Jewel Master: Cradle of Rome [Wii]

Jewel Master: Cradle of Rome would be a perfectly playable, budget match-three game if it only provided an alternative to pointer control. Players are required to use the Wii remote to point at gems they want to swap. It's an imprecise and tiresome control method, and the option to use traditional D-pad controls would have been an easy fix. Cradle of Rome is a decent puzzler with a nice price, but pointer controls aren't the way to go with this genre. Not to mention, you've most likely played this game before when it was called Bejewelled or Jewel Quest.

These sorts of games involve flipping jewels on a playing field so as to create matches of at least three of the same type. Most efforts alter the mechanic ever so slightly, and here we are supposedly building the Roman Empire. As you create matches you build up reserves of resources like grains, wood, and gold. In between rounds these can be spent on farms, taverns, and other buildings in order to cultivate your commonwealth. It's an OK concept, but there isn't really any depth. Once you've built all the structures for a level you simply move onto the next where you can build new ones. It feels like Cradle of Rome could have gone a lot farther with the cradling.

Like Jewel Quest, another Bejewelled clone, your goal during a round is to make matches on specific blue tiles, clearing them from the screen. Pesky obstacles will get in your way, like "locked" gems that can't be switched until you make a match with and unlock them. You're also under a time limit, represented by a vase of water slowly emptying onscreen. Eventually you'll unlock power-ups like a hammer that can destroy any tile on the field. One small difference between this and Bejewelled is that levels often contain bottlenecks that are blocked by locked tiles. Once the bottleneck is unlocked the pieces above will begin flooding the area underneath. The layout of each level varies widely. Cradle of Rome can be engrossing for puzzle fans, but there's not much here we haven't seen before.

Closing Comments
Despite the Wii being the console of choice for casual gamers, there really aren't that many match-three games available for the system. Cradle of Rome is a perfectly playable Bejewelled clone, but the lack of alternate control schemes kind of spoils it. Plus, with solid puzzlers available via WiiWare one wonders if a $20 retail disc is really necessary for this type of game. If you're not a fan of the genre you can dismiss this one entirely. Even if you are a fan, approach with caution.

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