Match 3 Games

[romulus]

Hello everyone...

I'm a big puzzle game fan. I play Drop7, Frenzic, and Brain Thaw quite a bit. I'm not normally into match-three games but after playing the smiles demo I've decided I want one (but only one) for those times when I want to look at massive chain combos and feel *partly* responsible. So what does everyone recommend?

I really liked the smiles demo, and Montezuma looks great, but I tend to pick games based mainly on the graphics (oh so shallow). I'd love to hear from the people who are really into the matching games...

Thanks for your help!

EDIT: Grid has been collecting a list of these apps for us:

Aurora Feint (tetris attack gameplay, board moves upward, adds "gravity" device rotation & RPG elements)
Azkend
Ballz
Bejewled II
Big Bang
Big Booty
Bling: Touch Fever
Block Chaos
Bomboozle
Campaign Trail
Candy (story mode, different board shapes)
Chain3 (no movement constraints)
ChocChocPop (adds "gadget" powerups)
Chocolate Shop Frenzy
Chop Sushi
Crazy Sushi (uses the Yoshi’s Cookie “slide a row” game mechanic)
Diamond Twister
DQ Craze (dairy queen themed... surprised they're charging for it)
DropOut (match any like-color groups (not just in a row), slide-a-row mechanic (horizontal only))
Elasticity
Fricki Tricks
Frupon (looks a lot like the DS game where you have a square 2x2 that you can rotate to make matches)
Gem Spinner (add “shape constraints”, background “clearing”, rotation)
Gemlogic
Gemmed (pac-man like “monsters” mechanism, different powerups for each monster color, achievements)
Gems
Glyph (looks to be a lot like Jewel Quest)
Hex (match a given set of color patterns)
iGem
iShift
Jewel Quest II (added background “clearing”)
Juicy Match
Line Shift (achievements)
Mighty Charms
Mix-A-Dot (adds color "mixing")
MiZoo
MM Park
Orbitsu (weird gravity...)
Pinch ‘n Pop (free form, pinch pieces together to match them)
Popcorn!
Puzzle Quest (RPG elements)
Quartz 2 Deluxe (diagonal board, Multiplayer)
Samurai Puzzle Battle (RPG elements, Puzzle Quest knockoff?)
Slida (uses "slide a row" game mechanic)
Sliders (uses “slide a row” game mechanic)
Smiles (swap with a "current piece" (outside of the gameboard))
Smiley Puzzle (looks pretty standard, but who knows)
Snowed In 7
SuperNova
The Treasures of Montezuma
Touch & Go! (lets you touch the pieces)
Triplet (looks to add tilt, and some kind of morphing features)
Trism (triangular pieces and board, uses "slide a row", various special piece types)
Tweezzle (adds gravity)
Witch's Workshop

Feel free to post suggestions for the list but please bear in mind the following:
I'm not including "falling block" type games ... zuma style "shooting match" type games, or the "fuzzle" style games either. I'm really looking for the bejeweled type games

If I get time I will add links at some point but its a lot of work!

[bgribin]

Smiles is great but so is Bejeweled. Sorry I can't help... but just get the two of them!

[nickels]

Blackbeard's Assault
Puzzloop
Firedrop

All three have lite or free versions so you can give them a try before buying.

[Morti]

Maybe trying Bubble Bang (Lite)?

Lite download: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=297176521&mt=8

[preuve]

I know it'll be brought up at some point but you should try out Puzzle Quest. It isn't the best port but for me it probably has the best gameplay of any match 3 game.

The adventure/roleplaying elements really work and the main gameplay is very strategic. It can be very frustrating at times though when the computer manages a huge chain.

PS: There is a lite version so no reason to try it out.

[truthlaser]

I really like Bomboozle (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=298297382&mt=8).

Instead of matching 3 of the same, you draw a line over the icons of the same kind, when you let go they explode (if there's three or more).

There's a lite version as well.

Youtube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZuH2XEufLo

The best Match 3 since Zoo Keeper, imo.

[organerito]

Gemmed is very good. It is my favorite!

[Chumbake]

Smiles or Mighty Charms are good. Mighty charms allows you to match 3 diagonally.

[preuve]

Bomboozle


I thought it was a remake of Bombuzal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombuzal) at first and was getting excited. Bomboozle looks like a good game though. I'll have to try the lite out!

[romulus]

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I'm definitely not a fan of the balls on a path game a la blackbeard, and I never really liked Puzzle Quest, but bomboozle (http://toucharcade.com/link/http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=298297382&mt=8) is fantastic. I played the online version and just downloaded. Thanks for the tip truthlaser!

I think I'm probably going to go with smiles and as it seems to be the best looking and offering what is essentially two games. Wish there was a lite version of montezuma though. Any other suggestions?

[Big Albie]

I would recommend Gemmed as someone else had mentioned which has been pulled for now until they fix the update. Another one is Orbitsu which is match-3 using rotating orbs and various powerups.

[Zincous]

Get Trism or Sliders

[PointOfLight]

Sliders - Match 3 (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=306871117&mt=8) is nice because it allows you to "plan" your moves, which is something I don't think any other match 3 game does. There's a pretty decent thread about it on TA as well. Crazy Sushi (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=299500727&mt=8) (formerly known as Sushi City) is also a lot of fun. It's colorful, and it actually has bonuses that "go bad" after a while, which is a bit different.

[RawrReptar]

I would go with mighty charms it is my favorite match 3 game. I have gemmed! too and i like that but mighty charms is just better i think i play it a lot more it can be casual and competitive

[tylerjhutchison]

No one has mentioned Crayon Ball yet... :(

I guess it is technically a match 4 game. I am also pretty biased since I helped make it, but game-play wise it is one of my favorite matching games. Otherwise my favorite match game is Chuzzle...I don't think it is currently available for the iPhone, but knowing PopCap I am sure it will eventually make its way over.

also, I think Van Gogh mode in Crayon Ball is super duper pretty.

http://howlingmoonsoftware.com/CrayonBallPress/newScreen2.jpg
</ plug>

[Carlos-Sz]

Bubble Pop by Bapsoft has a different and interesting approach:

http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=8180

[djflippy]

Trism has more depth than all the rest of these games combined. It's the best match-3 game on the app store thus far, IMO.

[hkiphone]

Gemmed gets my vote too. They have a lite version you can try first.
Plus, its not purely about matching three... the objective is really to clear a path (by matching 3+) for the cute monsters to get home. An interesting twist and adds alot of personality to a otherwise faceless game.

[Zincous]

Trism has more depth than all the rest of these games combined. It's the best match-3 game on the app store thus far, IMO.

Thank you :) I completely agree.

[romulus]

Each to his own I suppose. I've got Trism... Didn't like it at all. The games lasted too long for me and I found the puzzle mode too hard, plus I couldn't get the tilt function to do anything strategic. I'm pretty much an uber-casual gamer and prefer the slightly simpler games I guess. Thanks for the suggestion though :D

[RawrReptar]

Each to his own I suppose. I've got Trism... Didn't like it at all. The games lasted too long for me and I found the puzzle mode too hard, plus I couldn't get the tilt function to do anything strategic. I'm pretty much an uber-casual gamer and prefer the slightly simpler games I guess. Thanks for the suggestion though :D

then mighty charms is for you! that is how i am

[aleceiffel]

I really couldnt get into Gemmed...I love bejeweled and montezuma is a new favorite...i would pick montezuma over smiles, though...they both employ multiple chain reactions at the same time, but montezuma has more interesting game play...ie. powerups, lots and lots of em and bonus rounds, etc. Smiles is very straight forward - you match until you cant match anymore...which for me, is a tad boring.

[gnadenlos]

I think I'm probably going to go with smiles and as it seems to be the best looking and offering what is essentially two games
Other developers would have sold the games as one game with two game modes, so I don't see the real advantage of getting "two games".

[aleceiffel]

Other developers would have sold the games as one game with two game modes, so I don't see the real advantage of getting "two games".
yeah, i thought that was kind of odd too. Im pretty disapointed with both of them.

[gnizama_Mitch]

As the developer of a match 3 game, I can't not recommend my own game, but as a fan of the genre as a whole, I definitely would recommend puzzle quest. It combines bejeweled style gameplay, with rpg elements to create a really fun game thats more then just matching 3. Though this might be an extra layer of complexity that would deter a casual puzzle gamer.

The only downside I would say is that if you're like me and have big fingers, you might be wishing you had a stylus to play. The size of the blocks are pretty small.

I'd suggest looking at available video reviews and gameplay videos for the games that might interest you. A lot of the time you cant quite see how the game plays without video.

[PointOfLight]

As the developer of a match 3 game, I can't not recommend my own game, but as a fan of the genre as a whole, I definitely would recommend puzzle quest. It combines bejeweled style gameplay, with rpg elements to create a really fun game thats more then just matching 3. Though this might be an extra layer of complexity that would deter a casual puzzle gamer.

The only downside I would say is that if you're like me and have big fingers, you might be wishing you had a stylus to play. The size of the blocks are pretty small.

I'd suggest looking at available video reviews and gameplay videos for the games that might interest you. A lot of the time you cant quite see how the game plays without video.

I haven't played the iPhone version of Puzzle Quest, but it was one of, if not my absolute, favorite games on the Nintendo DS. That being said, I would not recommend it unless you are into light RPG style games. While I found it to be a unique blend of role playing and match 3 for combat, the match 3 portion on it's own is really not strong enough to contend with some of the other games suggested here. The only real uniqueness to the match 3 portion is that it allows you to build up mana for spells and collect gold for buying equipment and such. On the other hand, a game that is rarely mentioned in the match 3 / RPG genre that is much more creative on the match 3 end is Aurora Feint. I've had the game for some time, but didn't actually get into playing it until I signed up for the latest beta, and I was pleasantly surprised at what I'd been missing. I'm curious as to why this game isn't talked about a whole lot when these discussions come up.

[mrbass]

Chop Sushi is probably one of my favorites since there is no time limit or pressure ...purely strategic.

[romulus]

Other developers would have sold the games as one game with two game modes, so I don't see the real advantage of getting "two games".

I'm not sure it really matters whether you call it two games or two modes... they're very different to play and I'm enjoying them both. Either way, I'm getting more fun out of it than I would if there was just one. I'm actually really happy I bought this game!

Going to try out some of these other lite versions too... Thanks for your help everyone! :D

[pante]

i finally bought trism. love it.

[Zincous]

i finally bought trism. love it.

Sweet :cool:

[Dio]

1. Puzzle Quest- Great gameplay, strategy, story,
2. Aurora Feint- Good graphics and gameplay

Both games are really good, but I just bought Puzzle Quest and have been hooked for hours!

[starjimstar]

PuzzleQuest may be the most appropriate choice for someone who isn't really into match-3. At least that way you can pretend you are playing a real game. Oh, snap. Just kidding. :o

[starjimstar]

1. Puzzle Quest- Great gameplay, strategy, story,
2. Aurora Feint- Good graphics and gameplay

Both games are really good, but I just bought Puzzle Quest and have been hooked for hours!

You just beat me to it. Aurora Feint is okay. What does the girl escaping reality have to do with anything. That nonsense story that takes 200mb on my phone is why I deleted it in the end.

[Dio]

You just beat me to it. Aurora Feint is okay. What does the girl escaping reality have to do with anything. That nonsense story that takes 200mb on my phone is why I deleted it in the end.

Yeah, I don't really get the story line whatsoever. And the skills never really caught on with me, I didn't really get it.

But with Puzzle Quest, the spells and stuff are so easy to get a hang of, and the story is good, so far.

[deckard]

I really couldnt get into Gemmed...I love bejeweled and montezuma is a new favorite...i would pick montezuma over smiles, though...they both employ multiple chain reactions at the same time, but montezuma has more interesting game play...ie. powerups, lots and lots of em and bonus rounds, etc. Smiles is very straight forward - you match until you cant match anymore...which for me, is a tad boring.

Man seriously? Gemmed is like Bejeweled and Pac Man, I only wish there were even MORE monsters on the screen at any given time. The munch-a-munch animations are total eye candy and really make the game. The only thing I hope they improve are the rather drab colors of the gems (that and the fact that they look like rabbit drops; the other tilesets are no better).

I would get Montezuma but I understand it's rigidly timed? If so that really blows; I like my match 3 games to be very laid back.

Smiles is simplistic and perhaps too 'cute' but what it has going for it are gobs of combos that are excellently animated which really do count for a lot in the entertainment category. The 2 games in 1 is a valid claim (although perhaps overplayed as an advertising card) as the Zen game mode really is unique.

[SSquared]

I would get Montezuma but I understand it's rigidly timed? If so that really blows; I like my match 3 games to be very laid back.


Montezuma is not completely rigid. Though each level is timed, you have powerups and special abilities to increase your time. In fact, you will not be able to finish levels WITHOUT getting these time bonuses. So, you do have the ability to extend the length of time for a level, but it still won't be a laid back feeling if that is what you are looking for.

Montezuma has now become one of my favorite Match 3 games.

[Carlos-Sz]

...
I would get Montezuma but I understand it's rigidly timed? If so that really blows; I like my match 3 games to be very laid back.
...


It's timed. However you have a power-up and a totem that can add more time (manage this is one of the great features of this game) along with more time per level that you can trade with a star.

[LordGek]

I would recommend Gemmed as someone else had mentioned which has been pulled for now until they fix the update. Another one is Orbitsu which is match-3 using rotating orbs and various powerups.

Once that update hits, hopefully any day now, I think it might prove to be among the BEST of the genre! It was such a cool unique spin to the match 3 gameplay with the only downside (and therefore a big one to me) that it wasn't very challenging. This update promises to throw in all sorts of nasty fun obstacles so, hopefully, you won't be able to clear all 75 stages on your first go.

[Big Albie]

Once that update hits, hopefully any day now, I think it might prove to be among the BEST of the genre! It was such a cool unique spin to the match 3 gameplay with the only downside (and therefore a big one to me) that it wasn't very challenging. This update promises to throw in all sorts of nasty fun obstacles so, hopefully, you won't be able to clear all 75 stages on your first go.

I heard the Gemmed devs have resubmitted a patched update so hopefully it hits any day now. I managed to get the latest update before it was pulled, and it has a bunch of new features that makes it more challenging. The powerups and trophies are already pretty extensive, and honestly, I play this all the time. I do understand some of the comments regarding it being too easy, but I suggest you try out the update when it becomes available.

[LordGek]

I heard the Gemmed devs have resubmitted a patched update so hopefully it hits any day now. I managed to get the latest update before it was pulled, and it has a bunch of new features that makes it more challenging. The powerups and trophies are already pretty extensive, and honestly, I play this all the time. I do understand some of the comments regarding it being too easy, but I suggest you try out the update when it becomes available.

Lucky you but didn't it have some major crash bug (the reason they had to pull it)?

[Big Albie]

Lucky you but didn't it have some major crash bug (the reason they had to pull it)?

The funny thing is I haven't experienced one yet...knock on wood. But, they did pull it because of the crashing problem which I think was mainly due to some files on their end that were misallocated.

[SSquared]

I think Gemmed was pulled not due to a crash but because gems were not showing up. I, and many others, have experienced times when no more gems drop so you are stuck with empty columns. You need to restart the whole game, which still does not resolve the issue as the problem eventually shows up on some level. It is currently making the game unplayable for me.

But I have definitely enjoyed the game since it first came out and am looking forward to an update.

Perhaps there was a crash, too.

[RawrReptar]

I think Gemmed was pulled not due to a crash but because gems were not showing up. I, and many others, have experienced times when no more gems drop so you are stuck with empty columns. You need to restart the whole game, which still does not resolve the issue as the problem eventually shows up on some level. It is currently making the game unplayable for me.

But I have definitely enjoyed the game since it first came out and am looking forward to an update.

Perhaps there was a crash, too.

i was wondering why the hell it was doing that i thought it was some evil plan to piss me off for an hour trying ot get past level 12 and not letting my stupid monster get to the exit!!!

So this was my second favorite match 3 game its fun but the simplicity and polished mighty charms still is it for me

[Big Albie]

i was wondering why the hell it was doing that i thought it was some evil plan to piss me off for an hour trying ot get past level 12 and not letting my stupid monster get to the exit!!!

So this was my second favorite match 3 game its fun but the simplicity and polished mighty charms still is it for me

There was a crash problem, but yeah, the missing gems was the other issue. That's weird because I'm on level 23 and I haven't seen any of those problems. I wonder what's causing the inconsistency.

[LordGek]

Man seriously? Gemmed is like Bejeweled and Pac Man, I only wish there were even MORE monsters on the screen at any given time. The munch-a-munch animations are total eye candy and really make the game. The only thing I hope they improve are the rather drab colors of the gems (that and the fact that they look like rabbit drops; the other tilesets are no better).

I would get Montezuma but I understand it's rigidly timed? If so that really blows; I like my match 3 games to be very laid back.

Smiles is simplistic and perhaps too 'cute' but what it has going for it are gobs of combos that are excellently animated which really do count for a lot in the entertainment category. The 2 games in 1 is a valid claim (although perhaps overplayed as an advertising card) as the Zen game mode really is unique.

@decakrd
I hear you man! I was hoping we'd see even more monster types, like something besides just the devil to mess with you (like monsters that will do non-random bad things...like the plaid monster will always drain all of the other monsters accumulated energy if his bar is filled).

Montezuma, if like the PC is pretty rigidly timed and can get very nasty in later levels but, even if you fail you're free to replay the level endlessly (I, for one, hate this aspect as it renders the highscores pretty meaningless). Maybe this is different in the iphone version but I doubt it since, if anything, I think casual PC games are made even more casual in their iphone ports.

I like Smiles but opted to save a dollar and do the lesser Drop only version as the Zen mode of Smiles sounded too puzzley to me (I hate pre-scripted puzzles without scores). I think the Zen mode sounded mildly interesting, but knowing myself, I really couldn't see playing it more than just a few times where the draw of beating my last highscore in one of the many Drop game modes would be much stronger.

[grid]

I'm actually in the process of making a list of match-3 games for the iPhone. Here's the ones I have so far:

Match 3 games I have or have some experience with:

* ChocChocPop - florence’s favorite (adds powerups)
* Gem Spinner (add “shape constraints”, background “clearing”, rotation)
* Mix-A-Dot (adds color mixing)
* Gemmed (adds cool “critter” mechanism and different piece types)
* Puzzle Quest (adds RPG elements)
* Smiles (adds the "current piece" mechanic)
* Jewel Quest II (added background “clearing”)
* Bejewled II (played original Bejeweled, haven’t played the iPhone version)
* Aurora Feint (like Tetris Attack)
* Crazy Sushi (uses the Yoshi’s Cookie “slide a row” game mechanic)
* Trism (trianges!)
* ScribBall / CrayonBall (adds gravity, not sure if these should count)
* Pinch ‘n Pop (also stretching the definition, but it is sort of a match-3)
* Quadrix (”slide a row” not so much match-3 as making various shapes.)

…and the ones I haven’t (yet) played:

* Chain3 (no movement constraints — apparently this has been out since app store launch)
* Samurai Puzzle Battle (Puzzle Quest knockoff?)
* Diamond Twister
* Popcorn!
* Campaign Trail
* Chocolate Shop Frenzy
* Sliders (also uses “slide a row” game mechanic)
* Slida (also uses “slide a row” game mechanic)
* Gemlogic
* Gems
* Big Booty
* Bling: Touch Fever
* Glyph (looks to be a lot like Jewel Quest)
* Hex
* Bomboozle
* The Treasures of Montezuma
* Mighty Charms

I actually just bought smiles last night, and have thus far found it to be really solid gameplay, and highly addicting. I hadn't heard of Bamboozle, Montezuma, or Mighty Charms until this thread.

I too really recommend Gemmed, and another not found on this thread yet, Gem Spinner. Gem Spinner may not have the best graphics of the list, but it gets my vote for innovation.

I know there are lots more out there, anyone care to help me add to my list?

[Big Albie]

I'm actually in the process of making a list of match-3 games for the iPhone. Here's the ones I have so far:

Match 3 games I have or have some experience with:

I know there are lots more out there, anyone care to help me add to my list?

Great list! How much time did you spend on this? You should add Orbitsu and Anaglyphs.

[Carlos-Sz]

Swap & Match-3 games list topic I made:

http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=3371


Another nice topic about it:

http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=3321

[PointOfLight]

Great list! How much time did you spend on this? You should add Orbitsu and Anaglyphs.

Anaglyphs is a memory game, not a match 3 game.

[Big Albie]

Anaglyphs is a memory game, not a match 3 game.

I was thinking of Glyph which I just noticed on the list. Thanks for pointing that out.

[LordGek]

Doesn't Gaia fit this description as well?
http://appshopper.com/games/gaia-lite

[RawrReptar]

I'm actually in the process of making a list of match-3 games for the iPhone. Here's the ones I have so far:

Match 3 games I have or have some experience with:

* ChocChocPop - florence’s favorite (adds powerups)
* Gem Spinner (add “shape constraints”, background “clearing”, rotation)
* Mix-A-Dot (adds color mixing)
* Gemmed (adds cool “critter” mechanism and different piece types)
* Puzzle Quest (adds RPG elements)
* Smiles (adds the "current piece" mechanic)
* Jewel Quest II (added background “clearing”)
* Bejewled II (played original Bejeweled, haven’t played the iPhone version)
* Aurora Feint (like Tetris Attack)
* Crazy Sushi (uses the Yoshi’s Cookie “slide a row” game mechanic)
* Trism (trianges!)
* ScribBall / CrayonBall (adds gravity, not sure if these should count)
* Pinch ‘n Pop (also stretching the definition, but it is sort of a match-3)
* Quadrix (”slide a row” not so much match-3 as making various shapes.)

…and the ones I haven’t (yet) played:

* Chain3 (no movement constraints — apparently this has been out since app store launch)
* Samurai Puzzle Battle (Puzzle Quest knockoff?)
* Diamond Twister
* Popcorn!
* Campaign Trail
* Chocolate Shop Frenzy
* Sliders (also uses “slide a row” game mechanic)
* Slida (also uses “slide a row” game mechanic)
* Gemlogic
* Gems
* Big Booty
* Bling: Touch Fever
* Glyph (looks to be a lot like Jewel Quest)
* Hex
* Bomboozle
* The Treasures of Montezuma
* Mighty Charms

I actually just bought smiles last night, and have thus far found it to be really solid gameplay, and highly addicting. I hadn't heard of Bamboozle, Montezuma, or Mighty Charms until this thread.

I too really recommend Gemmed, and another not found on this thread yet, Gem Spinner. Gem Spinner may not have the best graphics of the list, but it gets my vote for innovation.

I know there are lots more out there, anyone care to help me add to my list?

Try mighty charms i love it

[PointOfLight]

Try mighty charms i love it

I've noticed a lot of people like Mighty Charms, but I guess I just don't get what's so special about it. I love match 3 games, but i thought it was pretty boring, except for the ability to match diagonally. Personally, though, I would have preferred the ability to move pieces diagonally like in Snowed In 7. Speaking of which, has Snowed In 7 been mentioned or is it on any of the lists? It's fun and it's free, plus there's a new version every year (or at least that's how it worked on the Pocket PC).

[Xyzl]

I've noticed a lot of people like Mighty Charms, but I guess I just don't get what's so special about it. I love match 3 games, but i thought it was pretty boring, except for the ability to match diagonally. Personally, though, I would have preferred the ability to move pieces diagonally like in Snowed In 7. Speaking of which, has Snowed In 7 been mentioned or is it on any of the lists? It's fun and it's free, plus there's a new version every year (or at least that's how it worked on the Pocket PC).

Sorry to hear that you haven't gotten into Mighty Charms yet.

We've been getting alot of positive feedback for it so far. I hope you give the game a few more tries.

The key to the game is to really take advantage of that new diagonal freedom in Mighty Charms. Once you get the hang of it, you won't believe the amount of strategy, planning and combos you can pull off with it. It's pretty satisfying once you really get into it.

Mighty Charms is pretty easy to pick up due to it's simplicity, but at the same time it is also offers so much more in terms of challenge because of the extra diagonal matching freedom. If you want more excitement and challenge, give the Normal or Expert mode a try.. Expert mode is insane.

Cheers,
Xyzl
-----
Developer of Mighty Charms (http://itunes.com/apps/mightycharms)

[RawrReptar]

I've noticed a lot of people like Mighty Charms, but I guess I just don't get what's so special about it. I love match 3 games, but i thought it was pretty boring, except for the ability to match diagonally. Personally, though, I would have preferred the ability to move pieces diagonally like in Snowed In 7. Speaking of which, has Snowed In 7 been mentioned or is it on any of the lists? It's fun and it's free, plus there's a new version every year (or at least that's how it worked on the Pocket PC).

It is just polished relaxing and a great time waster to play an hour here and there which then may turn into two or three hours. Plus global scoreboards

[LordGek]

I've noticed a lot of people like Mighty Charms, but I guess I just don't get what's so special about it. I love match 3 games, but i thought it was pretty boring, except for the ability to match diagonally. Personally, though, I would have preferred the ability to move pieces diagonally like in Snowed In 7. Speaking of which, has Snowed In 7 been mentioned or is it on any of the lists? It's fun and it's free, plus there's a new version every year (or at least that's how it worked on the Pocket PC).

Playing Snowed In 7 I see an advert for Quartz 2, another cute match three like game.

[PointOfLight]

Sorry to hear that you haven't gotten into Mighty Charms yet.

We've been getting alot of positive feedback for it so far. I hope you give the game a few more tries.

The key to the game is to really take advantage of that new diagonal freedom in Mighty Charms. Once you get the hang of it, you won't believe the amount of strategy, planning and combos you can pull off with it. It's pretty satisfying once you really get into it.

Mighty Charms is pretty easy to pick up due to it's simplicity, but at the same time it is also offers so much more in terms of challenge because of the extra diagonal matching freedom. If you want more excitement and challenge, give the Normal or Expert mode a try.. Expert mode is insane.

Cheers,
Xyzl
-----
Developer of Mighty Charms (http://itunes.com/apps/mightycharms)

Believe me, I've been trying really hard to get into it. Maybe something will just click one day. I've actually tried both the Normal and Expert modes. I could tolerate Normal mode, but Expert was ridiculous for me. The sad thing was I didn't even have to worry about the timer, because I ran out of moves on the first level :( It does have some nice production qualities, though, so I'm glad that other people are finding a more rewarding experience than I have.

Playing Snowed In 7 I see an advert for Quartz 2, another cute match three like game.

Quartz 2 is different in the fact that it has a diagonal board, but I found it difficult even in the Pocket PC version many times to select the appropriate row / column for my next block. I can't imagine how the interface would play out on a device that seems intermittently plagued by the "fat finger" syndrome :(

[LordGek]

Does Line Shift count?
http://www.apptism.com/apps/line-shift

[grid]

Great list! How much time did you spend on this? You should add Orbitsu and Anaglyphs.

I've probably spent a couple of hours on the list so far. Eventually I'll write it all up on my gamedev blog (chesstris.com), where I do some informal reviews and articles, mostly about puzzle games and game mechanics.

Thanks for the additions and suggestions, everyone. Keep 'em coming!

(BTW, my first iPhone game was approved last weekend, and has been out for barely more than two days.)

[Justom]

I really enjoy Mighty Charms.

Why?



Simplistic Graphics / Overall Presentation
Global/Local Leaderboards, including Daily Global Scores as well
As others have mentioned, the diagonal gameplay element adds a whole new level depth.
Casual Mode, because it's great to play when I'm not in the mood to compete against the clock.

[RawrReptar]

I really enjoy Mighty Charms.

Why?



Simplistic Graphics / Overall Presentation
Global/Local Leaderboards, including Daily Global Scores as well
As others have mentioned, the diagonal gameplay element adds a whole new level depth.
Casual Mode, because it's great to play when I'm not in the mood to compete against the clock.


same reasons why i love it and the dev is looking to only improve the game

[grid]

Doesn't Gaia fit this description as well?
http://appshopper.com/games/gaia-lite

I see gaia as more of a collapse type game than match-3. But I guess it depends on where you draw the line. I should probably make a whole separate list of games like collapse (my favorite is Claustrophobia), but in both collapse and claustrophobia you're looking for groups of three or more... I think I'm only counting games where one of the game mechanics is to line up three or more of the same piece type, not necessarily just find those that are already lined up. To be fair, I think I'm going to remove Quadrix from my list because in quadrix it's more about the shape you make with the pieces than that they're touching. (Quadrix is a great game tho.) And I'll also remove Crayon Ball/Scribball, because again, it's more of a collapse type thing.

So far I've added these to the previous list I posted:
* Snowed in 7
* Line shift
* Quartz 2 Deluxe
* DropOut (can't believe I didn't include this one before. I had the global high score until like two days ago.)
* Chop Sushi
* Orbitsu (again, not sure if this meets my definition)
* Witch's Workshop
* MM Park
* Elasticity
* Block Chaos
* Big Bang
* MiZoo
* SuperNova

This brings my total to 43 match-3 games for the iPhone. Most of these new ones came from the list Carlos-Sz posted back in November. (Thanks Carlos!)

I can't decide whether to include games like Fuzzloop (zuma clones), fuzzle and their ilk, or games like Bubble Pop. I think I'm leaving them off the list for now.

Also, has anyone played SpongeBob's Atlantis Treasures? I tried searching for a video, but couldn't find one. I don't know how that plays, but it might qualify.

[freedog]

Smiles is okay but feels a little generic. Try out Jewel Quest II or Witch's Workshop...those are 2 good match 3 games.

[romulus]

most of the time you create a thread asking for advice and end up taking abuse for not searching or not buying everything... sometimes, however, someone really helpful like grid comes along with an answer so comprehensive you wonder how people can complain about the state of the world... :D thanks for restoring my faith in humanity ;)!!

[Big Albie]

most of the time you create a thread asking for advice and end up taking abuse for not searching or not buying everything... sometimes, however, someone really helpful like grid comes along with an answer so comprehensive you wonder how people can complain about the state of the world... :D thanks for restoring my faith in humanity ;)!!

Nicely said, a little over dramatic, but nicely said.

[LordGek]

Weirdness.

The Gemmed! update 1.4.1 appears to have hit the air waves (I just updated) but it isn't showing up as an entry in the App Store yet.

[romulus]

Discovered Frupon (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=307186110&mt=8) (Lite (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=307752367&mt=8)) today, will let you know what I think...

[LordGek]

The devs behind Aurora Feint have updated Aurora Feint II: The Beginning after having pulled it for a while now.

But...still didn't bring back the original.

Now, I understand that they think II is a better game. It should be. It's a sequel.

But...y'know...some of us who played the original Aurora Feint: The Beginning...we played it as a one player game, and for the life of me I can't understand this incessant push toward multiplayer. MMORPG/Puzzle is a great idea, as was MMORPGs as a whole, but, y'know...some of us don't actually like games like WoW and prefer stuff like Elder Scrolls or even JRPGs.

Just sayin'....

I mean, the idea of saving progress via servers needn't be an issue. I've heard their re-releasing the older game at some point, sans online, sans server uploads, and I'm all for that. I don't need chat, online multi, etc. in all of my games. That's why I took the damned thing off my iTouch and have been playing Puzzle Quest and Samurai Puzzle Battle for a while. Deep, puzzle/RPG (and in Samurai's case, puzzle/strategy) gameplay without all those bells and whistles.

I'm with you on this. Global scoreboards and the like are cute but I really just want a solid single player experience and really have no plans to chat with folk while playing my puzzle game.

[LordGek]

Also, has anyone played SpongeBob's Atlantis Treasures? I tried searching for a video, but couldn't find one. I don't know how that plays, but it might qualify.

Here's a shot of the mobile phone game by the same name:

http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/images.gamezone.com/screens/34/2/86/s34286_mb_1.jpg

So I could only imagine the iphone version is the same game but maybe a little less fuzzy looking.

[bamafan12]

Gemmed is awesome!! Its on sale for $.99!

[LordGek]

That's what I don't get with Aurora Feint.

When the first game came out, it didn't force you to sign up for an account, it still saved your progress without signing up, and it wasn't ad laden nor incessantly popping up little player chatting.

It was a good, solid game. It was what filled the desire for a game like Puzzle Quest for iTouch/Phone before Puzzle Quest was ever announced for this platform.

But then the insistence of the developer to make it an MMORPG (which was what they planned, I understand, but still...) ruined the game for those of us that just liked it as a solid single player game.

And what's funny to me is that the developer seems taken aback by this idea that not everyone wants a massive multiplayer experience, and seems to not understand that they probably would've sold a lot more of a single player focused Aurora Feint game.

I guess I'm a little more cynical than even that. I read an article once how they're looking to license their proprietary chat/asynchronous multiplayer tools. So now the game itself has become irrelevant (well at least beyond a sample to show to others what can be done with their development tools).

[grid]

Discovered Frupon (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=307186110&mt=8) (Lite (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=307752367&mt=8)) today, will let you know what I think...

Nice find. Added to the list. (Up to 49 games now.) Thanks for the kind words Romulus. :)

As for the whole Aurora Feint issue... my problem with the game is not whether it's single player or multiplery... but rather that it's changing out from under us! When i downloaded the game (at least six months ago), it was a totally different game. That just seems weird to me.

[PointOfLight]

The devs behind Aurora Feint have updated Aurora Feint II: The Beginning after having pulled it for a while now.

But...still didn't bring back the original.

Now, I understand that they think II is a better game. It should be. It's a sequel.

But...y'know...some of us who played the original Aurora Feint: The Beginning...we played it as a one player game, and for the life of me I can't understand this incessant push toward multiplayer. MMORPG/Puzzle is a great idea, as was MMORPGs as a whole, but, y'know...some of us don't actually like games like WoW and prefer stuff like Elder Scrolls or even JRPGs.

Just sayin'....

I mean, the idea of saving progress via servers needn't be an issue. I've heard they're re-releasing the older game at some point, sans online, sans server uploads, and I'm all for that. I don't need chat, online multi, etc. in all of my games. That's why I took the damned thing off my iTouch and have been playing Puzzle Quest and Samurai Puzzle Battle for a while. Deep, puzzle/RPG (and in Samurai's case, puzzle/strategy) gameplay without all those bells and whistles.

Unfortunately, I'm not even 100% sure that's true about Aurora Feint. I think the re-released version is just going to be a lite version of II, not the original version I. The reason the online stuff won't be in there is simply because they think that will be impetus enough for you to buy the full version of II. This is really sad in my opinion, because I don't like MMORPGs - I'd much rather just sit and play a game on my own in the few minutes a day I have to play games.

[PlayScreen]

We have one in testing.

I may want some beta testers for it.

It's a Match 3 Game but OH SO SPECIAL!!!
:)

[PointOfLight]

We have one in testing.

I may want some beta testers for it.

It's a Match 3 Game but OH SO SPECIAL!!!
:)

If you need it, I'd love to help test. Just drop me a PM and I'll forward on my device ID.

[Rad]

Hello everyone...

I'm a big puzzle game fan. I play Drop7, Frenzic, and Brain Thaw quite a bit. I'm not normally into match-three games but after playing the smiles demo I've decided I want one (but only one) for those times when I want to look at massive chain combos and feel *partly* responsible. So what does everyone recommend?

I really liked the smiles demo, and Montezuma looks great, but I tend to pick games based mainly on the graphics (oh so shallow). I'd love to hear from the people who are really into the matching games...

Thanks for your help!

Azkend is my new favorite.



http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=310211579&mt=8

You might also look at:

chocchocpop, Ballz!, SmileyPuzzle, Gemmed, JewelQuestII, Bejeweled2, Trism, BigBooty

I just picked up MightyCharmed but it still needs some work.

[ThomasP]

How about "Rune Memory":

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=310747543&mt=8



Thomas

[dmbfan1192]

I see gaia as more of a collapse type game than match-3. But I guess it depends on where you draw the line. I should probably make a whole separate list of games like collapse (my favorite is Claustrophobia), but in both collapse and claustrophobia you're looking for groups of three or more... I think I'm only counting games where one of the game mechanics is to line up three or more of the same piece type, not necessarily just find those that are already lined up. To be fair, I think I'm going to remove Quadrix from my list because in quadrix it's more about the shape you make with the pieces than that they're touching. (Quadrix is a great game tho.) And I'll also remove Crayon Ball/Scribball, because again, it's more of a collapse type thing.

So far I've added these to the previous list I posted:
* Snowed in 7
* Line shift
* Quartz 2 Deluxe
* DropOut (can't believe I didn't include this one before. I had the global high score until like two days ago.)
* Chop Sushi
* Orbitsu (again, not sure if this meets my definition)
* Witch's Workshop
* MM Park
* Elasticity
* Block Chaos
* Big Bang
* MiZoo
* SuperNova

This brings my total to 43 match-3 games for the iPhone. Most of these new ones came from the list Carlos-Sz posted back in November. (Thanks Carlos!)

I can't decide whether to include games like Fuzzloop (zuma clones), fuzzle and their ilk, or games like Bubble Pop. I think I'm leaving them off the list for now.

Also, has anyone played SpongeBob's Atlantis Treasures? I tried searching for a video, but couldn't find one. I don't know how that plays, but it might qualify.

You missed one (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=303992610&mt=8).

EDIT: And another (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=303551730&mt=8).

[LordGek]

Did you already count Cubes?
http://appshopper.com/games/cubes-free

[DaveMc99]

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=312066473&mt=8 Lite version

http://appshopper.com/games/tweezzle Is now $1.99
"Tweezzle is a cute, fun, and highly addictive puzzle game. The game is played by moving little birds out of the way so you can enjoy the view. The birds can be removed by lining up three of them. When birds are removed, the part of the view they were blocking appears. The goal of the game is to make the view completely visible. The game is fully sensitive to gravity and can be played in any direction."

http://www.hammypower.com/Tweezzle/ Video

http://www.appcraver.com/tweezzle/ Review

[DaveMc99]

Why is this match 3 ad for Dairy Queen $2.99? :)

DQ Craze
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=312297320&mt=8

[burrows]

I like puzzle quest more when it comes to matching games .. I've played the PC version of it too .. and the iPhone version looks pretty neat .

[inferi22]

I like puzzle quest more when it comes to matching games .. I've played the PC version of it too .. and the iPhone version looks pretty neat .

+1 -^-

[LordGek]

Why is this match 3 ad for Dairy Queen $2.99? :)

DQ Craze
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=312297320&mt=8

Yeah, WTF? This is SO CLEARLY a whipped out commercial of a game and yet they still expect to get $3 for it?

[themendoz]

I'm surprised Montezuma does not get more love. I have it and LOVE it. Right now it's actually my favorite game overall, I can't stop playing it, and the same goes for everyone around here. Has lots of depth, incredible graphics, combos you feel responsible for, a good deal of strategy, etc, etc. Definitely try out that game

[LordGek]

I'm surprised Montezuma does not get more love. I have it and LOVE it. Right now it's actually my favorite game overall, I can't stop playing it, and the same goes for everyone around here. Has lots of depth, incredible graphics, combos you feel responsible for, a good deal of strategy, etc, etc. Definitely try out that game

I loved the PC version but had one issue that annoyed me. I can't stand the concept of unlimited retries. I prefer my puzzle game to give you, if not a case like Trism where if you fail once it's over, at least something like Gemmed! where you have limited replays and can earn more if you gain enough points. I want my score to MEAN something and not play a game where I'm free to endlessly retry until I wander off bored.

[Ipodfan15]

I remember Dr. Pepper offering a web app called MatchCaps that was really fun. One of the best web apps ever, IMO.

[Big Albie]

I'm adding this one to the list...The Golden Path of Plumebloom.

The game hasn’t received much attention, but it's good. The devs just released a lite version yesterday, but it’s one of those times where it doesn’t do the full version justice. The full version offers a lot more.

Full: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=309053301&mt=8 (http://toucharcade.com/link/http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=309053301&mt=8)

Lite: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=310844312&mt=8 (http://toucharcade.com/link/http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=310844312&mt=8)

[djflippy]

My top three are now Trism, The Treasures of Montezuma, and Azkend.

[CandyNJ66]

I loved the PC version but had one issue that annoyed me. I can't stand the concept of unlimited retries. I prefer my puzzle game to give you, if not a case like Trism where if you fail once it's over, at least something like Gemmed! where you have limited replays and can earn more if you gain enough points. I want my score to MEAN something and not play a game where I'm free to endlessly retry until I wander off bored.

People of all skill levels & ages play games. It is a godsend that the developer considered these variables and implemented unlimited retries.

For people that don't want to retry, they don't have to and can ignore it. For the people who aren't so good shall we say, it is a welcome feature. :)

[grid]

The list is up to 52 items.

Note: This list is not kept up to date. See the google spreadsheet for the latest version, which is up to 66 entries! Thanks!!! ~grid

name/game notes (game mechanics)

Aurora Feint tetris attack gameplay, board moves upward, adds "gravity" device rotation, adds RPG elements
Azkend
Bejewled II
Big Bang
Big Booty
Bling: Touch Fever
Block Chaos
Bomboozle
Campaign Trail
Candy story mode, different board shapes
Chain3 no movement constraints
ChocChocPop adds "gadget" powerups
Chocolate Shop Frenzy
Chop Sushi
Crazy Sushi uses the Yoshi’s Cookie “slide a row” game mechanic
Diamond Twister
DQ Craze dairy queen themed... surprised they're charging for it.
DropOut match any like-color groups (not just in a row), slide-a-row mechanic (horizontal only)
Elasticity
Frupon looks a lot like the DS game where you have a square 2x2 that you can rotate to make matches
Gem Spinner add “shape constraints”, background “clearing”, rotation
Gemlogic
Gemmed pac-man like “monsters” mechanism, different powerups for each monster color, achievements
Gems
Glyph looks to be a lot like Jewel Quest
Hex match a given set of color patterns
iGem
Jewel Quest II added background “clearing”
Juicy Match
Line Shift achievements
Mighty Charms
Mix-A-Dot adds color "mixing"
MiZoo
MM Park
Orbitsu weird gravity...
Pinch ‘n Pop free form, pinch pieces together to match them
Popcorn!
Puzzle Quest RPG elements
Quartz 2 Deluxe diagonal board, Multiplayer
Samurai Puzzle Battle RPG elements, Puzzle Quest knockoff?
Slida uses "slide a row" game mechanic
Sliders uses “slide a row” game mechanic
Smiles swap with a "current piece" (outside of the gameboard)
Smiley Puzzle looks pretty standard, but who knows.
Snowed In 7
SuperNova
The Treasures of Montezuma
Touch & Go! lets you touch the pieces
Triplet looks to add tilt, and some kind of morphing features
Trism triangular pieces and board, uses "slide a row", various special piece types
Tweezzle adds gravity
Witch's Workshop


It's formatted better here: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pQH91Hm-g7BtTimNSxgnBVQ

Let me know if you have any more additions or suggestions.

[DaveMc99]

Thanks for creating the list. PileUp! Candymania
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=303551730&mt=8

[djflippy]

Here's another one:
iso

[PointOfLight]

Here's another one:
ISO

That link didn't work for me. Here's one directly to the App Store: ISO (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=310764587&mt=8)

[grid]

Thanks for the additions, (and keep them coming!) but I'm not including "falling block" type games at this time. I'm also not including the zuma style "shooting match" type games, or the "fuzzle" style games either. I'm really looking for the bejeweled type games here.

Thanks!

[LordGek]

Now you should add, "The Trooper" (http://appshopper.com/games/the-trooper) to your list.

Being $5 it keeps it from being an instant purchase but it does sound like a fun Tower Defense and Match 3 hybrid.

On the top of the screen you see you lone little trooper off to the far left and all sorts of baddy groups of units closing in on him from the right. Match the same symbols down below in the 8x8 grid to take out the matching units of the approaching army along the top. Each of the approaching baddies have their lives listed in the stack so if a stack of 10 jets is approaching, a quick match of 3 jets down below will bring that top stack down to 7.

[armoredisamu]

The only match-3 game I can wholeheartedly promise to deliver a good time is 'Chop Sushi'. ^_^

It is easy to learn, quick to adapt to. Even it looks simple at start, it gets deeper as you get access to different tools, traps and recipes. Great fun! :D

[romulus]

@grid... would you mind if I edited my original post to include your list (credited to you of course)? just thinking it might be an idea to have the list right at the front so that people get what they're looking for...

[cublah]

The list is up to 52 items.

name/game notes (game mechanics)

Aurora Feint tetris attack gameplay, board moves upward, adds "gravity" device rotation, adds RPG elements
Azkend
Bejewled II
Big Bang
Big Booty
Bling: Touch Fever
Block Chaos
Bomboozle
Campaign Trail
Candy story mode, different board shapes
Chain3 no movement constraints
ChocChocPop adds "gadget" powerups
Chocolate Shop Frenzy
Chop Sushi
Crazy Sushi uses the Yoshi’s Cookie “slide a row” game mechanic
Diamond Twister
DQ Craze dairy queen themed... surprised they're charging for it.
DropOut match any like-color groups (not just in a row), slide-a-row mechanic (horizontal only)
Elasticity
Frupon looks a lot like the DS game where you have a square 2x2 that you can rotate to make matches
Gem Spinner add “shape constraints”, background “clearing”, rotation
Gemlogic
Gemmed pac-man like “monsters” mechanism, different powerups for each monster color, achievements
Gems
Glyph looks to be a lot like Jewel Quest
Hex match a given set of color patterns
iGem
Jewel Quest II added background “clearing”
Juicy Match
Line Shift achievements
Mighty Charms
Mix-A-Dot adds color "mixing"
MiZoo
MM Park
Orbitsu weird gravity...
Pinch ‘n Pop free form, pinch pieces together to match them
Popcorn!
Puzzle Quest RPG elements
Quartz 2 Deluxe diagonal board, Multiplayer
Samurai Puzzle Battle RPG elements, Puzzle Quest knockoff?
Slida uses "slide a row" game mechanic
Sliders uses “slide a row” game mechanic
Smiles swap with a "current piece" (outside of the gameboard)
Smiley Puzzle looks pretty standard, but who knows.
Snowed In 7
SuperNova
The Treasures of Montezuma
Touch & Go! lets you touch the pieces
Triplet looks to add tilt, and some kind of morphing features
Trism triangular pieces and board, uses "slide a row", various special piece types
Tweezzle adds gravity
Witch's Workshop


It's formatted better here: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pQH91Hm-g7BtTimNSxgnBVQ

Let me know if you have any more additions or suggestions.

Ballz! - http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=294530831&mt=8
Animalz - http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=301995979&mt=8

[DaveMc99]

iShift
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=307450667&mt=8

Friki Tricks
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=312528824&mt=8

[grid]

Ballz! - http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=294530831&mt=8
Animalz - http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=301995979&mt=8

I added Ballz, but it looks like Animalz is more of a collapse clone (since they mention popping the pieces in the app description). Anyone know if that's accurate? I'm keeping track of a bunch of different types now in a separate spreadsheet. :)

Thanks Cublah!

I also added iShift and Friki Tricks, thanks DaveMc99!

[PointOfLight]

Here's another new one: Bounce Around (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=313552996&mt=8)

[Bozza]

are there any games in this catagory like puzzle bobble?

[grid]

are there any games in this catagory like puzzle bobble?

I did start a list of games like Puzzle Bobble (or Bust-A-Move), but so far there's only three on it, even though I feel like I've definitely seen more of them in the app store at some point.


Bubble Bash
iSplume
Papaya Puzzle Bobble


That having been said, Zuma clones are also an awful lot like Bust-A-Move, and I also have a list of those:


Blackbeard's Assault
Bubble Pop
Golden Path of Plumebloom
NeonTrail
PuzzLoop
Stone Loops! of Jurassica
zooma
zpace balls


TA just reviewed Stone Loops! of Jurassica, and that one looks pretty cool.

Also, thanks PointOfLight for pointing out Bounce Around. I've added it to the list.

Please pm me if you know of others not on either list. Thanks!

[PointOfLight]

Here's a couple more:

Rise Of Atlantis (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=316272079&mt=8)
Saqqarah - Temple Of Isis (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=313515065&mt=8) (there's actually 5 of these, but I'm too lazy to list out right now)

As for Stone Loops!, that game is awesome. I'd say it's the best Zuma-styled game I've played on the iPhone so far.

[cublah]

We just released Ballz - Pro Version and it's on sale at the moment

It has lots of new features.

http://www.purplezoo.com/screens1.jpg

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=320338508&mt=8

[CaseyLay]

I love Bejewelled!

[wootbean]

Trism all the way :)

(1,000th post!!)

[phoenixreanimation]

Hey,
Try the new style Match3 game:

http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=37200&highlight=falling+match+free

[Random_Guy]

Critter Crunch.

[jen12323]

chuzzle for sure

[Will090]

Virus Laboratory owns, you can match more than 3 though

[Random_Guy]

Virus Laboratory owns, you can match more than 3 though

Is that game any good? Should I get it?

[PhagoCychotic]

This game is great! Hidden gem.

Adubble

[Vovin]

You should give Kongdom of Gnester a try - very nice game!

[eerylab]

This game is great! Hidden gem.

Adubble

There is link to thread about Adubble
http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=15836&highlight=adubble

[Devilishly Good]

Virus Laboratory owns, you can match more than 3 though

Is that game any good? Should I get it?

I've been trying it out for a bit and it has been surprisingly fun, but it's more a match groups of at least 3 or more versus a typical match 3 where you're switching color/blocks.

[Shumby]

I'm loving the latest xeno wars update. The game is far better now. def my fav match3.

[Quorlan]

How has this thread gone on for 12 pages with no one mentioning Charmed?

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/charmed/id326214526?mt=8

It's definitely my favorite spin on match-3 and blows away Bejeweled completely. It's a bargain at $1.99 and there is both a lite version (free) and Christmas edition ($.99)! If you love match-3 games you owe it to yourself to at least check out the lite version!

Q

[AnotherCastle Shaun]

Kingdom of Gnester....its awesome! :)

[Denton]

Undewater the game is a nice one.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/underwater-the-game-2/id330878888?mt=8