[b]wildlife match[/b] is the carbon copy of [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1541530/]animal drop safari[/url]. both look and play like a cheap mobile game for kids, with a bunch of animals to rescue (and a human, much less important), but while [i]safari[/i] has a mandatory move limit, this offers [b]timed and relaxed game modes, no move limit in either[/b].
[b]205 levels[/b] unlocked one by one, 3-star rating based on score. goals are mostly the usual: remove 50 of this, drop that to the bottom, remove spreading hazards (really hate that even if it's turn-based and here it doesn't spread in every single turn), but there are less common ones. [b]spreading green tiles all over the place is very cool[/b], then there's collecting mushrooms or matching hedgehogs (or destroying them with boosters if they're in an unmatchable position). there's something new every few levels, but [b]you don't necessarily want to go straight for the goal because that alone might not provide enough points for 3 stars[/b] and once goals are met, the level ends.
if you can't create big combos, getting all the stars can be a tedious task, but it was doable even with a timer, as [b]every level has a 6-minute limit[/b]. I gave up on 3-starring everything after about 35 levels (and only tried the timer for a few stages), but even though [b]freeing animals uses stars[/b] (and gets you some cash and consumbles besides their picture in the gallery), I had plenty left.
there's a [b]skip finisher button[/b], always appreciated, but [b]can't match while animations are playing[/b], which in turn is always annoying. it's not that bad here, and the clock stops while cascades are going on, so no time wasted. cascades also count towards the goals and destroy special tiles, plus the board is auto-shuffled if there are no moves left, so it mostly works as it should.
matching 4 tiles creates a 'super animal' (line-clearing booster), making a horizontal and vertical match at the same time results in a super animal bomb (clears a 3x3 area). have to match the marked tiles again to trigger the bonuses, or you can match two of them on their own to combine their powers. matching 5 in a row creates a rainbow gem, removes every tile of the color you switch it with, and can also be coupled with another special tile. [b]combining power-ups is fun, but the audiovisual effects aren't that satisfying.[/b]
boosters can also be bought, and there are [b]more power-ups[/b] in the shop, which is also accessible mid-level if you run out of something. everything is a consumable, 5 or 10 is cheaper than 1, in true mobile fashion. you can choose up to 2 boosters per level (the first slot is always occupied by a person occasionally explaining mechanics), they are assigned to random tiles, and when the actual power-ups unlock (hammer on level 7, shuffle on 19, etc.), you can use them as well. weirdly, the bomb doesn't simply destroy an area, only marks the chosen tile with a bomb that still has to be matched to explode, and there's a cloning token to create more of one color.
[b]boss fights are also present[/b], though not sure why there's a snowman in the middle of a snow-free forest, or why we're fighting an old man, for instance. they're part of the board, match stuff next to them to deplete their health, and of course every few turns they cause a ruckus. the snowman freezes a bunch of random blocks, the old man replaces golden tiles, the flower (they get scarier and scarier, don't they?) turns tiles into flowers, then there's one removing tiles, etc. there was one that could've turned ugly but the rest were kinda fun.
mouse controls are fine, except mouse wheel barely works on the map and in the store, easier to slide like you're on a phone. the presentation is what you'd expect from something like this: cute graphics and forgettable audio. no volume settings, only separate toggles for music and sound, plus windowed mode with a non-resizable window, but only audio settings are available while playing a level (alt+enter still switches to windowed mode). the game also offers multiple player profiles and hints for valid moves appear after a while.
[b]surprising amount of levels and variety[/b], but it's a bit too mobiley for my taste. no tapping anywhere though, and balance is much better than other mobile ports. [b]levels eventually overstay their welcome and become more like tedious busywork than fun[/b] (with the last few levels turning it down a bit), and mobile shenanigans are also present in the shape of daily goals for extra bonuses (match the same tiles hundreds of times, complete levels fast, etc.). it's fine otherwise (except for the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ spreading ivy), and you'll have plenty of boosters and money to make shorter work of levels if you want. overall, [b]not a bad choice, especially for kids[/b], should keep them (or anyone) busy for a long time.
