Facebook: Zuma Blitz Review

Let me start this off by saying that I'm not at all impressed with the majority of the games that FaceBook has out there. However there are a couple exceptions to the rule, and because I enjoy the following so much I thought it only fair to review it. Zuma Blitz is basically a break-neck speed version of the regular Zuma. This game features a stone spitting frog that you control to try to create matches to score points. Now here's the catch in Blitz you have a very limited amount of time to rack up points. Now of course there is also one more feature that seems to be the truly common threads among FaceBook games, the more points you score the better chance you have to level up, revealing more of the game to you, and there's constantly the ability to harrass your friends, excuse me show off to your friends, the achievements that you have conquered.

Graphically you can see that this game is polished, and it should be, seeing as its an existing game who's extra layer is simply a timer. Well that's not 100% true, but still its not like PopCap is trying to do something completely different and crazy with the game. I do have to say that I do enjoy the effects on the frog as you quickly make launches until the frog becomes a killing machine.

I wish I could comment on the sound, but as work tends to be the usual venue for playing this game, sound is out of the question. If you have to know though the music in the menu is kind of a tribal beat. The actual game features a rolling ball sound, the sound of the ball being shot, and the match noise.

The controls are really simple. You're going to be using your mouse cursor to select the direction you want to shoot in. I say only direction and not spot because you need to be aware of where the stones (balls) are at because your shot could end up going where you didn't want it to exactly go.

Zuma is one of those games that gives you that puzzle, matching game feel, and once you play enough rounds you'll be hooked. Now of course there's the wonderful thing of lives in the game. You're only going to have so many at once. If you level up you can replenish your whole stash, but chances are that you'll level up quickly to a point and then you're going to have to play when the timer for the next life tells you to. As frustrating as it is I keep coming back, so that has to tell you something. Maybe its because I have a friend who has an astronomically high score, compared to me, and I want to get close to that score, but I don't think I'm going to be able to not play this game often. 

One thing that I forgot to mention about this game is that you can unlock powerups that will help you obtain your highscore, as well as score you extra points. I made mention of the frog changing colors to a point when it basically shoots fireballs that knock out huge sections of stones. There's also the fruit that will randomly appear somewhere near the edge and if you hit them you can score extra points, also be on the look out for the treasure chest, you're going to need what it gives you. You have mojo points, and if you equip items to help you in the game its going to take away those points, so this also adds an additional layer of strategy to the game. There's no possible way to keep the pace of trying to score the highest possible when you start running out of mojo.

This game is free, yes its on FaceBook, and I know that most people are scared to death when they see that Allow Application option pop up, but this is a solid game, by a game company who knows their stuff. Check it out, give it a spin, and if you're like me you're going to find out that playing it once a day just isn't going to cut it. This game gets a solid 8.7 out of 10.

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