Webzen, the publishing giant behind the hugely successful MU RPG series, has taken a break from the sword and sorcery with its latest release, ToyTopia Match-3. Having recently soft launched for Android, ToyTopia is a match-3 puzzler that takes players on a journey into a land of whimsical characters, collectible toys, and, of course, tile-matching puzzles. For those still awaiting the game’s release for their region or device, here is what to expect when it finally arrives.
First impressions
ToyTopia Match-3 begins with a scenario that many puzzle fans might be accustomed to, with your character aboard a train travelling home after an exhausting day at work. Unable to keep your eyes open, you fall asleep in your carriage. What follows is an inexplicable series of events where you find yourself awaken onboard, but where everything around you, from the train to your surroundings and even yourself, is now a toy.
With its charming visuals and pleasant characters, the opening of ToyTopia feels something like an adventure game, which is a very deliberate approach on the developers’ part as the game features city building and character collecting elements, as well as a storyline that you’ll progress through by completing the game’s various challenges. So right off the bat there are more features at your disposal to immerse yourself with than traditional match-3 games. That being said, these elements are really more of a backdrop for the themes and mood ToyTopia Match-3 is aiming for and, if you so wish, you can skip past a great deal of it if you’d prefer to dive straight into the puzzle solving instead. However, It’s definitely worth investing a bit of time into the game’s other features early on as rewards like extra coins and diamonds are available for completing certain tasks.
The puzzle mechanics
Unlike many match-3s which require you to attain a certain amount of points to progress, ToyTopia focuses exclusively on achieving specific objectives to beat each level. For instance, the objective for the early levels is to have your character navigate a path towards an end destination on the map by matching the blocks that stand in their way. A simple and easy way of getting you acquainted with the game’s mechanics. However, as you progress you’ll quickly encounter stages that require you to complete more complex tasks, such as: collecting specific blocks or power ups, eradicating stages from troublesome pests, or preventing runaway mice from leaving the map. Each one is lighthearted in nature as you’d expect, but poses a different challenge that requires a different strategy.
The gimmicks
Whilst ToyTopia Match-3 is a lot more meditative than most match-3 games, where sensory stimulation is the norm, there are still plenty of gimmicks to enjoy, especially when it comes to its power-ups. ToyTopia features numerous varieties of power-up, each one coming with a unique toy theme and entertaining animations to match their powerful effects. For example, matching 5 blocks in a row will return a Rainbow Ball that hovers above the map and zaps matching blocks (depending on which one you pick) to blast them from the board. Toy Police Cars meanwhile will race through the map at high-speed, wiping out every block in their path. And, for those that love pyrotechnics, the rocket power-up will serve up an impressive blast that wipes out every block immediately surrounding it.
Even more fun can be had by combining these power-ups together to increase their power, as well as produce even more unique effects and animations to keep you entertained.
Difficulty
The difficulty will of course depend on your experience but it’s likely that most match-3 fans will have little trouble in getting through the first 20 or so stages, where most of the game’s various power-ups and challenges are explored. Newbies will also likely find most of the stages quite manageable, and can always fall back on the hint feature if needed. Overall, ToyTopia Match-3 isn’t so much a game that aims to frustrate its puzzles, but one that seeks to challenge you in how you approach them. Therefore, there’s a lot more variety than you can expect from most other match-3s and plenty of enjoyment to be had as a result.
If you’re an Android user and currently based in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, the Philippines, or Thailand, then you can find ToyTopia Match-3 available to download now for free from the Google Play Store.
This article is sponsored content written by TouchArcade and published on behalf of Webzen to promote the Android soft launch of ToyTopia Match-3. For questions or comments, please email [email protected]
