This cute, colorful block breaking game gets addicting quickly.
As with other column games, there are also special items called medicine which can be used during play to clear viruses in various ways: one clears viruses around it, one that will clear a row, a column, multiple rows or columns, randomize the board, one even will clear the board. So there isn't really anything new here. Another factor is you must choose three among those you've unlocked (a possible 8) to use in the game, so they aren't all available for use during play. You choose when to use them and where on the board it will affect so there is some tiny amount of strategy involved. There are no special blocks or items that appear on the game board.
Unlocking medicine and new viruses is achieved by progressing through the 40 level puzzle mode. This mode presents a board of stationary viruses that you must clear within a certain number of moves in order to move on. They begin very easily and progress in difficulty as you move along. There is no use of medicine in this mode, however, several stages incorporate them into the board. Unfortunately, most of the stages are very easy. I blew through all but the last four in a short period of time. The final four stages seemed way more difficult than the others. You can try and think it out, but it's quicker to just randomly tap things. After 10 minutes or so, you should clear them. Though the last stage proved to take longer than that.
Another mechanic to this game is the storage room. As you play the game, the viruses you clear get stored and saved for use in creating the different medicines. Each medicine requires a certain number of different coloured viruses in order to create. As you use medicine in game, it depletes from your storage, so you must continue to play the game and harvest viruses in order to create the medicine. If you're really good with this type of game, you will have no problems with shortages. You simply must plan what viruses you need and make sure to choose them in game. It's an interesting mechanic.
Graphically, the game looks nice. The colour scheme makes me think of some pepto bismol accident with a splash of radiation, but it works. You get too caught up in the game to really be bothered by all that pink. As another plus, it even looks good scaled on the iPad.
As for sound, the sound effects are nice and fitting, but the background music got a bit annoying, but it can be turned down or off under settings, or you could just listen to your iPod library.
Column games tend to have a high replay value depending on the players affinity with the genre. There are also a ton of its type available, so it can be difficult to determine which one is worth the money. Even though this has a variety of game modes, OpenFeint integration with 25 achievements (milestones based on score as well as puzzle mode progression), the little tweaks it has doesn't wow me that much. It looks nice, plays well, and has the standard column puzzle addiction. It is hard for me to decide if it is even fun. It stands out more from others in its niche I've played on iPad, but boredom is the only thing that ever drives me to play it. It is one of the better ones I've played. It's worth playing if you really like this niche or haven't played this type of game before. It's a good entry level game for its niche.