Columns Jungle HD

It’s difficult to resist the urge to play one more level in match-three games, probably because it never seems like it takes a long time to do so. However, they can also get quite frustrating and annoying once the difficulty level spikes up, depending on how much experience you have with the genre. Even so, match-three games are here to stay, and they do not even need to change too much about themselves.

Columns Jungle HD is a remake, as the clearly states, but the game it emulates was released quite a few years ago, so it’s unlikely that most match-3 fans are aware of it. Even so, the basic idea is quite simple: you have to match at least three same-colored jewels in order to clear them from the board, and the said jewels descend from top to bottom in the shape of a straight line.

You can rearrange the colors in this line as you wish, but you cannot rotate the line to make it horizontal. Hence, you must think quickly and act just as quickly, especially later on in the game. There are only four colors in total, but that’s certainly enough once the pace picks up and you have to keep up with everything that’s happening on the screen.

Whenever you manage to pass a certain score, the speed at which the lines descend increases, which makes it even more difficult to stay focused and plan your moves. It gets pretty demanding toward the end, although luck can also help you in some situations, at least if you make efforts to spread out the lines and hope for the best.

The graphics are nothing to get excited about, despite the “HD” marker in the title. While it is true that the visual quality is a lot higher than it was in the original, that’s hardly something to be proud about, considering the age difference. However, everything is smooth enough not to be an eyesore, which means that the graphics probably won’t even register after the first few minutes of gameplay.

In the end, Columns Jungle HD’s greatest advantage is its replayability, because you can keep aiming for higher and higher scores with each try. The experience is different every time, so you certainly cannot get stuck in a rut.