Gem Blast

These postal workers really don't know how it's done, do they? We're referring, of course, to the recent postal strike. A few days of inconvenience for the rest of us and they're back to work, mishandling our parcels and misdirecting our mail.

Now the miners, they really knew how to strike. They created the kind of stir your average militant postie could only dream of.

But that's not the end of their talents. According to Gem Blast, Most Wanted Mobile's new subterranean puzzle title, miners also have the ability to surgically remove abstract rock formations via the use of powerful explosives. Fancy.

Playing the part of fresh-faced gem-miner Andy, you make progress by rotating and stacking together explosive blocks as they fall from the sky. Group together four or more and they detonate, taking any surrounding regular blocks with them. Gem blocks are often thrown in either for bonus points or as part of your objective, depending on which game mode you've opted for. And they also look pretty.

This core dynamic is applied to a variety of modes, selectable from a simple front menu. These include Story, Puzzle, Challenge and good old fashioned Quick Play. They're all fairly easy to get the hang of, thanks largely to an intuitive and responsive control system. But then, that's the least you'd expect from a game requiring only three keys (or a thumbstick) to play.

Story mode sees you, as Andy, working your way through a series of straightforward challenges, which take the form of rescuing trapped people (by destroying all blocks immediately above them) or ridding a level of all gems, amongst others. The plot, such as it is, is introduced in the form of pre-level dialogue scenes between an assortment of unlikely characters.

The narrative is tacked-on and superfluous, true, but our real issues with Story mode – and indeed with Gem Blast in general – lie with the fundamental mechanics of the game. Gem Blast possesses neither the scope for strategic forethought, nor the potential for manic, rising-tide desperation so vital in puzzle games of this sort.

As play progresses, you soon settle into a rhythm of whittling down your blocks via the same repetitive techniques. The only variable is where you concentrate your fire – be it over a trapped miner's head or around the scattered gems.

As a result of this the learning curve tends to flatline pretty quickly, and many of the play modes tend to roll into one. On the positive side, there are a few notable exceptions. Puzzle mode, for instance, comprises of five further sub-games, of which One Blast is worthy of special mention.

In it, you're tasked with destroying all explosive blocks on each pre-defined level using only a single detonation. Early levels are suitably straightforward, and can be completed in seconds, but eventually you need to spend a little time and brain power in setting the field up for that all important trigger-point. This is simple yet involving mobile gaming, and it represents Gem Blast at its best.

Quick Play is neither as fresh, nor as fun, but at least it presents you with all of the title's various elements in a non-fussy format. It, too, is perfect for passing a quick five-minute bus ride. Add in the multiplayer feature (via Bluetooth) and there is genuine enjoyment to be had with the game.

The graphics, meanwhile, are functional to say the least, with small, indistinct sprites representing the blocks. While playing we continually thought the dynamite looked like a portion of McDonald's fries, which had the annoying side effect of making us constantly hungry.

Audio is perhaps the weakest element of the game. The choice to opt for a cheesy background ditty rather than any sound effects is a strange decision on the part of the developer. Unquestionably, the game would have benefitted from a meaty 'kaboom' or two to accompany the explosive action.

Gem Blast is a relatively mediocre puzzle game, which tries to conceal the shallowness of its gameplay with an assortment of spot-the-difference modes of play. That said, there is genuine fun to be had with one or two of these options, but none are of sufficient depth or quality to keep you coming back too many times.

Certainly no gem, then, but good for a quick blast.