Cascade iPad Review

Puzzle games have a long and celebrated history since Tetris revolutionized the market over two decades ago. Many puzzle games have followed, bringing their own twists to the genre. The match-3 puzzler, for instance, became immensely popular since Candy Crush Saga hit the market. Cascade follows in its footsteps while adding its own elements that many people will enjoy.
 

The Good

Cascade doesn't try to reinvent the proverbial wheel; it has many of the same elements that you see in similar puzzle games. There's a board filled with gems that you must match up in a certain way to reach the next stage, with 140 tricky levels to complete. As you progress, the levels become more difficult, like the board getting larger, having to clear rocks from it or eliminate certain squares. In addition, the game has a cool slot machine element that involves matching your randomized gems to the board. You receive a certain amount of extra gem spins to master each stage.

The Bad

The same slot machine system is either a unique challenge or a big annoyance. You are only allowed to pair your set of gems with the gems in the same column above it; you can't move your gems side to side. On more than one occasion, we immediately had to use a spin because there were no moves available.
In addition, if you fail a stage, you only receive a certain amount of re-dos because the game has a recharge system that makes you wait before you can play again, unless you want to buy more lives of course.

The Verdict

Cascade follows in the same mold as other match-3 puzzle games, but there's enough variety to make it unique. Some of the twists make it frustrating at first, but you'll have a good time figuring out the best ways to complete levels and using power-ups to get ahead. You probably played a game like this before, but we strongly encourage you to give this free-to-play title a try.
Download Cascade for iPhone and iPad.