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Treasure Reef :: Thought of the Week 
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Allen Gall
Games Editor
Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine
 allen@pocketpcmag.com

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The game I played most this week: Treasure Reef

 

Puzzle: Treasure Reef

RESETgame is one of the lesser-known developers, having put out only four games in the past couple of years. Their titles include a couple of golf games, Beach Volleyball, and now Treasure Reef, which purports to be a treasure-hunt type of game. The idea centers around diving for pearls in a dangerous string of tropical islands. Not exactly focusing on realism, the player first zips around the island chain in their jet-ski (via an over-heard view) until a pearl appears on the map.

Then, the player has to dodge all sorts of random fish (from sharks to eels to puffers--you name it) to grab the pearl at the bottom and then swim back up. (You also have a harpoon gun to defend yourself.)  If you survive the dive, you're off on your jet-ski again to grab the next pearl. All in all, there are ten giant pearls as well as a "mystery treasure" at the end of the game.  

Treasure Reef deserves some points for originality: I can't say that I've seen anything like it in my seven years or so of reviewing Pocket PC games. As with RESETgame's other titles, the sprite-based graphics are serviceable and not too hard on the eyes, although they're nothing to get excited about.

While I prefer games that tend to be more simple in nature (that's how handheld gaming should be), it feels like something's missing from the game. Perhaps it's because of slightly cumbersome game play, but more could be done in the game to engage the player. Perhaps if the diving part of the game involved more combat and if the fish didn't just randomly zip through the water, the game would feel like more of a challenge. As it is, grabbing the pearls is a bit too easy. Treasure Reef is a nice idea, but this title needs more game added to it to keep players hooked once they get past the pretty graphics.
 
Title: Treasure Reef Developer: RESETgame
Genre: Action Demo: Y
Platform: Pocket PC 2003+ Price: $14.95
Discuss this game Rating (of 4): 2.8/4.0

Thought of the Week

What is it with Handango now requiring an e-mail and login just to download demos?  I now just hop over to the developer's site directly to download trial versions, since I don't feel like jumping through Handango's hoops just to check out games. Remember, demos are supposed to be easy to download. :)

Discuss...

 


 

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Allen Gall's The Week in Games is a free service of Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine and Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine ONLINE: in-depth articles, tips, an Encyclopedia of Software and Accessories, and links to the best Windows Mobile PDA and Smartphone Web sites. It is edited by Michelle Talley.

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