Review: Bookworm – By Magmic

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Download: www.magmic.com

[rating:9]9/10 (Val’s Rating)

Cost: $7.99 USD Developer/Vendor: Pop Cap Games/Magmic

Link: www.magmic.com

This game has given me a heap of quiet time as my wife has developed an addiction to this game which stems back to its release in 2005 on PC and Mac. When my boss gave me the opportunity to review this one, I knew I would be without my BlackBerry for days if not weeks! So, with thanks to my wife Val, I have written up quite an in-depth review on Bookworm. So much for her being afraid of modern technology!

More after the jump.

If you enjoy crosswords, Scrabble or any other word puzzle games, this one is right up your alley. It must come with a word of warning though, this one is also a ‘dangerously’ addictive game (about as much so as Magnetic Joe).

The aim of the game is to link letters to make words of 3 letters or more accumulating points for each word as you go. The more letters in a word the higher its value will be. These words may be formed in any direction as long as the letters are linked and are included in the games extensive dictionary. The words you form go towards filling the book shelf on the left hand side of the screen and once full, you advance to the next level.

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To further challenge you during this game, you have to prevent red burning letters from reaching the bottom of your screen by using them as soon as possible. Beware, multiple burning letters may be released simultaneously. If the burning letters reach the bottom, you have torched your library and the game is over.

You will also encounter green, gold, sapphire and diamond letters throughout the game as you advance. If you are skillful enough to incorporate these letters in a word, your score will be greatly improved. If you are looking to dramatically improve your score total, you will need to match one of your words to ‘Bookworms’ special bonus word which is displayed underneath him on the left of your screen.

Controls for the game can be done via the trackball alone ( very slow and difficult) or can be typed via your keyboard. Simply use your trackball to select the letter you would like to use and click on it or just type in the letter on the keyboard to select it. If there is more than one choice then each one will light up and simply click your trackball over the one you want to use and continue playing (I know, sounds complicated but you soon get the hang of it).

The game offers the usual fare of settings, hints and tutorials in the home screen with a very handy mute mode so you can continue your games in stealth mode at work. In comparison to the version offered to PC and Mac users, this compact mobile style of the game only offers the classic mode of gameplay. In the PC and Mac version you get the choice of timed play and a faster paced action mode.

This is a perfect game for those wanting to build their vocabulary or to keep the kids quiet for a few hours(Just don’t tell them they’re learning!). The game once again saves automatically for when you are rudely interrupted by work.

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Pros:

  • Graphics are esthetically appealing.
  • Learn as you play.
  • Ultimate procrastination tool.

Cons:

  • Falling behind at work (Sorry boss, it’s my wifes fault).
  • Ultimate procrastination tool.
  • Suffers a little in speed when compared to PC/Mac version

Con

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