Luxor 3 is the latest edition of the
popular marble Luxor series. The basic premise is simple: shoot single marbles
at a steadily advancing line of marbles that snakes across the screen in order
to wipe out all the marbles before they reach the end of the line. Simple, yes,
but always fun; that’s why Luxor has been around so long.
As in other Luxor games, the theme
is Egyptian with familiar motifs of jars and pyramids. The colors are bright and
vivid, and everything looks great. The levels have varying numbers of colors to
clear, but there are a total of nine different colors.
In order to clear the marbles,
players have to shoot marbles at the line of marbles. If there are three marbles
or more after a matching marble is placed in the line, then the matching marbles
will explode and disappear. The jars that show up from time to time can also be
exploded, which will earn scarabs to be exploded and add bonus levels. Exploding
the scarabs will earn coins, which can be spent in the store for power-up
upgrades.
The power-ups affect the game by
slowing or speeding up the marbles, arranging the marbles into groups of
matching colors, destroying certain marbles, changing the colors, and reversing
the movement of the marbles. Various upgrades to these basic power-ups can be
purchased in the store.
Besides the classic Luxor levels,
there are other level types that mix up the gameplay a bit. My favorite type of
level is the puzzle level, but there aren’t very many. These levels require
players to shoot marbles in such a way that all the marbles will be cleared with
just the set number of shooter marbles to use. This will require planning, as
certain marbles have to be removed in order for matching colors to set off more
explosions, thereby clearing the entire level.
Another level is Onslaught mode,
where the marbles advance down the screen like in the game Centipede. Crossing
the Nile features several rows of marbles which have to be cleared in order to
reach the marbles in the back.
The Wii version of Luxor 3 is
exactly the same as the PC versions, except that players use the Wii-Mote to aim
and shoot the marbles. It pretty much feels like using the mouse, though, which
is a good thing. Luxor translates very well to the Wii, with its “one-button”
type of gameplay. This leads to the question, should people get the PC or the
Wii version? The downloadable game is $20 retail, and less if players have a
special gaming account on some of the sites that sell Luxor. The Wii version is
listed at $30. The games are exactly the same, so it depends on whether people
want the game experience played on the TV screen, versus the computer screen,
and if they want to pay more for playing it on the TV.
We’ve enjoyed Luxor 3, and it
retains its reputation as a fun way to while away a few hours of leisure time.
Casual game enthusiasts will enjoy this latest Luxor edition.
Gameplay: 7.5
It’s classic Luxor, and is exactly as expected. The game requires fast thinking
and planning ahead, and can be addictive. With the different difficulty levels,
this game can be enjoyed by all ages.
Graphics: 8.0
The graphics are bright and detailed, and the Egyptian theme is nicely
presented.
Sound: 7.0
The sounds and music are fairly average, but at least are not annoying.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
The levels can be set from easy to insane. Your choice.
Concept: 7.0
The concept isn’t new, but the presentation is well-done.
Overall: 7.5
I enjoy casual games like these which require matching colors or shapes to be
cleared, with Dr. Mario still retaining the top spot in my heart. I’m not very
good at the harder levels, but the easier difficulty settings allow even people
like me with slow reflexes to have a good time. I recommend Luxor 3 to anyone
who likes casual arcade games.
