Big Kahuna Reef Review

Big Kahuna Reef takes a lot of cues from Bejeweled, but the game offers a surprising amount of challenge and depth throughout its 100 levels to keep you engaged. Though the basic gameplay merely involves swapping marine-themed icons to match three in a row and clear them, the varying shapes of the playing boards as you move from level to level give the game great challenge. You'll find certain pieces that are "locked," requiring you to clear them two or more times before you can fill the rest of the board and beat the level. As you beat the levels, you'll unlock new species of fish that you can release into the background--the game even includes an aquarium mode where you can just stare at fish swimming about. The game's backgrounds resemble a coral reef, and you can choose from a few different types for your fish to swim around in. There's even a multiplayer mode where you can plug in a second mouse for competitive or cooperative play. Marrying an aquarium simulation to a puzzle game isn't the most conventional idea, but Big Kahuna Reef proves that it works.