iPad Game of the Week: Luxor HD

Feb

2011

Robert Workman, iPadNewsDaily Contributor
09:31 AM ET

So many iPad games so little time. Whether it’s exercising our brains for hours on end playing puzzle games like EA’s high-definition version of Tetris or PopCap Games’ addictive Plants vs. Zombies HD , there just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to get to them all.

Well, it’s our job to let you know the best of the best so you don’t waste any time with the many losers among an extremely crowded App Store . So, joining an elite group is our iPad Game of the Week , Mumbo Jumbo’s latest edition of Luxor re-mastered in high definition.

The goal of the game is to shoot colored balls at a continuously moving field of balls that shift from a starting point to a “home” destination. If the balls reach this spot before they’re all eliminated, it’s game over.

So how are balls eliminated? Well, they can be matched up with similarly colored balls in the chain. Simply link up three or more together in one shot, and they’ll disappear, with the other balls sliding back to the rest of the chain. While doing this, gems and jewels can be picked up for extra points, along with helpful power-ups, including a lightning bolt destroys all balls within range and time-control options that cause the chain to slow down or move backwards. With over 80 levels of puzzle solving action and four modes to choose from (including Survival and Challenge), Luxor HD has a lot to offer. Furthermore, it provides two different control options – one that releases balls with another tap on the screen, and another that shoots them upon lifting the finger. We recommend the second one, as it works much easier.

Luxor HD features bright, hieroglyphic-like Egyptian settings that really make it stand out from other puzzle games, though it does move a slight bit slower in frame rate than expected. That doesn't detract from the on-screen beauty or, more importantly, the gameplay, however. The music is outstanding, consisting of a number of tunes that sound as if they've been taken from The Mummy soundtrack. The sound effects are good, too, particularly the female announcer who lets you know when a power-up is acquired.

The game is currently on sale for $4.99, down 50 percent from its usual $9.99 price, and we highly recomend it. It’s a lot of fun to play, and looks and sounds great on the iPad. It can also be used with the iPhone 4 and the latest iPod Touch.