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- Rating:
- Price: $4.99 (Get It)
- Version: 1.0
- Official Site: Sykhronics Entertainment
Smiles is a full-featured match-3 puzzle game that comes with 2 main game modes; Zen and Drop. Each mode has their own difficulty levels and bonus game modes. For example, Drop has Easy, Hard, and Long Play, but also a “Six” mode in which there are 6 unique tiles instead of 5, which makes it a harder game, and it usually ends much quicker so it’s the perfect mode for pick-up and play. Zen has Easy, Medium, Hard, and Master difficulties.
Each mode has its own achievements list, with 140 unlockable achievements in total, and high score boards. Also, each has a tutorial that explains how to play. For Zen mode, you must light up the board with all the tiles, and like the name suggests, is a casual, play-at-your-own-pace mode.
Drop mode will drop new tiles as you make matches, and you can play either at your own pace, or for the more hardcore, try to chain combos for as long as you can to rack up huge score bonuses. Some tiles have ice on them, so you can’t swap and make matches with them, however if they drop they will shatter, allowing you to make matches with them then. Eventually rocks will show up the further along you are, and they can only be broken by making 4 or more matches that drop on them.
Visually, Smiles is bursting at the seams with personality and polish. The game can be played in any orientation, and in some game modes, turning the iPhone around can be a strategic benefit. The UI and menu system is fantastic, presenting a wealth of information without being overwhelming, and still being cute and rich in colors. The ability to choose from three different tile themes is a great touch, and all three look great.
The sound effects are soft, and work great for the game. The sound shifts based on how long the chain of combos you make. The sounds of tiles falling and being removed never gets annoying. There’s no music, but you can easily play your own music library.
Quite simply, Smiles is filled to the brim with gameplay, with lots of replay value. The variety of difficulty levels, gameplay modes, and strategy will keep Smiles fresh for hours on end. The game can be enjoyed by both casual and hardcore gamers, both young and old alike. Add to it that the game looks great, plays smoothly, and has a cutesy vibe to it easily makes Smiles one of the most well-rounded and lovingly developed puzzle game available in the App Store.
Thanks Matt for the glowing review. Much appreciated. :)