mani6
28-03-08, 07:50 PM
Java Games for Sony Ericsson
Java Games for Sony Ericsson
7 Wonders
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
A classical education is considered a sign of privilege in the modern era, the result of good breeding, connections and above all wealth. Thanks to 7 Wonders, however, the great unwashed can now claw back a little highbrow schooling, with a curriculum combining ancient history and an object lesson in puzzle mechanics available for the price of a single mobile game.
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
As the title suggests, your task is to help craft the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, from the Great Pyramid of Giza to the Lighthouse of Alexandria. You do this by switching adjacent tiles in order to make a matching line of three or more.
Achieve this and not only will the tiles disappear, enabling those above to drop down (in accordance with Tile Mechanics 101), but they'll also send building blocks to the base of the screen, where an army of slaves (happy ones) collect them and hurry off to construct the appropriate wonder.
Clear all the blocks on each level of the Wonder and you're rewarded with a graphical representation of your construction work, plus a little bit of a history lesson.
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
As well as boosting your pub trivia potential, this context provides inspiration for a colourful, polished visual style (scrolls, runes and togas are all in place) as well as a sensible reward structure to your tile-matching activities.
Not that you really need that much incentive to keep on-puzzling. 7 Wonders is an absolute joy to play, whether you're squeezing in a fast five minutes between trains or settling down for an hour of 'just one more go'.
The difficulty challenge is perfectly weighted too, with the diversity of different tiles and the complexity of the levels increasing steadily as you progress through the 30-odd levels, making the time limit seem progressively tougher and making you glad of the special power-up tiles that enable the clearance of entire lines and columns.
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
Crucially, despite adding various subtleties to the established tile-puzzling template, 7 Wonders never lets you feel lost. The controls are instinctive, and you're offered constant feedback on everything from your progress through the levels (via an overview map and coloured-in versions of the monuments) to the number of tiles left, and even a hint if you get stuck (via subtly twinkling tiles).
Besides the visuals, there are also some neat fanfares, sounds and vibration effects heralding your achievements or urging you to action, too.
Sure, at times the game can seem a little overly helpful, veering dangerously close to the 'too easy' line – especially when you run out of matches and the board simply reshuffles itself. But then you can always flick the difficulty up from Normal to Hard and turn the tips off.
Whilst we've obviously seen plenty of puzzle games of its ilk before, it's pretty hard to fault 7 Wonders. It offers a master class in how to make an engaging, addictive and polished mobile puzzle game.
Download ([Only registered and activated users can see links])[Only registered and activated users can see links]
Java Games for Sony Ericsson
7 Wonders
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
A classical education is considered a sign of privilege in the modern era, the result of good breeding, connections and above all wealth. Thanks to 7 Wonders, however, the great unwashed can now claw back a little highbrow schooling, with a curriculum combining ancient history and an object lesson in puzzle mechanics available for the price of a single mobile game.
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
As the title suggests, your task is to help craft the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, from the Great Pyramid of Giza to the Lighthouse of Alexandria. You do this by switching adjacent tiles in order to make a matching line of three or more.
Achieve this and not only will the tiles disappear, enabling those above to drop down (in accordance with Tile Mechanics 101), but they'll also send building blocks to the base of the screen, where an army of slaves (happy ones) collect them and hurry off to construct the appropriate wonder.
Clear all the blocks on each level of the Wonder and you're rewarded with a graphical representation of your construction work, plus a little bit of a history lesson.
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
As well as boosting your pub trivia potential, this context provides inspiration for a colourful, polished visual style (scrolls, runes and togas are all in place) as well as a sensible reward structure to your tile-matching activities.
Not that you really need that much incentive to keep on-puzzling. 7 Wonders is an absolute joy to play, whether you're squeezing in a fast five minutes between trains or settling down for an hour of 'just one more go'.
The difficulty challenge is perfectly weighted too, with the diversity of different tiles and the complexity of the levels increasing steadily as you progress through the 30-odd levels, making the time limit seem progressively tougher and making you glad of the special power-up tiles that enable the clearance of entire lines and columns.
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
Crucially, despite adding various subtleties to the established tile-puzzling template, 7 Wonders never lets you feel lost. The controls are instinctive, and you're offered constant feedback on everything from your progress through the levels (via an overview map and coloured-in versions of the monuments) to the number of tiles left, and even a hint if you get stuck (via subtly twinkling tiles).
Besides the visuals, there are also some neat fanfares, sounds and vibration effects heralding your achievements or urging you to action, too.
Sure, at times the game can seem a little overly helpful, veering dangerously close to the 'too easy' line – especially when you run out of matches and the board simply reshuffles itself. But then you can always flick the difficulty up from Normal to Hard and turn the tips off.
Whilst we've obviously seen plenty of puzzle games of its ilk before, it's pretty hard to fault 7 Wonders. It offers a master class in how to make an engaging, addictive and polished mobile puzzle game.
Download ([Only registered and activated users can see links])[Only registered and activated users can see links]