Match the candy icons. Get points. Yum!
One of the fortes of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone is the ability to present games in full graphics and sound. The phone most notably excels in the field of puzzle games. If you are looking for a simple yet addicting game that brings an alert mind and sharp pair of eyes into the picture, then the Candy Shop game is for you.
What is Candy Shop?
Programmed by Play Tomo, this game is both good for the eyes and for the brain. The object of the game is to align three (3) or more of the candy icons to reach the stage’s score objective. A running time sets off once the game starts. To align three of more candy icons, one must touch an icon and swap it with a neighboring icon either above, below, at the left or at its right. Then, the similar icons disappear thereby bringing the above row of icons to go one level lower. This gives us more options to mix and match the icons and get more points.
Once we reach the target score, we will be transported to a new set of jumbled icons and we do the same process again. However, as we go from one level to another, the time reduction speed increases. We need to be more aggressive in looking for matches.
Should there be no more possible candy icons to connect, the game gives us a new board to work on plus an additional 150 points.
The interface is simple. An 8x8 board with a timer on top and the target score gauge at the bottom indicating if you are near to your goal. A literal score is flashed at the top left part of the screen.
If you want to exit the game, all you need to do is choose the Menu button found at the lower right corner of the screen. You can also find the Help option here. If you want to toggle the playful music that accompanies you while you play, then you can do this by pressing the Speaker icon at the bottom left of the screen.
Get ready for the next stage.
My take on the Candy Shop
I love this game. Graphically, it is (pardon the pun) really eye candy. The icons remind me of those small and sweet candies I used to eat when I was a kid. To be frank, these colorful candies in different shapes and forms (lightning, stars, hearts etc.) jump out of the screen. This is due to how the “candies” were drawn and rendered. Very well done.
The playful music gives a little flavor to the game. Turn it off if you don’t want to disturb the people around you. While I was testing the game for this review, I played Candy Shop at 3:00 am. The toggle switch does a lot of good.
The swapping between two icons is done with a such whimsical taste. There’s a switching effect as if a cloud appears between switching. Just like how it is done in the cartoons. You need to be conscious that you have to choose the icon first before you switch. I have made the mistake of making my move first than choosing the icon. This can take away precious time. Don’t worry. You’ll get use to it as you play along.
Compared to Bejewelled that makes your game over when there are no more icons to swap, Candy Shop gives you a new board to work on and even gives you 150 points bonus. Why they did that, I don’t know. But I guess the time is more important than the score. Besides, the levels do get harder as time flies by faster as you go up. The concept is similar for Bejewelled. But the guys at Play Tomo brought more fun into the game without being too critical of the gameplay.
The game does have a little catch to it. In order for the game to be played for FREE, the program will download a little 100k code that will remind you to go to their website from time to time. It is similar to the concept of pop-up advertising. It might deter your gaming momentum. But it’s not much of a big deal to enjoy a free game.
My verdict
If you are looking for a kid-friendly game, this is the one. Let them enjoy playing without much pressure. Frankly, I love this game better than Bejewelled with the rather sad rendition on the Nokia 5800 phone compared to its desktop version.
Download Candy Shop. Put it in your Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone. It is an addicting game that you will surely play for hours. The eye candy, the playful music, the simple concept, the generous points and the overall game experience does make it a great addition to your game roster.
The Candy Shop game can be downloaded for FREE at the Ovi Store. Just register to access the site. You can also download this application straight to your Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone by installing the Ovi Store Application.
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