User:HumanxAnthro/sandbox/Bejeweled Twist

Gameplay
As with prior Bejeweled games, players must produce rows of three-or-more colored gems, which eliminate them and cause more gems to fall from above (AV Club Review, GameRev, PALGN ,IGN PC review, Gamedeveloper (10/29/08)). However, there are two major differences. The gems can only be rotated four-at-a-time in a 2x2 grid clockwise similar to Hexic (2003), instead of flipping two gems, and move regardless if the switch results in a match (NBC News Nov 08, IGN PC review, GameRev, PALGN, Gamedeveloper (10/29/08)). The flexibility to continuously transfer gems means the player can plan for bigger matches that will occur later on, or combinations that cause bonuses (NBC News Nov 08).

Bejeweled Twist has multiple modes. In Classic mode, the goal to match all the bombs on the screen before they explode and end the game (Pocket Gamer). Each level progresses in difficulty via smaller time limits and more bombs to defuse (Pocket Gamer). "By the time you get 10 or so levels in, you'll have to constantly be alert for bombs and locked gems, which creates tension as you desperately try to make matches." GameSpot review


 * Matching more than three colored gems not only results in more points, but also different gems. A flame gem, which eliminates many nearby gems, occurs from lining up four gems. A five-gem match create a lightning gem, which strikes out one row and one column, while combining six gems provides a supernova gem that takes out all gems on the board (GameSpot review).

"special blocks and deadly obstacles that offer the most notable departure from traditional Bejeweled" (GameSpot review)

Legacy
Michael Thornton, in his book Making Great Games, wrote the Bejeweled Twist "proved that there was room within the very-well-trodden range of match-three games for some more unusual variants", arguing the game successfully extended the original's gameplay mechanics. " Although the two by two rotation mechanic did bring up its own set of problems, the similarity of the 8 x 8 grids, the three-in-a-row matching mechanic, and the seven gem types were all close enough that Bejeweled Twist never felt like a different game that had simply had the Bejeweled title slapped onto it for commercial reasons." Making Great Games p. 117

Reception
Comparisons were made to Peggle, which NBC News suggested, “Bejeweled Twist” struggles to follow in the footsteps of “Peggle” – PopCap’s delightfully unique pachinko-like hit which earned raves from casual and hardcore gamers alike when it launched in 2007." NBC News (Nov 2008) The A.V. Club argued "Nothing here comes close to Peggle's kitschy flavor." AVClub review

Critics argued Bejeweled Twist lacked the instant addictive factor of other PopCap titles, where it took time to adapt to the rotation mechanic and the potential bonuses and combinations (IGN PC review, PALGN, NBC News (Nov 2008)). GameSpot argued "The game is hard to put down once you get in a rhythm, but the experience doesn't leave a lasting impression." GameSpot review IGN similarly suggested that "you can walk away from it without a second thought, and that's very disappointing." IGN PC review "If you do stick with the game until the rotation becomes second nature, the amount of content will keep you playing for weeks. But you'll never be frighteningly hooked. You can put the game aside at a moment's notice. And that's a real first for a PopCap game." IGN PC review

One critic who suggested Bejeweled Twist was instantly addicting was Pocket Gamer. He argued its huge amount and variety of modes, combos, special gems and methods to destroy gems, as well as stats and high score tables, were "perfectly tailored to the reward centres of the human brain that it can destroy an afternoon as easily as chloroform." As he enthusiastically stated, "There's no better feeling than watching a cascade of gems explode all over the screen in glorious flashes of light" (Pocket Gamer Review) NBC News also suggested that the rewards incentivized gamers to improve their skills, resulting in replay value (NBC News Nov 2008).

The 2x2 gem twisting gem garnered praise for adding strategy but criticism for slowing down the pace, where nothing would happen in every set of a handful of moves (IGN DS Review, IGN PC review, PALGN). In the viewpoint of IGN and PALGN, this contradicted the x-factor of prior Bejeweled titles where players would be rewarded with colorful explosions every move (PALGN, IGN PC review). IGN also argued that the strategy element added "works against the "instant accessibility" factor that's essential for casual games." (IGN PC review). NBC News claimed the game was not innovative due to other match-three titles where tiles can be rotated that had been released in the previous eight years (NBC News). Conversely, GamePro argued that the "simple-to-learn-difficult-to-master" aspect of the prior games were still in Twist and improved upon with "a much smoother method of gameplay." (GamePro)

Certain critics argued the new gameplay may work for other demographics but not for those used to prior Bejeweled entries. PALGN stated the game could be a good "test run" for those who do not typically play puzzle games, but a "turn off" for Bejeweled gamers. The A.V. Club suggested that the increased amount of strategy and ways to play would appeal to "those looking for a tougher challenge or a high score to beat", but "it's hard to imagine legions of casual gamers permanently abandoning Bejeweled's tried-and-true simplicity for this shiny new bauble", citing the little cultural significance of similarly complex versions of Tetris (A.V. Club review).

The additional game modes were generally well-received by GamePro for giving players a lot to do (GamePro) and by Pocket Gamer for offering a variety of ways to play the game (Pocket Gamer review). IGN PC review considered the challenge mode the game's best, noting its "remarkable number" of challenges (IGN PC review). The zen mode was positively commented by the IGN PC review for getting players used to the rotation, although he suggested, as a practice mode, it should have included the special gems that were a prominent part of the main game (IGN PC review).

GameSpot enjoyed the "explosive impact" of the special gems, specifically the screen-shifting and how the gems fall off the board. He called it "a neat effect and is a worthwhile visual reward to go with your increased score." (GameSpot review) "special blocks and deadly obstacles that offer the most notable departure from traditional Bejeweled" The bomb and explosion mechanics were criticized by GameSpot and IGN for adding too much chance to what was meant to be a strategy game. As GSpot explained "The screen rattles, shakes, and realigns with such frequency that building up big combos often comes down to chance, rather than careful gem manipulation." IGN criticized the slot machine aspect of the bomb, feeling it resulted in unfair losses and made the game based on "dumb luck". IGN DS GameSpot felt that the game's exploding hazards, like bombs, resulted in a "frantic" pace, contradictory to other reviews that felt the quadrant-clockwise shifting aspect slowed it down. He also argued that matches consisted of so many inflammable objectives that trying to dispose all of them was aggravating (GameSpot review). Minor annoyance was expressed at having to start the game over; GamePro described this requirement as dated to 1980s arcade games, and PALGN and IGN suggested the player should have restarted at the level they were at as in Peggle (GamePro PALGN, IGN PC review).

Background

 * Success
 * How little Bejeweled 2, the first sequel in the series, changed the game formula: "“Bejeweled 2” didn’t change that winning combination or the basic gameplay mechanic. Instead, it added additional features and gave the franchise an even spiffier polish." NBC News (Nov 2008)
 * Critics' perspective of purpose of the sequel]
 * "Bejeweled has long been considered the videogame obsession of housewives—and no one else. But you can't cast a net that captures 350 million people without snaring at least a couple of hardcore gamers. Bejeweled Twist aims to bridge the gap between the two camps with a sweet dollop of complexity." AV Club review

Easter egg cat

 * Heather Hazen: "Laser Cats was pretty crazy and it made it into the game. Jason and I have an ongoing cat battle going on; he has a cat named Snackers and I have one named Anchovy. When I started working on the DS version of Bejeweled Twist, instead of putting his cat in as an easter egg, I put mine in. Ever since then, we've been going back and forth about who's cat is going to make it into the next Bejeweled game. Jason's cat is the Laser Cat in Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook, and mine is in the one on iOS. Laser Cats is pretty off-the-wall and some of our rare gems in Blitz meet that criteria" Complex

Rejected concepts

 * Making Great Games, p. 121–122 The experimentation part of development (the first half mentioned in a previous subsection of this organization) involved several concepts that went nowhere, including special gems and complex RPG-esque mechanics. In order to have a more practical development process, PopCap only left a small portion of them in the final product. The false starts increased overall game budget and delayed development of ports to other consoles and mobile devices.
 * "Interestingly, the game was much more complex before, with more power-ups, more matching patterns, and the ability to rotate blocks counter-clockwise as well as clockwise. But none of this tested well with users, according to Jason Kapalka. Even the original Bejeweled had diagonal matching in its original iteration, but this was scrapped in favor of better playability for the casual market -- or the "mom test", as they call it." Gamedeveloper (10/29/08)
 * "JK: We took out a number of things. We were pretty considerate; there were a lot of extra things that have been taken out. There used to be ice gems that you could make by forming an X. When you formed an X of gems, they'd turn into the ice gem. And when you used the ice gem, it would freeze time for a few turns, and all that stuff. It was kind of cute -- but again, along with a bunch of other things it's like "Alright, how much stuff do we need?" We took out a lot. We tried to keep it down to a reasonable level. There were lots more special power gems that we took out, and so we kept it to the basic fire and lightning. There are a couple advanced gems you can get, but by the time you get to fruit gems, for example, you've been playing for quite a while and you have to know what you're doing. There are one or two scary things you see on very high levels, like level 14 or something like that, but again, the theory is by the time someone's good enough to get to that level, they're not going to be intimidated by that. [...] It's one of those things where you have to draw a line at some point and aim more at the casual audience, and so we did restrict some of those things." Gamedeveloper interview (1/2/09)

Core

 * Speaking of chains, it's only appropriate that Twist turns out to be a pretty good case study in how one design decision can impact everything else in a game. You can rotate gems without making a match each time here - an empty turn merely eats into your growing multiplier. This means that you have an unprecedented level of control over the layout of the entire board: you can fiddle to your heart's content." Eurogamer (6/30/13)

Comparisons to other games

 * "This core gameplay is similar in concept to Hexic or even more like Super Puzzle Fighter II’s Z mode, the latter of which none of the founders had played. The play mechanic really is subtly different, as evidenced by the fellow who played the game next to me stating that the game was "not that much different from their other ones." He was visually disappointed with the game, but what he failed to note is that in the casual arena, there are one or two game mechanics at max. If you change one of those up, you have a drastically different game for the casual player. However, some of the over-the-top, borderline psychedelic visuals that appealed to the more 'core' players in Peggle have been added to the game." Gamedeveloper (10/29/08)
 * "Beyond the game: Speaking of Tetris, Bejeweled Twist's bombs are a swipe from Hexic, a new puzzler by Tetris designer Alexey Pajitnov. The comparisons stop there. Hexic may be the most confounding casual game ever devised. Worth playing for: A light science-fiction theme launches players on a trippy journey through space between levels. Nothing here comes close to Peggle's kitschy flavor, but we'll take what we can get." AVClub review
 * "It's closer to Hexic than previous entries in the series, in fact (although I'm sure I also saw a similar scheme used on an old Windows pack-in puzzler that predates Pajitnov)." Eurogamer (6/30/13), retrieved September 14, 2021

Power-ups, foes, type of gems and hazards

 * "After a few levels of play, Bejeweled Twist introduces special gems that affect your strategies. Bomb gems feature a countdown timer. Each move nudges the timer closer to zero. If you fail to match the bomb gem, the screen zooms into a "disarm spinner." Here, you must play a slot machine like minigame to survive. If you match skulls on the slots, the game ends. As you miss more and more bombs, the spinner gets harder to survive. Other special jewels include flame and lightning gems, unlocked by matching four or five gems in a single move. These blast entire rows and columns of gems when matched. Doom gems cannot be matched like bomb gems and take up space in the field. Fruit gems are like wildcards that remove all like-colored jewels from the play field and increase the time on any on-screen bomb gems." IGN PC Review
 * "In turn, this control means that the original - and slightly unsatisfying - defeat condition of Bejeweled, where you suddenly find that you've run out of moves, no longer works, so PopCap's had to create a new threat to stop your game from lasting forever. Enter bombs, promoted from the puzzle mode in Bejeweled 2, I think. Here, they're an addition that ultimately changes the basic formula even more than all that twisting business. Bombs appear with greater frequency as you work your way through the game - they're gems with countdown timers, essentially, and they give you a set number of turns to get rid of them before they blow. There's typical PopCap flair applied to all of this: the way they start to shake and vent steam as they tick away to themselves is a lovely bit of visual design, and your first few bombs give you a roulette spin before they go off, offering a chance - with the odds stacked heavily in your favour - to avoid defeat. They still fundamentally transform the game, however, gradually turning a gem-matching hunt across the entire board into something with a little more tension and a little more tactical bite. By the time you're hitting level 14 or 15, novice players are best off focusing exclusively on those bombs whenever they appear. You're no longer purely maximising your score, you're tackling a series of deadly threats - you're dealing with set-pieces, and with a game that actively wants to do you in." Eurogamer (6/30/13)
 * "Classic contains the special blocks and deadly obstacles that offer the most notable departure from traditional Bejeweled. Difficulty ramps up as you complete levels, and by the time you get 10 or so levels in, you'll have to constantly be alert for bombs and locked gems, which creates tension as you desperately try to make matches." GameSpot review
 * "Coal gems join bombs in making the transition from that puzzle mode - they're unmatchable pieces that need to be blown to bits with special moves. Then there are locked gems and even doom gems - bombs that tick down with each wasted turn." Eurogamer (6/30/13)
 * "When you're not fire-fighting all of that, the true long-term challenge of the game lies with various meters and objectives placed on top of the gem-matching itself. You earn treats for matching gems in specific sequences, and you also build a multiplier with each contiguous match. String matches together long enough and you start to swap gems out for fruit - massively potent variants that will not only send your score through the roof when used but will also reset the timers on any nearby bombs." Eurogamer (6/30/13)
 * "These premeditated maneuvers are rewarded with gems that explode or eliminate entire rows and columns with electrical blasts. With these new power-ups come a few obstacles. Coal can only be trashed by power-up gems. Bombs count down with every gem twist, and can potentially end your game." AV Club review
 * "Bejeweled Twist does provide some challenging moments that will strain your cranium, particularly the introduction of special gems which can greatly affect your ability to complete a level. The greatest challenge comes from bomb gems featuring a countdown timer. If you fail to match the bomb gem in the allotted amount of moves, the screen then zooms into a 'disarm spinner' which presents you with a slot machine-esque mini-game in order to survive. Get the wrong match and it's game over, but even if you manage to survive the dreaded skulls, you can be assured that they will be more difficult to overcome the next time they pop up. Other special jewels include flame and lightning gems which you can unlock by matching four or more gems in a single move. These jewels blast entire rows and columns of gems when matched. Fruit gems act like a wild card of sorts, allowing you to remove all gems from the playing field of a particular colour." PALGN
 * "Of course, gem-matching is complicated by various troubles, such as goal gems that can only be eliminated by getting caught in bomb gem blasts or lighting/supernova strikes. Actually, scoring a lightning gem by matching five jewels is a real highlight of Bejeweled Twist. When you match the lightning gem with its same-colored brethren, sparks explode in all four cardinal directions. If you line up the lightning gem with coal and locked, unmovable gems, you can rack up a massive score. (Another high note: scoring a Mega Fruit Bonus by matching fruit gems like the pattern in the top screen.) I absolutely cannot stand the bombs gems, though. They have a countdown timer on them. If that timer hits zero before you match it, you go into a slot machine minigame to determine if the bomb blows up and ends your game or if you get to move on." IGN DS
 * "When the game tosses obstacles in your path – locked gems and exploding jewels among them – you can maneuver around them." NBC News (Nov 2008)

Modes

 * "While the game includes the usual game mode options, the best variation comes in the form of Challenge Mode, which presents you with a series of puzzles and goals to achieve whilst clearing the level. For instance, the Preserver challenges will concoct such tasks as making you have at least thirty green gems in the field while you go about making your matches. If you happen to drop below thirty, the game ends. For those that like an even greater challenge, the Spectrum challenge will force you to match specific gem colors in succession. A great reason to tackle the Challenge Mode is that you are rewarded for completing these difficult challenges by unlocking more to play - which will give you plenty to do if you decide to stick with Bejeweled Twist for the long haul." PALGN
 * "The challenges including achievable but difficult targets like clearing 70 gems within 20 moves, make three red gem matches in a row, or somehow get 15 green gems on-screen at the same time – which is accomplished by not making any green matches if you can help it to eventually have the required number cascade into the play field. It's unfortunate that Challenge and Blitz are locked away when you start playing. You must hammer through at least ten stages of Classic mode to unlock them." IGN DS Review
 * "The best variation of the entire game is challenge mode, which presents you with a series of puzzles and goals. In the Preserver challenges, you may be asked to keep at least 30 yellow gems in the field while making your matches. If you dip below 30, you fail out. Spectrum challenge dare you to match only specific colors in succession. The more of these individual challenges you play, the more you unlock. There are a remarkable number of individual challenges giving you plenty to do should you stick with Bejeweled Twist." IGN PC Review
 * "Most of these special gems do not appear in Bejeweled Twist's zen mode, a variation of the game without any timers, explosions, or stress-inducers." IGN PC Review
 * "Zen gets rid of the bombs, and lets you play forever. Endless gems appear, and you'll endlessly match them until your fingers can take no more. For those in a rush, Blitz asks you to see how many gems you can pop in five minutes, with grabbing high scores the name of the game. Challenge mode rounds it all off, providing the ultimate goals. A series of 13 different missions are offered, ranging from 'pop eight gems in one swap' to 'make three red matches in a row'." Pocket Gamer

Oh yeah, don't forget Stats

 * "Zen gets rid of the bombs, and lets you play forever. Endless gems appear, and you'll endlessly match them until your fingers can take no more. For those in a rush, Blitz asks you to see how many gems you can pop in five minutes, with grabbing high scores the name of the game. Challenge mode rounds it all off, providing the ultimate goals. A series of 13 different missions are offered, ranging from 'pop eight gems in one swap' to 'make three red matches in a row'." Pocket Gamer

Multiplayer

 * "Bejeweled Twist also includes two-player competitive play, but both players need a copy of the game. In an interesting – ahem – twist, you can actually play against another person that just has the DSiWare download. That's very cool and increases the potential audience for multiplayer." IGN DS Review
 * "The single-player content is great, but the multiplayer isn't so hot. There's only one mode to play. Battle sees you matching gems and dumping bombs on your opponent in a frantic rush to overpower your friend. It's not terrible by any means, but it feels a little lacking. We'd rather have seen takes on each single-player mode, and maybe even a co-op style of play. Don't count on playing with too many people, either, as Download Play isn't available. You'll need a second game cart of try the multi-card action, which is pretty abysmal given the types of Nintendo DS experiences that have offered Download Play in the past." Pocket Gamer

Promotion

 * According to Jason Kapalka, Bejeweled Twist was "our most elaborate and involved launch to date". Making Great Games, p. 115
 * "The company’s large-scale launch party for Bejeweled Twist in Seattle, held at the Paul Allen-created Experience Music Project museum, only goes to show how much stock PopCap has in this game. The evening’s activities, which included a presentation from a "Spanish professor of twistology," (who I happened to see in line for the event, and who had a whisk and an egg beater in his pocket), alongside circus-style hoop artists, food and drink, loads of stations to play the game, as well as the usual hoop-la." Gamedeveloper (10/29/08)
 * "The evening was lined with a tinge of guilt on the part of the PopCap crew, for throwing a huge bash during the current world economic crisis. During the opening remarks, CEO David Roberts said "I do think it’s important to acknowledge the realities of the global economic situation. We planned this event, the launch of our biggest product ever, well before the economy started its recent slide." "More recently," he added, "we discussed whether we should even talk about those sorts of issues. But I concluded that the need for fun in our lives may never be greater than it will be for the next year or so, and millions and millions of people will find much-needed relief and comfort in our games and Bejeweled Twist, and we do believe our business is relatively resistant to economic downturns." As John Vechey said, "You don’t want to be the band on the Titanic."" Gamedeveloper (10/29/08)
 * "In 2008 - before the crash - PopCap launched Bejeweled Twist with a party in the Sky Church at Seattle's Experience Music Project venue. Gymnasts played human match-three in the wonky, Gehry-rigged lintels, and waiters in retro-future Jetsons outfits wandered about serving cocktails."Eurogamer (6/30/13), accessed on September 14, 2021

Release

 * Making Great Games, p. 116 States game was released October 27, 2008

Ports

 * "As opposed to the DSiWare download, Bejeweled Twist includes the entire game." IGN DS Review
 * "The DSiWare Bejeweled Twist is a pared down edition of the PC original, stripping away a handful of game modes and leaving the player with just a single-player run and two-player battles over the Nintendo wireless connection. Before you get too bent about missing content, just note that Bejeweled Twist on DSi is just 500 points. That's considerably cheaper than the $20 PC edition. [...] The move to DSi does peel off much of the flash and glitz, but Bejeweled Twist does maintain some sparkle when you make your matches and complete stages. Two-player battle mode in Bejeweled Twist allows two players to go head-to-head, but only over local connections. Bejeweled Twist cannot be played over the Internet." IGN DSi Review

Critical reception

 * "Unfortunately, unlike previous Bejeweled titles, Twist doesn't do enough to hook gamers in for the long haul, but once you get used to the new game mechanic, you'll find that the series still has some of its shine intact." PALGN
 * "Bejeweled Twist is a decent puzzler for the DS, despite remaining my least favorite entry in the Bejeweled series. It just doesn’t have the immediate pop of previous chapters. I think slowing it down and adding bad luck kills were mistakes. But even then, PopCap’s worst efforts are still considerably better than the best attempts of other casual game makers." IGN DS review
 * "The four modes offer something for every type of player, from the puzzle-phile to the time-commitment-phobe to the all-out speed freak. As with any engaging casual game, you'll pick up the DS to play for what seems like five or ten minutes, only to look up at the clock and realize hours have gone by. With multiple levels for every mode and challenge, you'll get a lot of play out of this title, and you'll have fun doing it." GameRev

New gameplay aspects (4-block-at-a-time being one)

 * "While this may entice players that are not particularly good with puzzle titles to take the game out for a test run, it acts as a complete turn off for those that are adept with the traditional Bejeweled gameplay mechanic as it completely alters the pacing of the title, slowing it down to an almost snail pace and taking away the essence of what makes Bejeweled a fun casual title. With Twist, you will often find that you'll make a handful of moves without anything happening. While the traditional Bejeweled experience rewarded players for making a match on every turn and had you furiously scouring the playing field until you exhausted all possibilities of a match in order to keep the game going." PALGN

Multiplayer

 * "Finally, there is a two-player mode to round out this package. This is a competitive version of Classic mode, pitting two players against each other in a race to rack up combos before being overwhelmed by bombs. It's fun, because destroying gems is fun, but there is a severe disconnect between players. It's difficult to know what your opponent is up to, so it feels more like a single-player game peppered with random shouts of happiness or barks of anger rather than an engaging competitive experience. Furthermore, it requires two carts to play, which is pretty extravagant, and is bogged down by a lot of lag." GameSpot review

Differences from previous Bejeweled games / How casual gamers will think of it / addictiveness

 * Coverage of release event: "I saw the true test. There was an elderly woman of perhaps 70, who was trying to play the game. She couldn’t get her head around the mechanic, and a PopCap employee stepped up to help her. Her response was: "I don’t want you to tell me, I want the game to tell me!" She spent some time in the tutorial, and then finally got it. After that, she was stopping strangers to show them, and exclaiming, "I did it!" This is going to be PopCap’s true test. The game is, on the surface, still too simple for the hardcore crowd to immediately latch on to. Yet the play mechanic is just complex enough to give its core audience cause for alarm. But once they figure it out, they’re quite engaged, and in fact feel a real sense of achievement." Gamedeveloper (10/29/08)
 * "Bejeweled has been the king of the ubiquitous gem-smashing genre ever since its inception almost a decade ago, but the franchise can't just rest lazily on its laurels if it's going to keep that coveted crown. Enter Bejeweled Twist, a puzzle game that has little in common with its forebear aside from how it compels you to destroy gems at all costs and watch your score soar into the stratosphere. Increased maneuverability has injected a dose of speed into the mix, while explosive bombs threaten you with a premature ending to your fun. Bejeweled Twist shares the addictive nature of the legions of puzzle games that have come before it, but it doesn't stand out from the crowd. The gameplay is often too chaotic to reward careful planning, and the multiplayer feels like little more than a throwaway. But once you get into a block-busting groove, it's hard to pull yourself away." GameSpot rev

Criticisms

 * "It's just a good casual game that unfortunately breaks a fundamental rule of the genre -- it does not hook you within three minutes, like PopCap's blockbuster Peggle and, well, the previous two editions of Bejeweled. Once you do "click" with the game, though, there is a stunning amount of gameplay and polish. But you can walk away from it without a second thought, and that's very disappointing." IGN PC review
 * "Twist's brilliant fun, then - it's just not particularly easy to get to grips with. It's not about playing the board so much as it's about understanding how the board interacts with a variety of other scoring opportunities. Step away from misleading terminology like casual and hardcore and the issue's clear: PopCap's taken a game of instant and fairly obvious pleasures and turned it into something a lot more complex." Eurogamer (6/30/13)
 * "Twist is the weakest entry in the series, thanks to the new rotation move that adds complication instead of depth and just slows the once-furious pace of Bejeweled down too much." IGN DS Review
 * "Bejeweled Twist is another enjoyable casual game from the masters of the casual game, Pop Cap. But like the old adage says "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and unfortunately the makers of Bejeweled Twist have tried to fix something which was not broken, taking away the fast pace and instant accessibility factor that has kept Bejeweled players utterly hooked to this puzzle series." PALGN
 * User Reception: "Maybe all of this doesn’t sound particularly risky, but any time you tamper with something so beloved, fans can get persnickety … if not downright bitchy. Take a gander at various gaming Websites and you'll see that players already are passing judgement on this newest “Bejeweled.” “It gets boring real fast and quite frankly I found ‘Beweled 2’ to be better than this,” complained one player at casual gaming site Gamezebo.com. But another wrote, “I love this game more every time I play it. It’s the best game I’ve ever played in my life!”" NBC News (Nov 2008)

Praises

 * "The love it/hate it rotation mechanic adds complexity disguised as strategy, slowing the game down." IGN DS Review
 * "In fact, if any shortcomings can be found in the single-player mode, the stylus could have been used more effectively, with the ability to twist to the left as well as the right. This is a minor, though, and much of the strategy of the game comes from the limitations from only being able to twist in one direction, so don't let that deter you." GameRev
 * "As with Hexic, this clockwise business slows the heart-rate of your typical gem-swapper and turns it into something a lot more complex and tactical. Most obviously, this is because you're moving a larger number of gems at once, which means you have more variables to take into account when making matches. To me, it also feels like you're using a different and slightly less reliable part of your brain: a part that deals with taking images and rotating them, rather than a part that simply slides pieces of a picture left and right, up and down, in order to plan ahead. Whatever's going on with your neural maps, years of perfectly good Bejeweled experience goes right out the window. I spent my first five minutes with Twist trying to come to terms with the fact that what I was really looking for as I scanned the grid was two matching gems touching horizontally, with another matching gem underneath one of them. The objective had stayed the same, but I was learning to hunt for new shapes - and this kind of learning takes time. 'Moving multiple gems at once seems to make it a lot harder to intentionally cause chain reactions when you're getting started. " Eurogamer (6/30/13)
 * Christian Donlan of Eurogamer claimed the addition of bombs, other types of gems, multipliers (OK, I don't think they're an addition), and the fruit mechanic contributed futhormore to Bejeweled Twist's alteration from random luck and quick-easy clicks to skill-based, cognitive gameplay "All of a sudden, you've got conscious game-changing choices in the middle of your regular - and mostly unconscious - moment-to-moment Bejeweling. Deal with a bomb now and risk breaking your multiplier, or ignore the bomb and hope the multiplier turns it into fruit before it has time to go off?" Eurogamer (6/30/13)

Nintendo DS controls

 * "On the DS, you control Bejeweled Twist's rotation mechanic with the stylus, tapping a quartet of gems to "lasso" them and then tap again to rotate clockwise. Keep tapping until to have your match or until you've moved the gems where you need them for a bigger play. Stylus control works perfectly; no complaints here whatsoever." IGN DS Review

Commercial reception and legacy

 * "Twist, meanwhile, would prove considerably more problematic. Somewhere in my mind, I have Bejeweled Twist filed as a bit of a botch. It sold well enough, I gather, but I don't get the impression it connected with its audience as obviously as Bejeweled 2 had - and by the time Bejeweled 3 came along, the alterations that Twist made to the basic formula were nowhere to be seen. Crucially, I can't remember really playing Twist that much beyond a few turns at the EMP" Eurogamer (6/30/13)
 * "Did PopCap learn much from Twist? Almost certainly. Bejeweled 3 offered plenty of clever variations on the basic formula, but it took care to mount them around a very familiar standard mode, while the whole rotation mechanic arguably found its real home - if not the sales it deserved - in Gyromancer. This wonderfully weird puzzle-RPG collaboration with Square Enix is a bit cumbersome in the main, but there's a glorious and energising elegance to the way that your wasted turns become your enemy's attacks during gem-matching battles. Rather than draft in cheating AI - and all AI feels like cheating AI in puzzle-RPGs, I'd argue - you're fighting against your own mistakes in Gyromancer. As for Bejeweled itself, PopCap found that continued relevance ultimately meant cleaving deeper to that match-three immediacy rather than stepping back from it. It lives on most vibrantly in Blitz these days, slapped on iOS and Facebook and stripped down to a minute or so of coloured lights and potent room-dissolving focus." Eurogamer (6/30/13)