StoneLoops! of Jurassica
| Manufacturer(s) | Codeminion |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Game Club Cafe |
| Publication date | 2008 |
| Genre(s) |
bubble shooter Puzzle video game Shooter game |
| Language(s) |
English French Dutch German |
| System(s) |
Microsoft Windows Apple Macintosh iPhone |
| Players | 1 |
| Media type | Download |
| Website |
StoneLoops! of Jurassica is a 2D bubble shooter game developed by Codeminion and distributed in 2008 by Game Club Cafe. The game is available for Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh. A version for iPhone was available, but put offline after a complaint of game developer MumboJumbo[1]
StoneLoop
In the game, a StoneLoop is a connection of colored marbles pushed by a snail creature. The amount of marbles in a StoneLoop is variable and each StoneLoop has marbles with at least 2 different colors. In total seven colors are available: light silver, dark silver, blue, green, red, purple and yellow. Inside a StoneLoop each color has his own magnetic field and attracts marbles of same color.
Gameplay
Each level contains one or more bending routes in which a snail creature pushes StoneLoops from a start to an endpoint. At bottom of the screen there is a collector which can be moved horizontally by the player. The player has to pick out a ball from a StoneLoop to shoot it to another location inside the same or other StoneLoop. If the interaction of the user causes to have at least three marbles of same color next to each other, all those marbles disappear from the StoneLoop. At top of screen a progress bar indicates how far the user has proceeded. As long the progress bar is not 100% filled new StoneLoops will appear. A level is won when the progress bar is 100% full and the user can't combine new combinations. A level is lost as soon a marble has reached the endpoint. The game is saved automatically after each level.
Let's assume a StoneLoop contains 5 red marbles, 1 yellow marble, 3 red marbles and 1 green marble. The user picks out the yellow marble. The 3 red and green marbles will be attracted by the first 5 red marbles and reform into one StoneLoop. Due to interaction of the user, at least three balls of same color are next to each other. As a result, all 8 red marbles will disappear. Only the yellow and green marble remain in the StoneLoop.
Dark silver marbles can't be picked out by the collector. Such marbles will be destroyed if they are the only ones inside a StoneLoop and there is no other marble before. Bonus items can also remove dark silver marbles. The snail creature is destroyed on condition there is no other marble before it (except dark silvers which will neutralize each other).
Bonus items
Bonus items can be collected frequently and gain temporarily extra functionality:
- Progress: the progress bar increases
- Stop: All snail creatures stand still for some seconds
- Arrow: The clicked marble gets destroyed
- Fireball: The player can select a specific area. All marbles inside the area will explode.
- Strike: The collector gets a vertical thunder strike. All balls inside scope of the strike are destroyed.
- Multiball: The collector gets one special colored marble. After shooting the marble it gets same color as the one it hits.
- Cloud: The player can select a specific area. All marbles inside this area will get the same color as the marble currently in the collector.
- Shooting star: Explosions happen at random places. All affected marbles are destroyed.
- Pterosaur: The Pterosaur removes first 10 marbles
Bonus level
During the bonus level a horizontal infinitive StoneLoop is displayed in middle of the screen. At random places a specific colored stone turns up with a bonus item as inscription. The bonus items are limited to arrow, fireball and cloud. The player needs to pickout a marble of same color as the stone. Next, he has to hit the stone with the marble. If correct, one point is given for the inscripted bonus item. For each three points per bonus item gained, the bonus item is available at start of next level. The bonus items are obliged to use immediately in order arrow, fireball and cloud.
Jurassica
The game is set in prehistoric time. Dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals show up frequently. Skulls and skeletons of such animals are displayed for decorative purposes. Except the pterosaur no animal impacts the gameplay.
Game mode
The game can be played in three modus:
- Classic: The game has five areas (jungle, dessert, glacier, swamp and vulcano). Each area contains fifteen levels, so there are 75 levels in total. Frequently a bonus level starts. StoneLoops appear as explained in section Gameplay.
- Strategy: The snail creatures do not move automatically. This only happens when the player pushes the spacebar (or right mouse button).
- Survival: The user can start from any unlocked level. Once the game starts, the progress bar is missing. The player keeps inside the selected level, but StoneLoops will appear faster and faster.
Each modus can be started with a difficulty grade: easy, normal, challenge and grand master.
iPhone
Codeminion released a version for iPhone via Apple App Store. However competitor MumboJumbo claimed the game has some similarities with games from their franchise (specifically the Egyptian-themed Luxor) so they turned in a complaint. Apple accepted the complaint and removed StoneLoops! from Jurassica from the store. Since then, the game is no longer available for iPhone.[1]
Reception
Although StoneLoopers! of Jurassica is yet another bubbleshooter it was received very good due to some innovations. The game got a score 4.5/5 at Gamezebo[2]
References
- 1 2 "Where is StoneLoops or how to get rid of your competition in the Apple Appstore". Codeminion. 23 October 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
- ↑ "StoneLoops! Of Jurassica Review". Gamezebo. 11 July 2009. Retrieved 31 March 2013.