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Category: Puzzle game
Seller: Xtremics Ltd
File Size: 5.5MB
Version Reviewed: 1.1
Requirements: iPhone 2.0 software
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod Touch
Price: $0.99
Age Rating: 9+ (infrequent/mild horror/fear themes)

I thought Bejeweled had the market cornered on puzzle-solving games. I was wrong. MyM Link Up is actually better than Bejeweled. Here’s why.

As you launch the program on your iPhone or iPod touch, you have the option to play a holiday puzzle for free. You can actually play the Christmas theme at any time by going to the options screen and selecting “Christmas Theme.” When you first launch the application and select “new game,” you’re presented with an 8x11 grid of tiles, and 8 of them flip over revealing various photos. In the Christmas version, I was greeted by Santa Claus, a reindeer, a stocking, and a gift wrapped box. The object of the game is to match any four like photos together. You can accomplish this horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. To move your photos from one tile to another, you simple touch it to highlight it, then touch the tile you would like to move it to. If the tile you want to move is blocked in, you are not able to move it; it must have a clear line of sight to the title you would like to move it to.

Once you have made your move, three more tiles will turn themselves over to reveal more photos. After a couple of turns you will also see what are called “timed” pieces. These timed pieces have a small number in the corner of the tile signifying a number of turns before the tile becomes unmovable. From time to time, the game will throw you a curveball or two by revealing tiles that are “grey.” These tiles are not movable. Once you are able to get four like tiles in a row, those tiles will then disappear and they will not be replaced, meaning you have removed four tiles from the board without any new ones being turned over against you.

I do not have a whole lot of bad things to say about MyM Link Up. The developer could have made the board a bit smaller, perhaps, taking away one row in both directions, as it is quite difficult to navigate if you have larger fingers (such as myself). The only thing I would like to see added is a timed version; in the current version, there is no timer at all. You can actually leave the game, go check your e-mail and come back to the game right where you left off with no penalty. Some kind of “race against the clock” mode would be a good idea.

Overall, this is a highly addictive game you can play for hours at a time, if you have the patience to do so.