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Cradle of Rome (DS)

Status: Stopped playing - Something better came along
I started playing this game on Saturday 14 November, 2020  //  I stopped playing this game on: Sunday 15 November, 2020
Current opinion of this game
No comment, yet.

November 15, 2020 05:09:42 PM
Ha, couldn't help play a bunch more levels just to unlock a few more powerups, I was curious what they did...

There's a "resource" powerup that acts like the axe, but also adds a bunch of resources (to reduce grinding I guess).

I think I reached level 45 or so? And it turn out that sometimes the level does advance even if you don't buy a building....


November 15, 2020 03:23:09 PM
I've enjoyed playing this, there's a certain amount of relaxation in match 3 games that I often find soothing. The back of the box says that there are 100 levels - and I got to about 35 or so? The game's structure is interesting, if a bit grindy...

Essentially when you match three you get some resources (of whatever was matched) and once you have enough resources you can buy a buildings - there are 4 buildings to an era - buildings unlock either a new type of resource (that when matching adds more to the basic three resources in the game money/materials/food) OR you can unlock a powerup. To use powerups you need to match the powerup on the board and build up a meter...

I played my way until I'd unlocked 3 powerups - a hammer ("match" one tile and remove it from the board), lightning (20 matches, but randomly) and bomb (9 matches in a 3x3 grid).

Curiously the games' levels refer to the outside layout of the level - so, the shape of the board (including holes/missing pieces) and the location of the special tiles you might need to clear (change the color of the background by getting match on top of it). But, the game's level number does not refer to the types of pieces or the powerup available. There's only ever one powerup active (that you can build up the meter) - but if you fail a level (run out of time) and try it again, you might get a different power up active! (the bomb is better than the hammer, so this can be a real benefit).

Also, you don't ever really clear a level (move on to the next numbered level) until you've accumulated enough resources to pay/unlock the next building...

So, it's an interesting overall structure!


 
kudos for original design to Rodrigo Barria