User:Taong Gagamba/sandbox

Planet 123

edit
Taong Gagamba/sandbox
Developer(s)Ganaca
Platform(s)iOS
ReleaseiPhone/iPad:
May 25, 2014
Genre(s)Puzzle

Planet 123 is a match-3 puzzle mobile game released by the developer Ganaca on May 25, 2014 for iPhone and iPad. Unlike similar games of its time, Planet 123 is the first to use the flick-and-match style of gameplay. It also uses the concept of time attack wherein the player has to make a match before time runs out in the form of a burning comet. More features and game modes are added as the game is constantly being updated.

Gameplay

edit

The game starts in Level 1 with nine planets in a combination of Earths and Venuses in a 3x3 matrix. The player can drag any planet anywhere in the same column or row to a position adjacent to two other planets of the same appearance (e.g. Earth-Earth-Earth) and make a match. The matched planets will be replaced by dropping the planets above them, and bringing in new random planets. Depending on the amount of points accrued on a match (at least 120 points), a comet displayed at the top burns more. The comet then gradually burns out until the player makes his/her next move.

Dragging a planet gives the player more control on the matches he/she wants to make. If time is of concern, or if the comet is about to die, a player can choose to flick a planet and it will make a match at the nearest towards the direction of the flick.

The next level can be reached by accumulating points towards a goal, which is indicated by the position of the comet at the top of the game space. The comet resets to the left at the beginning of a level, and nears the right as it reaches the end goal in each level. Each new level either features higher difficulty, introduces a new planet or moon, or adds a new column and row to the grid. Level 8, for example, has a 5x5 matrix with 25 planets comprising of 6 different types of planets or moons.

Pulsars are pulsating planets created by matching four planets of the same appearance. A pulsar, when put in a match, will take with it all planets or moons in the same column and same row as the pulsar, thus giving the player more points. Superpulsars are pulsars that pulsates a lot faster, and are created by matching five planets of the same appearance. A superpulsar, when put in a match, will take with it all planets and moons in the three most adjacent columns and three most adjacent rows, which amounts to much more points for the player. All pulsars and superpulsars that are taken by other pulsars or superpulsars will take other planets or moons too, thus creating a chain.

An instance of two matches, or a match and a super/pulsar action, made in one move is called a 2-hit combo and awards the player with bonus points. More combinations of these actions will result to more hit combos, and thus more bonus points. A turn pertains to one move made the player and the resulting matches and actions caused by the move until the board settles into a non-match state. A special turn pertains to any turn that is worth more points than that of a three-planet match. Any string of special turns, two or greater, are awarded with more bonus points. The higher number of consecutive special turns, the higher the bonus points given.

The game ends when the comet burns out completely.

edit