Jewel Quest Solitaire (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

We've mention before just how popular puzzle games are with developers. They take little time to actually develop and, because there's no license, they're also cheap. The only problem is you need a great idea. Not just a good one, simply because of the sheer amount of puzzlers already available, but that special, unique mixture of ingredients which generate that 'just one more go' quality. Avanquest seem to have discovered a way around this problem; their latest DS title simply mixes two previous best sellers, Jewel Quest and the card classic, Solitaire. They think that mixing two games in one package should work, but does it?

Gameplay

In order to mix the two types of game the developers have attempted to wrap the whole thing up in a story but this is shallow and uninteresting so we'll just concentrate on the gameplay. The game begins with the solitaire section which I'm sure everyone is familiar with as it's a card game even people who don't generally play cards have encountered at one time or another. This is played out on the bottom screen with every successful move rewarded with jewels on the top screen. Completion of the solitaire game then allows you to move on to the Jewel Quest portion of the game. Again, this is probably the computer game equivalent of solitaire as just about everyone reading this will have encountered a game that challenges you to match three coloured shapes in order to gain points. If you're concerned that this sounds a bit too easy, then we can reassure you: it isn't. You will get stuck on some of the card games for hours before working out the best way to dispose of all your cards. The developers have even included a 'Wild Card' but it won't always help matters because you'll often substitute it for the wrong value leaving several cards on the table and nothing to cancel them out with.

All of this is in the 'Full Quest' mode but you can select 'Just Cards' which allows you to play the solitaire section only. Sadly there isn't a 'Just Jewels' section which means you'll still have to buy the original Jewel Quest if you find that this is the more enjoyable section. There is a Multiplayer but this isn't nearly as entertaining as it should be.

Controls

Strangely, the only thing you'll need the buttons for is to forward the tutorial. Other than that, they are useless. The tutorial itself is actually pretty good and you won't be allowed to make any illegal moves during the card and jewel sections. If you are still having problems with the gameplay, there's even a rules section which you can select from the main menu and if you are still stuck then you probably shouldn't be playing this in the first place.

Graphics

Generally with puzzlers the visuals are more functional than anything approaching cutting edge, although the 'plot' here does allow for something more than simple symbols and geometric shapes. The front end interface is much more pleasing too with each of the card games listed in an animated book. The rest is given over to a collection of black and white 'drawn' sketches which help to push along the story. Not much but far more than we were expecting.

Sound

The soundtrack is superb and suitably 'Indiana Jones' like but it does repeat a little too often.

Dual screen

Simple and effective, just a case of selecting with a tap on the stylus.

Final comments

There's every chance that this pairing of two classic games may not have worked but fortunately it does and what Avanquest have delivered here is an entertaining and satisfying experience. Like the card game it's based on, its real strength lies in the fact that you can play it in short three minute bursts or for hours depending on how much free time you have available. The only real downside is that only the card section is available to play from the menu with the jewels being sadly ignored. It's still recommended for all you 'Touch Generations' crowd though and is yet another reason to own a DS if you've never considered yourself a gamer before.

Pro: Great Music, Addictive Gameplay
Con: No Jewel Quest Mini-Game, A Little Repetetive
Final score: 7.5

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