What's new in version '2'? Well, there are special keys to find across a wider variety of levels - think of this more as Sparkle on steroids. We'll have a full review up in due course, but in the meantime there are details of this very welcome sequel below.
From the sequel's description in the Windows Phone Store:
- Experience unrestricted premium action puzzle gaming
- Admire state of the art special effects
- Explore three game modes: Story, Survival, and Challenge
- Discover over 90 unique levels throughout the story
- Supercharge your Slinger with over 200 combinations of 16 different Enchantments
- Find exciting locations and delve into the mystery
- Immerse yourself in a story narrated with professional voice overs
- Enjoy the soundtrack by the award-winning composer Jonathan Geer
So essentially it's more of the same, but when the 'same' is top notch then I'm not complaining. Sparkle 2 is two and a half times the size of the original, at over 50MB, and it's a little pricey, set at £3.99 in the top tier of Windows Phone games. But there are hundreds of hours of gameplay here and it's super, super slick, so it's hard to say that it's overpriced.
Tap where you want orbs to end up. Hit a power-up and it's activated, etc. Each powerup is varied and terrifically visual...
Are you really travelling through foreigh lands, mapping as you go? Well, not really. But full marks to 10tons for persevering with the back story at every stage!
To give you an idea of the gameplay and graphics, here's the official trailer:
So the maps are now rendered in 3D and we have animated cut-scenes, narration, plus extra gameplay tweaks and levels. And full stereo sound, so I'm guessing that playing with a headset plugged in would be a very good move.
You can buy Sparkle 2 for £3.99 in the Windows Phone Store, and yes, there's a trial version. Or, if you're really not sure, then grab the original Sparkle, at £2.29. Both come recommended.