50 Castles by Rusty
Axe Games, $19.99
Reviewed December 2004 by Marc Morgan
50 Castles is a new puzzle game by Rusty Axe Games that will
take you back to the medieval times to build castles, within
a set time limit. There have been plenty of puzzle games lately,
but there have not been any alike the concept of 50 Castles.
This game proves to be an original concept, but does it prove
to be a good game?
The idea of the game is simple, fill in the black spaces using
the piece shown in the upper-left corner of the screen. For
example, a corner piece goes where it looks like there should
be a corner piece, and a bridge piece goes where it looks like
there should be a bridge, etc. If a piece needs to be rotated
to fit, when you click on the black spot, it will either rotate
to fit if the piece will fit if rotated, or it will not do
anything if it is the wrong location for the type of piece.
There are bonuses, too, when you use the same type of tile
four times in a row quickly (combo) and when you fill spaces
with coins on them. Your current combo status is located under
the picture of the piece that you need to put down. Also, there
are chickens that give you bonus points if they are in your
castle when you finish building it. Along with the chickens,
there are marauders and snakes that come in later levels to
wreak havoc by killing your chickens, but they can be stopped
by tapping on them to fire the cannon. The one main thing that
makes this game so difficult is the time limit. Without the
time limit, the game would be no challenge, but since it does
have one, there is a great challenge that may keep you playing
the same level over a few times to figure it out in time, and
that is what makes 50 Castles so fun. On top of all this, there
are three difficulty modes, each with its own 50 castles (levels)
hence the name 50 Castles, although there are technically 150
castles to solve. Also, you can save your progress to come
back to your game later.
As with many other puzzle games, 50 Castles is mainly controlled
with the stylus. To place a piece on the board, you simply
tap on the black spot where it fits. Also, to shot your cannon
at enemies, you simply tap on them. During gameplay, if you
need to quit or pause, you can press any hardware button to
the left of the D-Pad on your device. The stylus is also used
to navigate the menus.
50 Castles has a cartoon look to it, and it makes the game
look like it could be easy, but you soon realize that it can
be difficult. The cartoon look also provides a happy atmosphere
for the player. There are many colors in the game, and the
cartoon look is complimented by bright, vibrant colors and
good shading to make it look even better. Also, you can change
the skins of the game from the options menu. There are six
skins to choose from. During gameplay, all the pieces are displayed
nicely, and all the enemies and chickens are easy to see. There
are animations when the cannons are fired, you finish the level
with chickens in your castle, etc. and these make the game
all the more fun.
50 Castles is accompanies by upbeat pop music. The upbeat
music adds even more happiness to the atmosphere provided by
the graphics! During gameplay, there is also a separate track
of music. On top of there being music, there are sound effects
when you get a piece with a coin on it, when you fire the cannon,
etc. There are even three different voices that make comments
on how you're doing during the game. The three voices are:
Cheerleader, Scotsman, and Surfer. There are also options to
turn the volume down or off for the sound effects, the music,
and the voices, if need be.
50 Castles is a great game to play any time, whether you can
only play for a few minutes, or if you have hours to play.
It combines a great concept, nice looking cartoon graphics,
music and sound effects, and a happy atmosphere into a very
addicting game. I recommend this game for gamers of all ages,
as it is a non-violent game, but it is still entertaining for
adult audiences.
Playing Tips and Hints
Try to get rid of enemies as fast as
possible.
Watch the time limit, as it is the main cause for losing.
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