The Treasures of Montezuma 3, a free game in the Apple store, is similar to the familiar game Bejeweled. The main object of the game is to match tokens that appear in groups of 3 or more of the same color. However, The Treasures of Montezuma 3 takes their game a few steps further to keep the players entertained. The player must open treasure chests each level and upon the successful completion of each level, they are awarded specific awards, medals and magical stars. Furthermore, all these awards can be used to further their game play. These reasons are why this game is far better than Bejeweled.
Two of the key elements of The Treasures of Montezuma 3 are speed and hand-eye coordination. These must be a good combination in order to receive a high score because players only have 1 minute per round. There are two different rounds, casual and expert, but there isn’t a lot of difference. The only difference is in expert mode the clock speeds up faster and it’s more intense. You’re going to want to keep your hands and eyes moving while tokens are being destroyed. Remember–the faster you play, the more points you will earn in the game.
The faster a player is, the more likely they are to activate score frenzy and earn the score frenzy award. Score frenzy is where the vessel at the bottom of the screen fills with sand. When that is filled, all points are instantly doubled. If you are quick enough to activate this twice in one level, you have the possibility to earn the “sand whirl” award. Keep an close eye out for the gems in the game because these will add bonus points to your overall total score. For instance, if you clear 10 gems with 1 combination, you could earn the “precious ran” award in the game.
When a player completes the highest score level in a treasure chest, they are award a gold star. These gold stars can be used to buy totems and power-ups to get you further in your game play. After you purchase these in the game, they will appear on the game board. For instance, there is a red totem which destroys several tokens with fireballs. Similarly, there is a frenzy bonus which activates score frenzy for 12 seconds. Whichever totem or power-up you choose, it is sure to make the game more interesting and fun. There is also a color blast bonus which destroys 2/3 of the tokens that match its color; this might score you extra points!
In addition, each award starts at bronze and the goal is to get all gold. If you’re not happy with your score on a level, you can go back and replay it. The treasure chest can be refilled each time you play the particular level. From what I understand so far, only one medal per high score can be earned with each treasure chest. The high scores on each of the treasure chests vary. The first one starts out at 5k and 10; my current one has 40k and 60k.
I really enjoyed the graphics on this application. The start of the game shows torches on both sides of the screen and the entrance to a pyramid. This pyramid helps makes the game more magical and mysterious. When the player starts the game, the pyramid opens with a key. The details in all the animations are specific and nothing is blurred; this game was not designed by an amateur and it shows. These details really help make the game some unique from others I have seen.
Finally, the full version of this application is available in the Apple store for $6.99. While the free version only has 24 levels, the paid version has 160. The free version also only offers one treasure room, whereas the paid version offers five treasure rooms. The graphics are probably as detailed and excellent. This game is not Bejeweled, but it could come in as a close competitor. This is by far one of the best games Apple store has to offer, and I may look for future ones similar to it.