Chameleon Gems Review

Written by: David Laprad Published: September 17, 2007 A game doesn't have to be innovative to be worth your while; it just needs to be good. Chameleon Gems from Dekovir Entertainment is one such game. Like most clones of Zuma and Luxor, you control a cannon (in this case, a stone chameleon) with which you fire colored gems at an advancing chain of additional gems in an attempt to create matches of three or more gems of the same color. When you create a match, those gems disappear along with any subsequent matches created when the two strands of the chain reunite. You must eliminate all of the gems before they reach the end of the line, or you lose a life. Some gems contain power-ups that have different effects on the gameplay. For example, one power-up slows down the advancing chain, while another loads your cannon with destructive fireballs. To use a power-up, you have to eliminate the gem in which it's contained. Finally, you can swap the gem that's loaded in your cannon with the next one in line. Chameleon Gems contains a few unique features. For example, gems on the chain can be stacked on top of each other. When you eliminate the gem on the bottom, the gem on top drops into place. Also, to stop gems from being added to the end of the chain, you've got to fill the Chameleon Meter by creating matches. You can also use the money you earn during each level to purchase additional lives and skins for your stone chameleon. Are the differences enough to make Chameleon Gems worth playing? Sure, but the crisp graphics, superb sound effects and smooth controls are what won me over. Also, with more than 100 levels, there's more than enough content on hand to satisfy fans of the genre. Scoring (out of five stars): Graphics: Ease of use: Gameplay: Challenge: Sound effects: Music: Final analysis: Click here to download the free trial version of Chameleon Gems.