Bubble Witch 2 Saga - King

This review of Bubble Witch 2 Saga was completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 1 September 2014.

About the app

This section contains details about the app provided by an ACCM Reviewer.

ACCM review

This review of Bubble Witch 2 Saga contains the following information:

• The level to which the game was reviewed
• App description
• Reviewers comments
• In App purchasing
• Online information
• Gambling
• Advertising and product placement
• Gender stereotypes and sexual references
• Coarse language
• Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents
• Other

The level to which the game was reviewed

This review focuses on levels: 1-15.

App description

Bubble Witch 2 Saga is a match-making puzzle game where use an animated slingshot to aim and fire bubbles of similar colours at other bubbles (in groups of 3 or more) in order to burst them. The objective is to play through the multiple levels of increasing difficulty, matching increasing numbers of same-coloured bubbles within the limited number of shots available. The skills required to play are spatial/visual, hand-eye coordination, lateral thinking, and problem solving.

Reviewers comments

When players install and open the app, they have the option to ‘Play’ or to ‘Connect’ via Facebook. Connecting via Facebook gives players the opportunity to play with friends, have friends send lives, see friends on the map, play on multiple devices, receive help unlocking new levels, and never lose their progression.

The app explains that players must match three bubbles of the same colour in order to score points – for instance, clicking and dragging one green bubble over to another two green bubbles will earn players a score of 25 points per bubble. The manner in which gameplay is laid out is that players swipe from left to right across the screen, in order to aim a slingshot-type device that shoots bubbles upwards. If the bubble on the slingshot is blue, players must angle it to hit another two blue bubbles near the top of the screen (being careful to miss the yellow and/or red bubbles). As players progress through a level, it becomes increasingly more difficult to hit specific bubbles whilst avoiding those of the wrong colour. If players use a blue bubble and accidentally hit a red bubble, the blue bubble merely attaches itself to the end of the row. Players are also able to bounce bubbles off the walls of the screen, with the directional line of the bubble being shown by small dots before players release their finger and shoot. Players must obtain a certain score in order to beat a level – once they do, they are informed that the level is completed and given a total score. It is suggested that players connect via Facebook in order to share their high scores with friends.

At the beginning of each level, players are given a goal in mind (e.g. ‘Clear the top – clear six ceiling bubbles to win the level!’ or ‘Free the Ghost – Free the ghost by popping the bubbles around him’) that they must fulfil before moving on to the next. If more than 3 bubbles of any one colour are positioned so as to be touching one another, they will all disappear once hit by a bubble of the same colour, and players will receive even greater rewards in the form of points. As levels begin to increase in difficulty, players are informed that they have a limited number of shots available in order to complete the level.

The game has a likeness to a pinball machine, in relation to its sound effects (small and lightly-toned pings that are produced when a player completes a level), as well as the manner in which the balls move freely around the screen until they fall into their allotted holes, after enough bubbles have been burst to complete the level.

In App purchasing

Yes: It is possible to purchase gold bars within the game using real-life currency. Gold bars may be bought in packages of 10 bars for $1.08, 32 bars for $3.24, 68 bars for $6.61, 120 bars for $10.83, 250 bars for $21.70, or 650 bars for $53.65. Gold bars are used within the game to buy more slingshots, if a player has utilized all of their shots within a round. Players may also use gold bars to directly purchase extra lives within the game – these will replenish on their own slowly over a course of minutes to hours.

Online information

Players are encouraged to connect via Facebook and invite their friends – doing so will enable them to access rewards such as extra lives. Each time players complete a level, they are again encouraged to connect via Facebook to share their score with friends.

Gambling

No gambling content found in the levels reviewed.

Advertising and product placement

N/A.

Gender stereotypes and sexual references

N/A.

Coarse language

N/A.

Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents

No game playing behaviour which may be of concern to parents was found during the review.

Other

N/A.

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