Time Machine: Evolution > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

4 / 5

0 of 1 found this review helpful

Enjoyed

PostedSeptember 4, 2012

NccJonny

fromBristol, UK

Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

The longer you play the greater the challenge and level of satisfaction. Not so sure about the bonus games though.

I recommend this game!

-1point

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Overall rating

3 / 5

4 of 4 found this review helpful

Slightly different Match-3

PostedMay 17, 2012

BlueStarFish

Key Contributor
This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
Key Contributor

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Match 3, Card & Board, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong

Fun Factor

3 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

2 / 5

This game has a slightly unusual matching scheme - a sort of "exchange-to-match". Your cursor is a colour-cannon that you shoot at a tile to change its colour. Right-click to cycle to the next colour. (Marble-poppers have the same mechanism)
Timed only
Mini-puzzles in between (jig-saw and find-the-pairs)
Awards for skillful playing.
New difficulty levels unlock after finishing.
The objects for ...Show more

Making a M3 (or more) will explode the matched tiles and new ones drop down from above. In some of the tiles are embedded Jewels or crystals that will be released when the tile explodes.
You must collect a specified number of these each level. It starts out easy - 5 gems, but in the final levels you must gather more than 200 gems in the allotted time.

Apparently, someone has been building a Time Machine and you have been sent back in time. Starting in the pre-historic, you must gather crystals/gems that will power the Time Maching to move steadily forward.
The "build buildings in different architectural styles" of the game blurb is a bit misleading, since you don't actually build anything. You only get to watch a house being put together after each level.

Length of gameplay - there are 5 eras/Ages. Each Age has 5 matching levels, and 2 mini-puzzles. But there are at least 3 more difficulty levels after you finish...so you can extend the game quite a lot.

The game has the normal sort of powerups you can purchase such as Fireballs, bombs, dynamite, extra time etc.
Blocking tiles that can only be removed with a powerup.

Making a Match 4 will trigger a purchased powerup that will be put onto a tile on the board. That tile can now no longer be repainted. You must then match that tile to actually get the effect of the powerup.
This was a cumbersome way of using a powerup and you couldn't really control which PU you'd get.

There are also 3 different super-bonuses that will automatically trigger when you fill the "mood bar" - witch fills up as long as you match tiles. In a way, dust from the exploded tiles fill your mood bar.
Very much reminiscent of The Treasures of Montezuma games with their "totems".

Game tip:
not buying ALL the powerups can actually be helpful! Since the PUs attach to a tile, that means the tile can no longer be repainted - it becomes 'passive'. So having too many PU tiles on the screen may literally paint you in to a corner. I found that using fewer PUs and focusing on upgrading them to the max was better. Also, as you cannot control which PU you will get, you have the same chance of getting a not-so-useful one as getting a cherished Time-Extender. So is is only logical to not buy the unhelpful ones, to give the ones you really want more space...
On Age 4 you get the MOST helpful PU - the one that lets you match complex lines - at angles. (a M3 does not have to be a straight line)

Another tip - don't look at your cannon while you match, look at your cursor. It shows the current colour, with a dot to indicate next colour up. This makes it easier to spot matches, not having to look down, look up, look down etc. Shaves off a few seconds every level.
Also remember that you can change the colour of your cannon by right-clicking.

I do recommend the game, it is not bad. But there are flaws.

summing up:
A not-bad matching game. It was quite fast-paced, but the way the powerup system was set up, it was actually more down to luck some times than skill at matching. A minus for me.
Also, there was no change to the game in the subsequent difficulty levels other than a faster timer an a star next to your player profile name. No real sense of accomplishment. It got very repetitive and monotonous.
A pretty game, slightly unusual in the matching scheme, fast-paced to the brink of hectic. But just not truly exciting.

Try "Treasures of Montezuma" 1, 2 and 3 to see what I mean. This game is similar to them in terms of PU system/general gameplay and even visually. Show less

I recommend this game!

+4points

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Overall rating

2 / 5

4 of 5 found this review helpful

Shoot to match

PostedMarch 23, 2013

Moswen

fromUnited Kingdom

Key Contributor
This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
Key Contributor

Skill Level:Beginner

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle

Fun Factor

2 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

3 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

2 / 5

Matching game, where you shoot a colour at a square to make matches.

All levels were timed and a felt a bit hectic, I didn't feel as though I was using much skill (As a beginner/ intermediate level player).

Strategy wise: Focusing only on a few key bonus skills per level is the best way for prompt completion, otherwise any potential strategy is made void with too many different bonus types ...Show more

Matching game, where you shoot a colour at a square to make matches.

All levels were timed and a felt a bit hectic, I didn't feel as though I was using much skill (As a beginner/ intermediate level player).

Strategy wise: Focusing only on a few key bonus skills per level is the best way for prompt completion, otherwise any potential strategy is made void with too many different bonus types appearing.

I would have liked to see a 'reset' or 're-do' option, for when it was painfully obvious I was not going to complete a level.

Difficulty wise it got harder, then reached a difficulty peak a third of the way through. Once you get over that hump and get the bonus skill where your matches don't have to be in a straight line, you can storm through the later levels _very_ quickly. So not the best game difficulty progression.

Story line wise: Well, nothing really engaging happening there.

BlueStarfish writes a really good detailed review, so for more detail check it out.

Average match game at best. Show less

I don't recommend this game.

+3points

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	, share your thoughts about this game! Time Machine: Evolution Explore time in this fun Match 3 game! Heres what your review will look like once it’s posted. Click Submit if you’re happy. Your review should appear soon. To make changes, use the Edit or Cancel buttons. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this game! You’ve already shared your thoughts about this game. Thanks for submitting the review below.