PocketSwap

.: By: Mike :: Device used: iPAQ H3650 :: October 8, 2000 :.

PocketSwap is the first arcade-style game to exit the PocketFun.co.uk stable and, fortunately for both them and everyone else, it happens to be a quality piece of software. The first thing that strikes you when you load up the game is the presentation: it's clean, crisp and colourful and the game has a polished edge throughout.

So, on to the game itself. You have a choice of playing an "endless" game (either easy or difficult) or a time trial. As the names suggest, an endless game simply carries on until you lose whilst the time trial gives you a set limit of two minutes to get as high a score as possible. Having the two different game types is a nice touch in that if you only have a short time to spare (e.g. a few minutes before the boss returns!) you know that the time trial game won't last more than two minutes, whereas if you have time to kill then an "endless" game might well be your first choice.

As for the nature of the gameplay, the first thought that sprung to my mind was: it's PocketPop meets Tetris. The puzzle element of the game is fairly similar to PocketPop, with the main difference being that the bubbles are replaced by Tetris-like blocks. The idea, as with PocketPop, is to match up blocks of the same colour. Get three or more in a row either horizontally or vertically (but not diagonally) and the blocks disappear with any blocks above them falling down to fill in the gap.

However, with PocketSwap, you have a "highlight" which covers two squares horizontally. You can either use the joypad to move the highlight around, or use the stylus to position it. On my iPAQ, the "Q" button (or a stylus tap) acted as the game action button, which serves to swap - hence the name of the game - the two highlighted pieces over. The central aim of the game therefore is to swap the pieces in such a way that those of the same colour are lined up and thus are eliminated from the playing area, giving you more breathing space and a better chance at getting on the high score chart!

So far, so good. However, the action element of the game is introduced by the fact that as time passes, the blocks are gradually moving upwards, with new blocks appearing at the bottom of the screen. Should the blocks reach the top, it's game over. One way in which you can temporarily stop the upward movement is to eliminate two or more groups of like-coloured pieces simultaneously, a trick which takes great skill, or no small amount of luck, or both!

It all sounds nice enough, but what about the gameplay, you may well be wondering. Fortunately, the answer is a positive one. If you liked Tetris (and who didn't?) or games that involve a certain amount of mental exercise, then there's no conceivable reason why you won't like PocketSwap. For me, it combines the best elements of a puzzle game with the best elements of an action game.

One slight downside I noticed on my iPAQ is that using the joypad to move the highlight around is a little slow, and there is a general feeling of unresponsiveness. However, I would assume that this is more down to the now-infamous button problem than any fault of the game's. In any case, it doesn't ruin the gameplay and the option to use the stylus is always there. Nevertheless, I would have liked to have seen an option to use the iPAQ's central "action" button which is the only one that can be used in conjunction with the joypad. Perhaps this feature could be added in a future update.

Another nice feature of the game is that, like PocketPop, PocketSwap is skinnable. What this means is that eventually there should be a collection of alternative shapes and backdrops which you can download if you are a registered user - for example, I tried out a skin which replaced the original blocks with snazzy-looking balls. You can even design your own skins and submit them for inclusion on the PocketSwap page, should you feel suitably inspired.

In conclusion, I predict a great future for PocketSwap. It's different enough to stand out from other action/puzzle games (such as the various Tetris clones that exist) and good enough to become a best-seller. As with the all best games, it combines a simple idea with great gameplay. A highly recommended title.

.: Game category: Puzzle Games :: Reviews Index :.