Best Match 3 app for the iPad?

Discussion in 'General Game Discussion and Questions' started by tecwrtr, Aug 24, 2010.

  1. tecwrtr

    tecwrtr Well-Known Member

    Aug 18, 2010
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    I really like Babo Crash HD. I also love Call of Atlantis, but it looks pretty fuzzy on my iPad. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

    TIA! :)
     
  2. epedemix

    epedemix Well-Known Member

    Aug 25, 2009
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    Smiles HD maybe??
     
  3. Qordobo

    Qordobo Well-Known Member

    Jun 11, 2010
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    Yes Call of Atlantis is great but there's no ipad version. Baboo Crash HD is very fun but I stop be attracted a bit fast, a bit too much garbage that get me lost. Also one failure of the game is to not succeed make you feel you plays series of really different levels, each is too similar to the previous, despite they gradually change.

    For me the best match 3 game I know that you can play on iPad is Puzzle Quest, people that think there's a lot of random just haven't understand/found all the tactics you can use and classes really play differently. Alas it looks very very blurry on ipad but it is good enough to enjoy play it anyway.

    Super Juicy HD is also a good original match 3 game that mixes tap reflex with match 3. I don't feel it as good than Puzzle Quest and Call of Atlantis but it's a good game.

    There's also DreamBalls HD it's a sophisticated match 3 game but for me one game last too long, it takes a long time before you start feel it becomes challenging. I'm not sure of this one yet. Instead there's perhaps SteamBalls HD which also has a lite version unlike DreamBalls. Quote that among those I quote it's the only one not having any mode with levels designed, it focus more on making high score and I tend not like this gaming approach.

    I have a last suggestion for you, to try Tesserae HD, it's not a match 3 game but it's a sort of puzzle in a same large familly. There's only 6 boards but each board has three levels of difficulty involving a sum of 18 different setup types and the initial position of each has random. Really a great puzzle game for me better than Call of Atlantis but it can't beat Puzzle Quest.
     
  4. tecwrtr

    tecwrtr Well-Known Member

    Aug 18, 2010
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    @Qordobo

    Thanks for your reply! I do have Puzzle Quest, and have played it through twice. I also have Smiles HD, and enjoy it. I'll have to check out Tesserae HD.

    I appreciate the time you took to reply!

    Anybody else?
     
  5. Twizzler

    Twizzler Well-Known Member

    Aug 6, 2010
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    My favourites are

    Azkend HD
    10 Talisman
    7 Wonders
     
  6. SkyMuffin

    SkyMuffin Well-Known Member

    May 24, 2010
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    wait for Puzzle Quest 2. It's a lot better balanced and more interesting than the first game.
     
  7. bjornkeizers

    bjornkeizers Well-Known Member

    Nov 26, 2008
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    I *really* enjoy Piyo Blocks 2. Because of the large screen, you have a lot more going on then the average Bejewelled clone. Also, it has some great powerups, several different game modes and decent on-device multiplayer.

    Great production values overall. Highly recommended!

    http://itunes.apple.com/nl/app/piyo-blocks-2-hd/id364356512?mt=8
     
  8. Qordobo

    Qordobo Well-Known Member

    Jun 11, 2010
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    I suppose that by better balanced you mean it let you feel it has less random? Because I don't see much unballance in the first. The 2 is more interesting? I didn't expect it because when reading the short introductions to the 2 it seems plenty features has disappeared. Your quote is appealing and I'm not sure I'll have the patience to wait and will pick the PC or DS version. :)
     
  9. SkyMuffin

    SkyMuffin Well-Known Member

    May 24, 2010
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    In the first one, there were a lot of problems with the random generator creating tons of chains/heroic efforts...so sometimes you could a ton of HP in one turn. It happened a lot later in the game. There are a lot of forum threads on the internet about it. It wasn't the AI cheating, it was just a bad generator.

    PQ2 isn't about exploring a big world map like the original, but it's about exploring a large dungeon with your hero, while fighting monsters along the way. There's no citadel/mounts/conquering cities anymore, but the puzzles are more varied. There are different match-3 games for picking locks, finding treasure, bashing down doors, learning spells, etc., so it's not always playing the same game over and over. I think it's a lot more fun and it feels less like grinding.
     
  10. Mew2468

    Mew2468 Well-Known Member

    Oct 20, 2008
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    Smiles HD definitely gets my vote.
     
  11. elf

    elf Member

    Oct 23, 2009
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    Try dragon portals and action bricks.
     
  12. Qordobo

    Qordobo Well-Known Member

    Jun 11, 2010
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    I never read that elsewhere than in this forum. Can you show the statistics and the math proofs or the links that show them? Now if you mean that the random should be shifted to not be random and avoid chains, yeah that can be a good idea but that's a different approach. Perhaps they tried that in PQ2.

    Ton of HP, ton of chains... I bet you never invest much in improving your HP level. Also try repeat the same fight again and again and you'll see if the random is that much important. The spells system is rather unique and deep and quite more important than the random you quote. The ton of big chains during a same fight, I have to see it. If that change a fight result it's one on many but very rare.

    Ok you mean the elements removed has been replaced by new one, good thing to make the game different.
    The same game? Different opponents in puzzle quest can involve hugely different ways to manage it. But ok I have to see what you mean about different match 3 variations in PQ2.

    If PQ2 is better than PQ1 that's great but from few games I tried that use match 3 for fights, all are rather ridiculous and lacking of tactical depth and diversity when compared to PQ1.
     
  13. SkyMuffin

    SkyMuffin Well-Known Member

    May 24, 2010
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    college student, ENG/WGS major
    Lexington, KY
    i didnt say that people said that on this forum, but it has been said in other places.

    http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/02/25/new-puzzle-quest-to-have-fewer-words-less-ai-cheating-and-more-variety/
    http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/01/puzzle-quests-ai-doesnt-cheat-but-you-can/
    http://forums.infinite-interactive.com/showthread.php?t=160

    again, it isn't necessarily cheating, but rather, that the random number generator is broken in a way that it sets up a lot of long chains (for either player). It's not so much a cheat than an imbalance.
     
  14. JCat

    JCat Well-Known Member

    Mar 11, 2009
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    Babo Crash is indeed one of my favorites (which you already have), but as a huge 3 match fan - here's a few others that keep me coming back:


    * Note: These are iphone/touch games, but they look just find in iPad 2X*

    PileUp! Candymania - Not a standard swap the gems affair, but rather ball dropping/rotating which leads to 3 matching. ;-) Really addictive, and huge with lots of surprises

    STYX - This is a three or more matching where you connect adjacent gems, fruits, etc. with cool power ups. This one's super addictive as well, and progression also leads to interesting theme changes so you're always not staring at the same ol' gems, colored balls..etc.

    Wooly Factory - Visually stunning with a very interesting toy factory theme and cool Charleston-era music. Don't miss this one.
     
  15. tecwrtr

    tecwrtr Well-Known Member

    Aug 18, 2010
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    @JCat

    I do love Woolly Factory. It is one of the few that doesn't look too fuzzy in 2x on the iPad. Thanks for all the good ideas! Have we missed any in this thread? ;)
     
  16. JCat

    JCat Well-Known Member

    Mar 11, 2009
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    CEO E-Commerce
    NY

    Welcome!

    Oh and yeah, there are a few others I forgot about. Don't remember which of these are Universal, HD or only iphone (which means 2X iPad unfortunately).

    Devil Invasion. Sort of Puzzle Quest-ISH in that you're battling enemies who are moving in on your castle. Each gem match produces battle animation results along the top border. There are spells to earn and weapons to match to keep the enemies from leveling your castle walls. Has a Japanese style to it - very nice, though not as deep as Puzzle Quest.

    Paradise Quest - Jungle theme where you slowly build up the environment (between rounds) as you progress (rain forest, lakes, birds..etc.). This is a typical match three, but the view scrolls around huge boards, and you control the direction depending on what side of the screen your match was created. Very good - but takes a while for the difficulty to ramp up.

    And finally..
    Treasures of Montezuma (there's a part 1 and 2). A slick series -- nice effects, great graphics and power ups. Part 2 doesn't have a timer, so I'm not sure how the heck you lose?
     
  17. tecwrtr

    tecwrtr Well-Known Member

    Aug 18, 2010
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    Thanks again!

    Thanks again! I bought Devil Invasion...it is really cool, but doesn't look great on my iPad. :(

    I guess I'll just keep waiting for more iPad-specific Match 3 releases. I do have Paradise Quest - another excellent suggestion.

    Thanks for all the great ideas!

    Also, does anyone have any idea when Puzzle Quest 2 will be available?!?
     
  18. Qordobo

    Qordobo Well-Known Member

    Jun 11, 2010
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    What's chocking in your comment are the "ton", at worst you'll lost 1 fight on 20 to 50 because of chains. But I do agree that a bit less random effects and less chains and shorter would be cool. Still the game is very far to let you nude in front of luck, you have plenty tools and it's extremely rare to lost a fight because of random.

    Also I doubt it's the random that is the flaw but the game rules. Match 4 allowing a free additional move plus Black skulls destroying all tiles around, plus some opponents generating boards that tend create chains, here are the main cause of the few big chains you could have.

    Here the rumor:
    http://toucharcade.com/2010/05/20/puzzle-quest-2-confirmed-for-iphone-and-ipad-this-fall/
    So this fall.

    If you are such a fan of match 3, you must try either SteamBalls HD either DreamBalls HD, that you seem haven't selected perhaps because of my tedious comment, but I'm not a fan of Match 3 games.
     
  19. tecwrtr

    tecwrtr Well-Known Member

    Aug 18, 2010
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    @Qordobo

    Qordobo,

    Thanks for taking the time to add so much to this thread even though you don't like Match 3 games! That's very kind of you. I actually did purchase Dreamballs based on the earlier recommendation, liked it and that led me to Steamballs. I like the feel of Steamballs much more - just cleaner graphics. Also, thanks for the info on Puzzle Quest 2!

    Take care,

    Jen
     
  20. Qordobo

    Qordobo Well-Known Member

    Jun 11, 2010
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    I'd be curious of your comparison betwteen the two, I admit I have been disappointed by Dreamballs and regret after not have pick Steamballs instead.

    I never wrote I don't like match 3, Call of Atlantis is a great game and Puzzle Quest even greater. I'm not a fan of the genre like I could be for brick breakers, a genre where I bought any that seems to include some special features or interesting enough.

    Other than that random made me quote another Match 3 and it is iPad only. I never played it but in my store it got only 5 stars which is a little weird, it's 7 Wonders HD. :)
     

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