Bejeweled 2 is one of the all-time classic puzzle videogames. Now it makes it onto the small screen in the shape of this polished iOS version.
No doubt you've played Bejeweled, or at least a variant of it at some point in your life. But for the benefit of those who haven't, the object of Bejeweled 2 is to make rows or columns of matching gems to clear them from the stack. You swap gems around by tapping the one you want to move then the one you want to change it with. You can only swap gems with adjacent gems in Bejeweled 2. No diagonals are allowed.
Bejeweled 2 for iPhone features four different game modes. There's the Classic mode, where you need to reach a set allocation of gems to progress to the next level. Then there's Action mode, which applies a time limit to each level. Bejewled 2 also features Endless mode, and Blitz, which allows you to connect to Facebook and enter weekly competitions against other players.
The presentation of Bejeweled 2 on the iPhone is impeccable. The planetary-themed backgrounds are very impressive, as are the swooshy transitions between each level. The music and sound effects used in Bejeweled 2 are some of the sharpest I've heard on an iPhone game and, along with the synthesized speech effects, help to give it a true arcade feel.
Bejeweled 2 excels in its gameplay, and this is one of those puzzle games that you can get totally immersed in for hours if you're not too careful. The ability to rack up combos and access special power-ups by making long lines only serves to add to its addictiveness.
Much like Tetris, Bejeweled 2 is one of those rare classics that never lose their appeal, and its transition to iPhone has been immaculate. A must-have for all puzzle game fans.
