Many of the casual games that have been more likely, or previously, been released on the PC are now reaping the benefits of the capabilities of the two Nintendo consoles; the latest being Jewel Master: Cradle of Egypt scheduled for a June release on the DS.
Cradle of Egypt is an addictive Match-3 puzzle game with an engaging resource mechanic. Building on the key features that made its predecessor such a success, it now includes bonus items and tools associated with ancient Egyptian mythology to use throughout the game.
To clear a level, players must match three or more of the same tiles in order to smash the blue marble slabs that lie beneath them, all within a time limit; once completed, a Scarab will appear on the board and must be freed.
Unlike many puzzle games, Cradle of Egypt forces people to think two or more moves ahead to ensure they complete the challenge – the quicker gamers are, the bigger the time bonus. But the longer they play the more resources they accumulate in order to rebuild an ancient Egyptian civilisation.
There’s a real purpose to gameplay, too, as each tile represents a different item: gold, building materials and food, and other items are bonus tools to help complete a level successfully. Match four or five titles next to each other and win even more resources.
With a simple entry level, each board has varying levels of difficulty, giving more valuable tiles in the process. There are over 20 historical sites to build from five eras, comprising 100 levels in Standard mode that can then be revisited in Relax mode.
