Reviewed Platform: iPhone
Device Used: iPod Touch
Software Type: Game
Developed By: Birdsoft

I’m not familiar with Jezzball, the inspiration for this game, but I’m also reminded of the game Qix when I play Jezster. It’s not my favorite genre of game, but Jezster is a charming interpretation of the genre that has enough perks thrown in to be interesting. It’s not an every-day-play for me, but it’s certainly worth the price of admission.

The basic idea of the game is that you must fill in a certain percentage of each game board to move on to the next one. You do this by drawing lines between existing borders. Any area that is completely blocked off by the line and doesn’t contain a bad guy will be filled in. You can create lines either horizontally or vertically. To change the direction of your line you can select to have either a small button in each bottom corner of the screen, or you can have a button that pops up when you swipe in the corner. Personally, I found the pop-up button too difficult to use, and the permanent buttons take up so little room that they don’t impede game play any. There are six worlds, and each world is comprised of 4 sub-levels and a boss level. To help you along the way there are a number of power-ups to be collected, including extra time and extra lives. There is also a bomb that will destroy surrounding filled in areas if you don’t click on it in time. There are more power ups listed in the help screens, but so far the ones I listed are the only ones I’ve run across. For the sake of completeness I should mention that there is a “classic” mode that emulates the original Jezzball, but without the power ups and such it just wasn’t really that entertaining.

Just Jezzin'

There are a couple of issues I encountered while playing, like times where it seemed that an enemy passed through a line instead of breaking it, but overall the production value on this game is pretty solid. My biggest gripe, though, is that the game is really difficult. Even on the easy level I barely passed world 1, and now routinely get caught between sub-level 3 and 4 in world 2. The problem stems from the fact that there are a lot of enemies in the area you have to cover. I know there are games with a lot more happening on screen at one time, but because of the nature of having to play from border to border in this one, you’ll learn quickly that the enemies can travel a lot faster than your line. Occasionally some random blocks will pop up that let you connect lines someplace besides the borders, but these don’t tend to hang around for very long. Also, the very limited time you have often precludes you from waiting until the “right” moment to try and create a line.

The graphics are simple but effective. The enemies are animated for as much detail as they contain, and each world is themed with background that tries to represent that theme. A little more detail in the background might have been nice, though I suppose since it gets covered up that probably wouldn’t be too practical. The sound effects for power ups are decent enough, but the bouncing of enemies off of borders gets a bit repetitive, especially if one is trapped in a small area. Like a lot of iPhone games, there is no music in Jezster either.

Graphics: 7
Sound: 4
Installation Ease: 10
Fun Factor: 6
Usability: 9
Documentation: 10
Adjustability: 10

Addon Packs: NO
Suitable For Young Kids: YES
Online Support: YES

CONS:
- Difficult even on easy level
- HUD style control difficult to use
- No music

PROS:
- Power ups take genre to new level
- Solid production values

OVERALL::
Jezster still hasn’t really sold me on this genre of game, but it’s a solid attempt that at least makes things a little more interesting. Decent graphics provide an adequate atmosphere, and for the most part the sound effects enhance the ambiance. I think an easier “easy” mode and some music would go a long way to making Jezster a more enjoyable experience.

Overall Rating: 8
Available Platforms: iPhone
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