detonation of a Fruit Gem and awards a large amount of points when performed successfully.

Bejeweled Twist features a ranking system, which increases depending on how well the player plays. Completing levels in Classic and Zen, completing challenges in Challenge and completing games of Blitz awards the player with stars, which varies in amount based on how much the player has scored in the game mode/level.

There are several different modes of gameplay available.

  • Classic involves attempting to score as many points as possible before a Bomb or Doom Gem's counter reaches zero. Matching gems fills up the Level Up Tube on the left of the screen. When it is filled, the player proceeds to the next level, where the base score is multiplied by the current level counter, but requires more points to proceed to the next level. If a Bomb Gem reaches zero, the player is given one last chance to disarm the bomb by using a Disarm Spinner. If the spinner lands on the gems, the game continues. If it lands on the skulls, the Bomb Gem destroys the game board, ending the game. If a Doom Gem reaches zero, it will instantly explode, ending the game. Later levels will have Bomb and Doom Gems starting at lower number counts, along with said gems and locks appearing more frequently.
  • Zen is an endless variant of Classic, where Bomb, Doom Gems and Locks do not appear, therefore the player can never lose. The player earns stars at half the rate of Classic, and the base score multiplier does not increase throughout levels.
  • Challenge is a mini-game based mode that is unlocked when the player reaches the third rank of the game. Challenge is made up of several different challenges. On each planet, the player is given a specific challenge to complete. In the PC and Mac versions, all the planets at the start (except Detonator) are locked. When at least the first challenge on a planet is completed, the next planet is unlocked. Every time a challenge is completed, the player is given stars. Each planet has seven challenges that increase in difficulty. After completing the seventh challenge, the planet's challenge turns into an Eclipse Mode, where the player is given the task to make the highest objective possible in 3 minutes (except for Stratamax and Survivor). There are 13 planets to clear.
  • Blitz is a timed version of Classic, where the player has five minutes to score as many points as possible. It is unlocked when Level 10 in Classic is completed for the first time, while it is unlocked at the beginning in the Steam version. In the web version, the time limit is three minutes. The game ends when a Bomb Gem counts down to zero, or when time runs out.[6]
  • Battle is a multiplayer game mode exclusive to the Nintendo DS and DSiWare versions of the game. Battle involves attacking the opponent by sending Bomb Gems to the opponent's game board, and pushing the progress tube to the edge to win, in tug-of-war fashion. The game ends when a Bomb Gem explodes (in which the exploding side loses) or when the tube is filled (in which the player who filled it wins).

Development[]

The soundtrack to the game is composed by Finnish musician Peter Hajba, known by his demoscene nickname Skaven, and Phillipe Charon.[6] The voice in the main menu and during gameplay is performed by Ken Tamplin.[6]

Release[]

Bejeweled Twist was initially released on PC on October 27, 2008. It was originally released on PopCap.com, but became available on other sites. As of now, the game is currently available on Origin for PC and Steam. Following its initial release, the game was ported to several other platforms.

Bejeweled Twist was ported to the Adobe Flash Player platform on November 30, 2009. The Flash version of the game only features Classic and a 3-minute version of Blitz. The online version of the game also lacks the Bonus Challenge feature.

On May 7, 2009,[7] Bejeweled Twist was ported over to cellphones through the Java ME platform.

A downloadable version of Bejeweled Twist was released on the Nintendo DSi through the Nintendo DSi Shop's DSiWare platform on December 14, 2009.[8] The DSi version contained the PC version's Classic Mode and a brand new exclusive Battle mode, where players who had two DS systems with two copies of the game could battle against each other. A physical version of the game, containing the game's other modes and features, was released on January 19, 2010.[9] The DSiWare version of the game is purchasable through the Nintendo 3DS' Nintendo eShop.

Reception[]

Bejeweled Twist received "generally favorable reviews" according to Metacritic, with a metascore of 78 out of 100.[23] Several reviewers praised the gameplay and variety, while some criticized the DS version's two-player mode for requiring multiple game cartridges, and some having thoughts of the game not leaving an impact as its previous entries.

References[]

  1. ^ "PopCap Unleashes Bejeweled Twist On Unsuspecting Public". PopCap Games. October 27, 2008. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved December 14, 2009.
  2. ^ "PopCap Games Launches Mobile Version of Bejeweled Twist". PopCap Games. May 7, 2009. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2009.
  3. ^ "PopCap Launches Bejeweled Twist for NintendoDSiWare". PopCap Games. December 14, 2009. Archived from the original on December 22, 2009. Retrieved December 14, 2009.
  4. ^ "PopCap Expands Bookworm and Bejeweled Twist Franchises With All-New Adaptations for Nintendo DSiWare and Nintendo DS". PopCap Games. September 21, 2009. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2009.
  5. ^ Bejeweled Twist: Credits Archived May 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ a b c "Bejeweled Twist Readme". Archived from the original on August 13, 2009.
  7. ^ "PopCap Games Launches Mobile Version of Bejeweled Twist™ - May 07, 2009". June 26, 2010. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  8. ^ "PopCap Launches Bejeweled Twist™ for NintendoDSiWare - Dec 14, 2009". December 22, 2009. Archived from the original on December 22, 2009. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  9. ^ "PopCap Expands Bookworm™ and Bejeweled Twist™ Franchises With All-New Adaptations for Nintendo DSiWare and Nintendo DS - Sep 21, 2009". June 26, 2010. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  10. ^ "Bejeweled Twist Critic Reviws for DS". Metacritic. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  11. ^ "Bejeweled Twist Critic Reviews for PC". Metacritic. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  12. ^ Gibson, Ellie (November 21, 2008). "Bejeweled Twist Review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  13. ^ Terrones, Terry (November 5, 2008). "Review: Bejeweled Twist". GamePro. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  14. ^ Windy (March 5, 2010). "Bejeweled Twist". GameRevolution. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  15. ^ McShea, Tom (March 11, 2010). "Bejeweled Twist". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 14, 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  16. ^ Buchanan, Levi (November 6, 2008). "Bejeweled Twist". IGN. Archived from the original on November 10, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  17. ^ Buchanan, Levi (December 14, 2009). "Bejeweled Twist DSi Review". IGN. Archived from the original on December 18, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  18. ^ Buchanan, Levi (February 9, 2010). "Bejeweled Twist Review". IGN. Archived from the original on February 13, 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  19. ^ Wahlgren, Jonathan (December 16, 2009). "Bejeweled Twist (DSiWare) review". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on December 20, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  20. ^ Ellis, Kimberley (April 5, 2009). "Bejeweled Twist Review". PALGN. Archived from the original on September 26, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  21. ^ Rose, Mike (April 28, 2011). "Bejeweled Twist". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on November 6, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  22. ^ Mastrapa, Gus (November 17, 2008). "Bejeweled Twist". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  23. ^ "Bejeweled Twist". Metacritic. Retrieved November 3, 2021.

External links[]

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