Zuma
Posted January 16, 2006
Sometimes it's the simplest of things which attract the most attention. Think about the gifts your kid brother got when he was a toddler, and how he was most interested in the wrapping paper or the box it came in. To that extent the revamped Xbox Live Arcade has been swallowing up a lot of my time when I fire up the Xbox 360 thanks to the simple yet engaging titles that the service provides.
Aside from the free pack in game on every premium system shipped Hexic HD, there are at least a few other titles that are sure to entertain you long after the lights go out on Call of Duty 2 or PGR3. The first arcade title outside of the highly addictive Hexic I had the privilege of playing was Zuma. Not really heavy on the story aspect (thankfully) Zuma is a simple yet highly engaging title that once started will hold you tight as the hours melt away.
Gameplay:
So how does one play Zuma, and what exactly is a Zuma? To answer the second question, I do not know. But the first question is an easy one. Zuma places you in control of a frog idol that has the ability to shoot colored balls out his mouth with the very interesting talent of being able to show the color of the next ball in the queue near his hind quarters. But why shoot colored balls you ask? Another easy question. As with many other puzzle games the key to advancing through the game is to match items of a particular color in groups as they progress through increasingly intricate paths through the level to their ultimate demise of a hole which enjoys nothing more than making balls disappear.
Sure you can progress through the early levels by just eliminating balls, but the key to advancing through both of the game modes is by stringing together combos which will increase not only your score, but the ease of getting through some later levels. The key to combos is when one group of balls disappear if like colored balls are on either side of the gap created, they are attracted to each other and you guessed it, if you have a large enough group (in Zuma's case three) you'll get combo points and create yet another gap.
The two modes of play are remarkably similar, yet just different enough to warrant writing about. Adventure mode takes you through a series of stages with tougher and tougher paths for the balls to roll down. Some levels have multiple paths for more balls, other have obscured sections to limit your choices for clearing out a section. Pass a certain number of levels and you clear one of the temples, opening up a slightly humorous story board screen and then also granting you one of the games achievements before sending you towards the next set of levels.
Gauntlet mode places you on a single map of your choice (or a random one) and pummels you with balls until your mind snaps and you either lose your balls or give up. Complete enough combinations and clear enough balls and you'll advance in title from Rabbit to Eagle to Jaguar and ultimately to Son of Sun which coincidentally grants another achievement. Gauntlet is a very simple premise, but actually one of the most enjoyable I've had the privilege of playing.
Graphics:
The graphics here are really quite simple; your two-dimensional frog sits on a slightly 3D map and fires his colored balls. Backgrounds are static with no real razzle-dazzle to them, but quite honestly this is why I think the game works so well. Not an extra cycle was spent tweaking the graphics because realistically, they aren't necessary when the game is as highly addictive and playable as this one is.
Audio:
Again, the sound is really nothing that will blow you away, but it does help convey a feeling of urgency as you get closer to losing a level. When you clear a large group of balls or string together some excellent combos, the explosions and tribal chants in the background grant you the audio cue that yes in fact you have done something well.
Conclusion:
For a mere 800 Marketplace points ($10) you too can add the joy of Zuma to your hard drive, and believe me this is a title that puzzle gamers will love to get a hold of. It's mix of simple to learn and an eon to master will keep the player coming back for more to try and unlock that final achievement, or get their score on the top of the Xbox Live leader board.
With its mix of ease and challenge, it's sure to entice hardcore and beginning gamers alike. Sure the sound and graphics aren't mind-blowing, but it's proof to the point that a game can be extremely entertaining without needing to be uber-realistic looking. Highly Recommended.
Aside from the free pack in game on every premium system shipped Hexic HD, there are at least a few other titles that are sure to entertain you long after the lights go out on Call of Duty 2 or PGR3. The first arcade title outside of the highly addictive Hexic I had the privilege of playing was Zuma. Not really heavy on the story aspect (thankfully) Zuma is a simple yet highly engaging title that once started will hold you tight as the hours melt away.
Gameplay:
So how does one play Zuma, and what exactly is a Zuma? To answer the second question, I do not know. But the first question is an easy one. Zuma places you in control of a frog idol that has the ability to shoot colored balls out his mouth with the very interesting talent of being able to show the color of the next ball in the queue near his hind quarters. But why shoot colored balls you ask? Another easy question. As with many other puzzle games the key to advancing through the game is to match items of a particular color in groups as they progress through increasingly intricate paths through the level to their ultimate demise of a hole which enjoys nothing more than making balls disappear.
Sure you can progress through the early levels by just eliminating balls, but the key to advancing through both of the game modes is by stringing together combos which will increase not only your score, but the ease of getting through some later levels. The key to combos is when one group of balls disappear if like colored balls are on either side of the gap created, they are attracted to each other and you guessed it, if you have a large enough group (in Zuma's case three) you'll get combo points and create yet another gap.
The two modes of play are remarkably similar, yet just different enough to warrant writing about. Adventure mode takes you through a series of stages with tougher and tougher paths for the balls to roll down. Some levels have multiple paths for more balls, other have obscured sections to limit your choices for clearing out a section. Pass a certain number of levels and you clear one of the temples, opening up a slightly humorous story board screen and then also granting you one of the games achievements before sending you towards the next set of levels.
Gauntlet mode places you on a single map of your choice (or a random one) and pummels you with balls until your mind snaps and you either lose your balls or give up. Complete enough combinations and clear enough balls and you'll advance in title from Rabbit to Eagle to Jaguar and ultimately to Son of Sun which coincidentally grants another achievement. Gauntlet is a very simple premise, but actually one of the most enjoyable I've had the privilege of playing.
Graphics:
The graphics here are really quite simple; your two-dimensional frog sits on a slightly 3D map and fires his colored balls. Backgrounds are static with no real razzle-dazzle to them, but quite honestly this is why I think the game works so well. Not an extra cycle was spent tweaking the graphics because realistically, they aren't necessary when the game is as highly addictive and playable as this one is.
Audio:
Again, the sound is really nothing that will blow you away, but it does help convey a feeling of urgency as you get closer to losing a level. When you clear a large group of balls or string together some excellent combos, the explosions and tribal chants in the background grant you the audio cue that yes in fact you have done something well.
Conclusion:
For a mere 800 Marketplace points ($10) you too can add the joy of Zuma to your hard drive, and believe me this is a title that puzzle gamers will love to get a hold of. It's mix of simple to learn and an eon to master will keep the player coming back for more to try and unlock that final achievement, or get their score on the top of the Xbox Live leader board.
With its mix of ease and challenge, it's sure to entice hardcore and beginning gamers alike. Sure the sound and graphics aren't mind-blowing, but it's proof to the point that a game can be extremely entertaining without needing to be uber-realistic looking. Highly Recommended.