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Zuma for iPod Review - IGN

  • ️Levi Buchanan
  • ️Thu May 17 2012
Of all the puzzle games you could port over to the Apple iPod, Pop Cap's Zuma is the most sensible. The core game mechanic is spinning a target cone around the screen, which lends itself perfectly to the iPod's click wheel -- which is the reason Zuma is easily one of the top three iPod games in the nine-title launch salvo.
Zuma, one of the best-selling casual PC and mobile games, puts you in charge of a stone frog that must spit colored balls into an ever-snaking chain of spheres. When three or more of the same color touch, the combo vanishes. Depending on where the combo is in the chain, you can either send the chain reeling backwards or at least halt its progress. If the frontal ball in the snake drops into the hole, the entire chain falls in and you lose. There are coins you can collect for bonus points and special power-up balls that, when destroyed by a combo, had various effects on the chain. It's a rather simple premise, based on the popular Japanese puzzle Puzz Loop, and it's a lot of fun on the iPod.

The click wheel works exceptionally well for Zuma. Rotating your frog to line up shots is easy and the degree of accuracy surpasses the great mobile version. The game includes dozens upon dozens of puzzle screens, offering solid play value -- you're getting a lot for your $4.99 here. The game looks sharp on the iPod screen, too, and if you aren't listening to your own music, Zuma pumps out some jungle-tinged tunes to go along with the Incan theme.

Verdict

Zuma is one of the best iPod games at launch, thanks to the simple fact that the prime game mechanic is perfectly served by the click wheel. Lining up accurate shots is easy. The game looks great on the iPod screen, too. If you're looking for a great game to try out Apple's new iPod game service, Zuma comes highly recommended.