Zuma Deluxe Review

It's easy to see why Zuma is one of the best-selling casual games of all time.

Zuma Deluxe, which was designed by Bejeweled creator PopCap Games, may be one of the best action puzzle games you can play on your PC. In Zuma, these masters of the "match three" genre have crafted the perfect blend of strategy, action, and precision. Instead of the usual grid of blocks, you're attacking advancing chains of colored balls, which snake all over the Mesoamerican-themed levels toward a sacred gold head. You have to destroy the chains by shooting balls out of a rotating stone frog, which is otherwise stationary. As you eliminate groups of three or more like-colored balls, you can cause the chain to contract and set off chain reactions, producing bonuses and power-ups. There are now many Zuma imitators, but none are as good as the original, which is definitely worth $20.

The Good

  • One of the best puzzle mechanics ever
  • Starts simple but gets really challenging
  • Great presentation
  • Tons of levels

The Bad

  • Won't keep hard-core gamers interested for long

About the Author