Gaia – Review
By App Type: Uncategorized
Our rating: 
By: David Breitigam
Version #: 1.0
Date Released: 2008-08-21
Developer:
Price: 2.99
User Rating:
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The holiday season is upon us again and we are constantly reminded of this in a variety of ways. First, there are many holiday decorations and sales in the shopping malls. Second, “Rudolph” is once again gracing our television screens. Third, Quicksand Interactive has released a Christmas-themed version of their iPhone/iPod Touch game Gaia.
Gaia is one of those simple, addictive games that one could play for hours on end without realizing it, like Tetris. Being as such, it is the perfect sort of game to carry around with you on your iPhone or iTouch to use while you’re waiting in line at the DMV (or anywhere equally unpleasant).
The rules of Gaia are very intuitive. Icons fall from the top of the screen and group together to form various shapes. When a group of three or more of the same icon are together either horizontally, vertically or in an “L” shape, they will vanish with a tap of your finger on them leaving further icons to fall onto the screen to form different shapes (and earn points this way). Since this is the iPhone/iTouch we’re talking about, you can also tilt the screen 90 degrees to change which direction is “up” and make the icons fall in a different direction. This is repeated throughout various levels of difficulty. You can also earn extra points by having certain special icons (such as a pot of gold) fall through the bottom of the screen.
The game is so intuitive that Quicksand Interactive didn’t even bother to include words in the game. It doesn’t have a help screen or game instructions. Even with their high-score screen, you can draw a picture to represent yourself rather than type initials so you can take pride in your accomplishment without even knowing how to read or write (although I would recommend that if you don’t know how to read or write, you should learn as quickly as possible). It also makes the game language-neutral which is extremely useful in a growing international market.
This could be only the beginning for Gaia and Quicksand Interactive. Why not a Hannukah or Kwanzaa-themed game as well? It’s only a matter of changing the icons that fall. They could also have an Easter version with eggs and bunnies, a Halloween version with pumpkins and candy and a Fourth of July version with fireworks and flags. The possibilities are infinite. It’s when they eventually have the HYPERLINK "https://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/September/butterscotchpudding.htm" National Butterscotch Pudding Day version that I will think the game has run its course. By then, Quicksand Interactive will probably renew interest in the game by creating Gaia II: Gaia’s Revenge.
The Christmas Edition of Gaia is identical to the original except in two important ways: First, all the icons used in the game are reminiscent of the season (wreaths, snowflakes, Christmas lights, etc.). Secondly, it is priced at 99 cents rather than the full $2.99 of the original version. A two dollar discount in these difficult times is a good way for the developers to wish you a joyous season. Happy Holidays!
Link to the Christmas Edition is HERE.
Strategically tilt and rotate your iPhone to change the orientation of the puzzle as the pieces slide in to fill the gaps. Matching pieces will combine and fuse together into larger blocks.
Score by eliminating fused pieces with a touch. The larger the block that you eliminate, the more points you earn. Features include a variety of levels, challenging hazards, bonus rounds, and touch signed high scores.
O U R T A K E . . .
The Christmas Edition can be found HERE.
