By Brad Cook

It’s only fitting that one of the most popular puzzle games of all time — the first to be inducted into Computer Gaming World’s Hall of Fame since Tetris — is available for the iPod. Sure, you can download a version for your laptop, but nothing beats pulling out your iPod anywhere, any time and playing a quick game or two. Try balancing a notebook computer on one arm and attempting that while waiting in line for a movie.

This version of Bejeweled brings with it the classic gameplay you’ve come to know and love: Select one of the gems on the screen and swap it with another one, creating a set of three or matching gems that disappear. The gems above them fall into their place, possibly creating another potential match that brings with it a score multiplier. Of course, the gems that fill that void could also create a match. And so on.

Bejeweled features two gameplay modes, classic or action. In the former, you fill a meter as you clear gems from the board; when it reaches the top, you move to the next level. The latter depletes the meter if you take too long between moves, keeping you frantically looking for the next match lest the meter hits zero and the game ends. Classic mode games only end when you run out of moves. If you run out of options in action mode, however, you’ll get a new board.

Looking Good

Bejeweled’s graphics have improved greatly since its release in 2001. The gems sport a 3D-like look, despite the 2D playing surface, and occasionally a glint of light washes across the screen. A spiraling, multi-colored tunnel takes you from the end of one level to the start of the next. Each level is backed by a view of a pristine landscape.

The game tracks your top five scores in classic or action mode, and you have the option of turning on hints, which point out the best gem for you to swap if you wait too long before your next move. Bejeweled also takes advantage of the iPod’s touch-sensitive click wheel, allowing you to navigate the selection box to a gem and then simply tap in the direction you want to swap it.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to shower some riches on your iPod.

Tips and Tricks:

• Sometimes the most obvious move isn’t the best one. For example, moving a gem into a match might push its adjacent gem too far away to complete a subsequent match.
• Gems should be swapped to not only create matches but also set up future moves. For example, you might see, looking from left to right, a pair of orange gems, a red one, and then another orange, with a blue gem at the end, sitting on top of a column of two red gems. Swap the rightmost orange with the adjacent red, clearing those gems and setting up a swap of the red and blue gems so you can clear the subsequent column of three red gems.
• Don’t worry if you accidentally swap the wrong gems. As long as they don’t create a match, they’ll revert to their original positions.
• Don’t wait around for hints to show up in action mode, if you can help it. The meter will drop in the meantime.

iPod Games FAQ

Do you have questions regarding any of the iPod games available from the iTunes Store?

Boost That Score. Cascading series of matches bring higher point totals.

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