Pixie Power Swapper Review

Written by: David Laprad Published: October 6, 2004 Time for a pop quiz: Which puzzle game from PopCap was responsible for the explosion in the popularity of the Lines genre? If you said Bejeweled, pat yourself on the back. Ever since people started clicking on colored gems in an effort to line them up and make them disappear, computer users have been inundated with a variety of similar offerings, all with their own twist. It's no wonder, as Line games are easy to create and players can't seem to get enough of them. Artichoke Games is the latest startup to open its doors with a Lines offering. Called Pixie Power Swapper, the game challenges you to align three or more tiles of the same color to clear them from the board. Doing so causes more tiles to fall into place from the top of the screen. If you're familiar with the Lines genre, you'll slip comfortably into the gameplay as you click on a block to select it, then click on an adjacent block to make the swap. You can also exchange tiles by clicking and dragging one of them. As in Bejeweled, you're awarded bonus points when you form lines longer than three tiles or create combos (when more than one line is formed and cleared from the board). Your goal is to score as many points as possible. Like many Lines games, Pixie Power Swapper has its variations. These come in the form of small characters called Pixies, which confer special bonuses. One bonus is a pistol you can use to shoot any tile off the board, another is a bomb that explodes all the tiles of a particular color, a third is a paintbrush that allows you to coat three tiles with a new color and a fourth provides a hint when you can't find two tiles to swap. You begin each new game with a limited number of bonuses and can earn more by removing specially marked tiles from the board. When you clear one of the unique tiles, a small Pixie appears and wings its way to the top of the screen, where your bonuses are accessed. The bonuses add more depth to the strategic gameplay of the Lines category, but don't complicate things to the degree that Pixie Power Swapper becomes a chore to play. The only change that would be welcome is the ability to select your own color when using the bomb or paintbrush. (The game selects one for you.) Pixie Power Swapper offers three modes: Classic, Logic and Timed. The Classic mode is similar to Bejeweled, although instead of filling a status bar to advance to the next level, you raise a platform that has a Pixie on it. Brainiacs will enjoy the Logic mode, which challenges you to score the most points while clearing 100 tiles from the board. Finally, the Timed mode blends strategy and action as you race to keep the platform from reaching the bottom of the screen. Pixie Power Swapper's graphics are bright and colorful, and the artwork is generally well done. The only aspect of the visuals that could be improved is the Pixies, which are rather crudely drawn and animated. That said, the music is bouncy and the sound effects are sharp, so the game's presentation is well done and even uplifting. If you're looking for a new Lines game that’s easy to play, attractive and has its own twists, sprinkle a little Pixie Power on your PC.