Bubble Zoo 2

Borrowing gameplay ideas from other games is a great way to put your own spin on them and come up with different concepts. However, many developers choose to ignore the second part and just copy entire games with barely any new elements added to the mix. Hence, it’s no wonder that it often feels like you are playing the same games over and over again.

Bubble Zoo 2 is a simple bubble-pop game with match-3 elements and arcade gameplay mechanics. Naturally, it’s basically a copy of Zuma with animals instead of marbles, but that shouldn’t stop you from giving it a go. The graphics are far less engaging, which might be a problem if you prefer better visuals to go along with the puzzles.

The mechanics are the same as in Zuma or similar games, which means that you have to shoot the animals into the row of incoming creatures and match at least three of them in order to clear them. It’s imperative to move quickly and clear all of them until they reach the grates, otherwise you have to restart the level and pick up the challenge from the beginning.

Your successful matches can sometimes yield combos or bonuses, which in turn allow you to move even quicker and clear more animals from the maze. You are also rewarded with currency after each completed stage, currency that can be used to purchase power-ups or upgrade to help you along. Hence, diversity is still part of the picture, but don’t expect too much of it.

Probably one of the most disappointing things about the game is the visual quality, because the flat graphics are quite the bummer for longtime fans of the genre. Since there are no 3D environments or tricky animations involved, it would have been nice to at least have better artwork, because the solid colors used to depict the stages are very boring.

All things considered, Bubble Zoo 2 forgot to include a few vital elements into the formula for it to be as exciting and addictive as Zuma or similar games. Thus, the poor graphics, lack of interesting power-ups and repetitive levels make it difficult to keep playing for too long.

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