Yumsters! sequel a charming, challenging puzzle game

As a professional game reviewer (I know, I know, no violins please) it’s a good sign when you find yourself smiling ear to ear after booting up a new computer game. Such is the case with Yumsters! 2.

Yumsters! 2 is a new puzzle sequel from the talented developers at Kranx Productions in Russia. And the good news is that this inexpensive game (free to try, $20 to buy) offers a lot more than just cute characters and catchy music.

In case you haven’t played the original game, you control these colourful creatures called Yumsters who have a particular yen for fruit. They pop their head out of holes, like a worm in an apple, and you must use your mouse to drag their head over to some fruit on the board that matches its colour - therefore the purple Yumster will be dragged over to the grapes while the yellow one will begin munching on yellow pears.

If you need a Yumster to appear in a different hole to better access their fruit you can easily have them change by first selecting the Yumster and then clicking on the hole you want it to change to. Your path cannot touch another Yumster or fruit.

Bonus points are awarded for eating fruit far away (“Nice stretch!” it says), chaining multiple same-coloured fruits in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal row (such as four oranges side by side) or when all Yumsters eat at the same time.

These Yumsters also love music, by the way (in the first game it says they’re part of the same band) so the music will dynamically change to a new rhythm and they’ll sway to the beat when they’re all eating fruit at the same time.

Players will earn coins, which you’ll click on at the top of the screen, which not only goes towards your score but also lets you buy an instrument from the part of the world you’re traveling to, such as Mexico, Italy, Egypt, France, and so on. This launches a Guitar Hero-like rhythm game where you must click the notes at the right time, by listening to the song playing, for other bonus points.

Unlike the first game, pictures of the fruit you need to eat move across the top of the screen – if they reach the end it could be game over for you. This time element makes this game a bit harder than its predecessor.

Just as there are obstacles on each board that you must avoid with your Yumster’s head or neck (or else you won’t be able to eat your fruit), there are bonuses, too, including points multiplyers, helpful items (such as water that washes away fruits that are about to freeze by leaving them too long) and special Yumsters who have unique abilities including speed, detonation or ones that can eat any colour fruit.

The game’s graphics, sound effects and music are all top notch, and traveling to each of the places around the world make it even more enjoyable. The boards will also reflect the country they’re in, such as Aztec patterns in Mexico, plus the music changes per country, too. On that “note,” I still wasn’t able to hear that catchy ditty from the first game (“All the colours of the rainbow”).

Instead of a Freeplay secondary mode as found in the first game, Yumsters! 2 offers a Challenge mode by select any unlocked country and seeing how long you can gobble up fruit for to rack up points.

If you enjoy match-three games, music or have a sense of humour (or hopefully, all three) download the highly enjoyable Yumsters! 2. You won’t be disappointed with this quirky but highly addictive puzzler.

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