Bubble Poke™

Bubble Poke is a color matching game similar in purpose to Toon Blast. But while it gets the basics of the formula right, the general lack of character and game play modes make it hard to recommend. The simple fact is that, while this sub-section of the mobile puzzle gaming genre might not be as popular as match three or bubble popping games, it's still a crowded genre with plenty of options for users to choose from. One would be hard pressed to justify spending your time with this game when there are countless other entries in the genre that manage to do more without charging players a dime.

There's a reason why games like these are so popular, and why they have such a high level of prominence in the various app stores. The fundamentals are simple and intuitive, but still open to a decent amount of strategy. Each level presents players with a board consisting of colored bubbles stacked atop one another. Clicking on any cluster that consists of two or more bubbles of the same color earns you points and clears them off the board. While that means that there are almost always moves available, players who want to acquire the biggest scores will have to be strategic with the clusters they choose to destroy. Every move changes the options available, and smart players think several moves ahead of time, creating chains that offer larger blocks of color, allowing them to rack up their multipliers quickly with less moves.

Bubble Poke goes a decent job of giving players options in how they want to play. You can change the amount of colors available on the board for any number between four and eight, and that's a smart approach for offering players direct control over the difficulty. With dozens of levels available, it will take a long time to run out of content, but you can also change some fundamental game rules in the settings. For players looking for new ways to experiment with the formula, the options here are meaningful. There's also a color blind mode and a high scores table that could keep players coming back even after they've cleared all the levels normally.

But the big disadvantage here is the distinct lack of variety. In terms of presentation, this is one of the most bare bones versions of this game type on the market. There's little in the way of artistic embellishment. The menus are spartan, and the board itself is always just a static screen with non-descript bubbles constituting the play space. The rules stay the same unless players go in and change them themselves, and there are no special powers or tools you can earn to switch up your play style.

Pros:

• Lack of power-ups and in game purchases creates a level playing field for everyone
• Offers a number of ways to change the difficulty and game rules

Cons:

• Lacking any sort of distinct personality
• Includes pervasive and intrusive ads in game

Added new levels