[b]suddenly meow 2[/b] is the largely identical sequel to the great first game (if you can overlook the title and the cat). the big bad evil creature is free again, so time to get rid of him one more time. and also protect some fairies, they're new.
there's an optional 4-level tutorial, then [b]90 match-3 levels[/b] unlocked one by one, though there's a [b]skip button[/b], so you can come back to tougher levels later. they can be played on [b]relaxed, limited moves and timed modes[/b], which can be changed anytime. there are also [b]18 mini-game levels[/b], hidden object, matching halves and jigsaws.
for the most part it's generic match-3 stuff with crates, conveyor belts and whatnot, but also [b]plenty of more unique mechanics[/b]. well, less unique after the first game, but there's a bunch of new things too, all explained in the extensive help book and as they appear on levels. overall difficulty is lower than in the original, but [b]more puzzly mechanics mean levels can be failed even without a time or move limit[/b], so think ahead. this is probably why auto-matches (cascades, combos, whatever you call them) don't destroy stuff, as you have to be more methodical.
you might have to create a path for tim (the cat) to reach something by matching around him, the fish and already existing path tiles. water tiles are out and paths disappear after 20 moves, which can be frustrating. or charge magnets that attract stone blocks for some reason. or clear pipes so tim can quickly travel through it, possibly onto a see-saw ('jumper') for a quick lift further away. or repair said pipe by bringing a hammer to the broken section. buttons reveal additional tiles, but one variety hides them again after 7 turns. now that's annoying.
the [b]star rating system[/b] is less conventional too: get one for completing the level and the others for matching next to the open side of star tiles. again, auto-matches don't work. [b]a better rating means more power-ups and coins[/b] and later stages can have more than 3 stars, some even hidden.
[b]power-ups[/b] are created by matching 4 or more of the same thing, and just like in the first game, they're a bit weird. right click switches between all of them (the game calls this morphing), so in each case you can choose between bomb, dynamite or destroying a specific tile. they charge magnets and pushers immediately but they're static, can't be moved a few lines lower or anything. 3-starring a level grants a bonus power-up to use at your own convenience. I think this is the only way to get masks, which replace any tile on the board. and [b]if you want an experience free of power-ups, they can be disabled completely[/b]. gotta love options.
tim has to face the big bad a few times while exploring the forest, so [b]turn-based combat is still part of the game and it works slightly differently this time[/b]. matching will only do so much damage, hurling bombs at the enemy is a lot more effective and you can heal by grabbing fish. having to create paths already increases difficulty, but bombs have a turn limit, then they explode on the board. they won't hurt you but won't hurt the enemy either.
tim's attributes are health and attack power, plus there are fairies to assist now, their refill rate is the third factor. unfortunately, all they do is dump more bombs and fish on the board once their bar is filled by matching. of course, the enemy also attacks every few turns, but the really annoying things is it also moves every few turns, so bombs won't always connect.
[b]coins are created by matching 5 or more things[/b] and are also awarded for stars and completing mini-game levels, plus for remaining time or moves on regular ones if you're not playing on relaxed. they're used for prettying up [b]tim's hideout[/b] (wonder what happened to the previous one, though this has brick walls, much better) and buying extra time or moves. [b]items in the hideout also increase tim's stats[/b], so they're not just cosmetic.
settings in the main menu (and sadly only there) cover the basics of windowed mode, resolutions and separate volume sliders, but there are more options while playing. the aforementioned power-up customization includes toggles for generating power-ups, as well as their capability to destroy breakable stuff and if they morph automatically or only with right click, and at what speed. their mouseover tooltip can also be disabled, just like context help (it explains level-specific mechanics at the bottom), plus there's a [b]slider to set how often you want matching hints, if at all[/b]. as I said above, gotta love options, but [b]I'd really like a coin animation toggle[/b] too, it's a bit over the top.
it's [b]a really good spin on the genre[/b] in the ocean of lazy reskins, even though this sequel is barely more than that as well. still, it's only two games against a billion others, done really well. [b]easily recommendable.[/b]
