PopCap Games, the worldwide leader in casual games, today announced the immediate availability of Bejeweled 3, the first true sequel to its beloved flagship franchise in more than six years. With twice the game modes of its predecessor as well as eight mini-games and a complete revision of sound and graphics, Bejeweled 3 is a quantum leap forward in the match-3 category pioneered by the original Bejeweled. The game is available today on PopCap.com and major portal partners such as MSN Games, Pogo.com, Steam, GameHouse and WildTangent, as well as at retail outlets throughout North America including Walmart, Target, Best Buy, GameStop, and Amazon.com, at a suggested retail price of US$19.95.
Beyond crystal-sharp, high-definition graphics (1920 x 1200 in "ultra" mode) and a catchy new soundtrack, Bejeweled 3 boasts eight different modes containing a cornucopia of new game experiences. Among those, four our all-new "secret" modes (Butterflies, Diamond Mine, Ice Storm and Poker) provide exciting new interpretations of the Bejeweled theme. Proclaim your prowess across all the new modes and mini-games by maxing out 65 achievement badges and topping the high score lists, or check your progress with the fun statistics at the end of each game.
"I’ve played Bejeweled nearly every day for 9 years, and have been astounded at how much more there is to explore and enjoy in Bejeweled 3 than in previous editions," said Cindy Morrison, aka Julia Gemstone, author of the unofficial strategy guides for Bejeweled 2, Bejeweled Blitz, and now Bejeweled 3. "Not only do I get to play my favorite Bejeweled game with new gems and Hypercube matches, but the new Quest mode and secret mini-games are beyond incredible fun! I expected fantastic, and it’s so much more than that. My hat’s off to PopCap!"
In Bejeweled 3, Classic mode delivers all the untimed match-3 fun millions of players know and love, but with several new twists, like the powerful Star gem. Fans of Bejeweled Blitz will enjoy the electrifying new Lightning mode, which offers all-out, beat-the-clock action. Zen offers a relaxing endless mode loaded with options for meditation and stress relief, including breath modulation, ambient sounds, binaural beats and mantras for focusing your thoughts. (All Zen mode options can be combined and adjusted in virtually infinite ways to create each player’s own custom "mental vacation.") And for puzzle fans, Quest mode offers dozens of unique variants, like Balance and Alchemy, which will test players’ skills as they try to restore five lost relics.
The four all-new modes of Bejeweled 3 are:
Butterflies: Match the butterfly gems to free them before they ascend the board. If they flutter all the way to the top, the spider wins!
Poker: make matches to create poker hands, with better hands scoring more points. Avoid "outlawed" hands as the game progresses, or only a lucky flip of the coin can save you.
Diamond Mine: delve deep beneath the earth by exploding gems to tunnel downward. Unearth gold, artifacts and Hypercubes to score big!
And Ice Storm: Hold back the rising ice floe in this chilling, speed-based variation. Match gems quickly to keep columns of frost at bay.
Since its introduction 10 years ago, Bejeweled has become one of the top 10 video game franchises in history. More than half a billion people worldwide have played the game, and over 50 million units have been sold across 17 platforms. An estimated 7.5 billion hours have been spent playing Bejeweled, and the game continues to sell at the rate of one copy every 4.3 seconds.