The M
Score: 78% ESRB: Not Rated Publisher: iFun4All Developer: iFun4All Media: Download/1 Players: 1 Genre: Puzzle
Graphics & Sound: The M offers players 16 puzzles to complete in either Jigsaw or Slider mode. Both modes are solid offerings. Unfortunately, they feature the same pictures, so it can get monotonous on the eyes. The images range in style from paintings of gothic stairwells to garden scenes. Each offers its own visual style that actually works against you when trying to figure out where pieces fit. Even some of the easier puzzles, such as one of a giant swan, can play tricks on your perception (in a good way). The music is okay. It adds a nice sense of mystery to everything, though I usually switched it off so I could concentrate on solving puzzles. It isn't vital to the experience.
Gameplay: Jigsaw puzzles are easier than Slider puzzles. The M makes great use of the touch screen and allows you to spread pieces around the screen, just like you would if you were figuring out an actual puzzle. Slider puzzles are more difficult. Instead of picking pieces up and placing them wherever you want, you need to slide them into place. I spent more time trying to solve these puzzles. They're almost worth the entire price of the game, though they are incredibly frustrating if you're low on patience. Since puzzle pieces are blocks, it seems like it wouldn't be incredibly hard to allow the game to access photos already on the iOS device. As I said earlier, there are only 16 puzzles available across both modes, so it can get monotonous. I was able to blast through the original sixteen in fewer than 30 minutes. Although the ranking system aims to keep players coming back, I wasn't incredibly motivated to do so once I unlocked everything.
Difficulty: Both modes feature three difficulty settings: Easy, Medium and Hard. The core difference between the three is the number of tiles in each. Easy has 9 tiles, Medium has 16 and Hard has 25. The difference isn't as immediate as it originally seems. Although 25 pieces sounds like a lot, I found it much easier to quickly group pieces together since I had to look for smaller details rather than big ones. The real challenge involves earning a star rank for each puzzle. Rankings are based on how long it takes you to complete the puzzle. This would act as a great motivator if the controls didn't slow play down. Three-star rankings aren't impossible, but they are just as much a product of luck as they are of skill.
Game Mechanics: The M's setup is manageable at best and makes the most of the touch screen's size and functionality. At the same time, the setup is clunky. Touching a piece allows you to move it anywhere on the screen. Swiping up and down on the screen with another finger rotates the piece 90 degrees. The setup sounds great, at least when it is explained. However, it isn't incredibly comfortable and slows your progress down considerably. If one finger lifts off the screen, the piece drops. Additionally, using two fingers can sometime obscure the piece (usually in Medium and Hard), forcing you to drop it, and then pick it up again. Sometimes the screen doesn't read the swipe, so it doesn't rotate. Time limits for some puzzles are harsh, and even when pieces are easy to place, the interface gets in the way. Control issues aside, The M isn't a terrible game, and shouldn't be considered a "waste" of money. At the same time, it lacks the same replay value found in other mobile games. There's always the opportunity to try and beat your original time, though you'll rarely feel drawn to do so. For the price (99 cents), The M is worth a purchase if you like jigsaw puzzles.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Related Links: The M on iTunes App Store (Purchase/ Info)
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