App of the Week

Zuma's Revenge3 cert, PopCap, iPad (also iPod Touch, iPhone) ****

PopCap’s mantra is to make “one-minute games that take an hour”. In other words, they develop deceptively simple distractions that are rabbit holes of addiction and lost time. Zuma is one of their old standards, and for this writer, probably their best. Here’s how it works: the screen gradually fills with a snaking line of different coloured balls. As a stone frog (don’t ask), your job is to spit various coloured balls into this chain. When like-coloured balls match, they disappear. Evaporate all of the balls before the screen fills up. Imagine a cross between Space Invaders and Tetris (albeit with more Skittle-like graphics) and you’re getting there. Zuma’s Revenge adapts well to the touch-screen; place your finger in the direction you wish to fire a ball, and simply let go to fire. It works perfectly. Zuma is the most addictive substance I’ve encountered since nicotine, but it represents better value and doesn’t damage your lungs.