Published by EastAsiaSoft, Pretty Girls Pop Match is the next title in the long running Pretty Girls series only this time it a simple Match-3 Bejeweled-like clone. The gameplay is pick-up-and-playable but unfortunately there is some unfair stage design that holds back the entire experience.
Using either the d-pad or analog stick as a mouse pointer, the player needs to tap on icons to make them swap places with the neighboring piece. If three pieces of the same color connect, they will burst and new pieces will fall into place just like any other Match-3 puzzle game.
Adding a bit of flavor, each playable girl has a unique super ability to make clearing these colored gems easier to break. For example, if you make a combo or link more than 3 pieces together, the player will be rewarded with a bonus piece of some kind. A bomb can wipe out all the pieces within close proximity while the blade ability can nuke specific pieces. Without these special pieces and abilities, the experience would be pretty vanilla.
Unfortunately, tedious and near-unwinnable stage design not only makes the gameplay frustrating, it actually prevented me from moving forward. Personally, I got stuck at level 38 because the stage design is essentially a giant letter “X” but the player needs to bust the specific pieces in the bottom half of stage. The problem is, there really isn’t an opportunity to link three pieces together as the transition is only 2 pieces wide. The only way to clear this stage, if at all, is to get extremely lucky and by using the right special ability to clear the objective from a distance. After playing this stage a few dozen times, I had no choice but to rage quit forever. This wasn’t my first frustration though as there were a couple earlier stages that also proved unnecessarily difficult. I also hate it when the only way to play stage 4 is by clearing stage 3. If all the other stages were unlocked from the start, the player is free to skip that one stage that is providing trouble and continue with the game. Hitting an unpassable wall is always heart breaking.
Like all the other Pretty Girls titles, there is an option to place these anime drawings against a background of your choice in a diorama mode found on the main menu. This mode serves no purpose whatsoever and it is a wonder why it is included at all. Also, do not be mistaken by the title. This isn’t a lewd anime game by any means. There just so happen to be PG-rated drawings of anime girls, who won’t shut up during gameplay unless you turn down the voices from the menu. Honestly, if the anime babes and diorama mode were removed, this game would be exactly the same.
I don’t have any beef with the Pretty Girls series as they offer low-cost, simple, straightforward gameplay. However, Pop Match would have stood slightly higher on the list, because who doesn’t appreciate a good Match-3 puzzler, but the unfair and frustrating stage design is the nail in the coffin on this one. It also would have been nice if the mouse control wasn’t free form and moved in set increments, but that is a nit-picky complaint compared to the unwinnable level design.
Not As Good As: just playing the free version of Bejeweled or any of its clones on your phone
Also Play: any of the Pretty Girls card or brick breaking titles
Wait For It: Pretty Girls Light Bulb Changing Simulator
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
X/Twitter: @ZackGaz
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RATING
OUR SCORE - 4
4
SCORE
A Match-3 puzzler that has a lot in common with Bejeweled but features some unfortunate level design that prevents the player from moving forward.
Editor in Chief - been writing for mygamer,com for 20+ years. Gaming enthusiast. Hater of pants. Publisher of obscure gaming content on my YT channel.
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