Boredworkers.com

I remember as a kid, I had a toy which was shaped like a ball with different shapes cut out from the side. There were blocks that you would try to match to the different cutouts and push into the ball. Then when you were done, you just pull the ball apart, get all the blocks out, and start over. That about describes this week’s Game of the Week, Shape Shifter.

The game play is simple and requires players match the shapes from the feeder to the cutout gaps on the rows above. A row will shatter and be removed from play once all the cutouts on it have been filled in with the appropriate shapes. There are two different game modes in Shape Shifter, namely Beat The Clock and Speedster.

In Beat The Clock, each level requires a player to clear a fixed number of rows within a designated period to proceed to the next level. The amount of time left is indicated by an hour glass on the left hand panel of the game screen. Once time runs out, the game is over.

Speedster mode is similar to Beat The Clock in that you need to clear a fixed number of rows to clear a level. However, it is different in that the puzzle rows will be added to the game screen after a fixed amount of time has passed. Like in Tetris, players need to prevent the rows from reaching the top (e.g. more than 5 rows appear). Once this happens, the game is over.

In the event that you pick up a shape that cannot be used, you may discard it at the Discard Bin to the left of the feeder. However, doing so will cause rows to appear at a faster rate in Speedster mode.

Players get to earn extra points in a bonus level every five levels (if I’m not mistaken). In the bonus level, 5 puzzle rows will move slowly across the screen. Players are required to fill all the cutout shapes before they disappear on the other side. The difference between this and normal game play is that the rows only go by once.

There are four different powerups available to help players complete the game (or acquire a hiscore). They appear as glittering shapes on the feeder. Matching the powerup shape to the corresponding cutout will activate the power up. We won’t know what the power up is until it is activated.

The powerups available are:

• Extra Time: Gives you up to 10 additional seconds to complete a level.
• Revealer: Highlights cutouts corresponding to the piece that you pick up from the feeder. Revealer is active for a fixed amount of time indicated by the Revealer Bar.
• Extra Points: Grants you up to 10,000 bonus points.
• Wild Card: Turns all the pieces in the feeder into wildcards. Wildcard pieces can be matched to any cutout shape.

One cool feature of the game is its global hiscore. When you complete a game, you are given the option to submit your score to the global hiscore table (internet connection required). From there, you can compare your achievements with other players around the world. Do you have what it takes to be numero uno?

Points are awarded for every shape matched. To rack up a high score, Bonus points are awarded for, among other things, consecutive matches of the same shape, completing a row, placing a Switcher piece (switcher pieces will keep changing shapes until you pick it up), and extra time left over after completing a level in Beat The Clock.

Need more time? Refer to Boredworkers.com’s Game of the Week for the recommended downloads and perform the following:

• Download both recommended files.
• Install the game.
• Uncompress the crack archive to the game install directory.
• Run ‘GameHouse Shape Shifter Trial to Full by Great Elmo!!.EXE’ located uncompressed from the crack archive.
• Click the ‘Crack It!’ button to apply the necessary patch.
• Run the game and have some shape shifting fun.

Do you have what it takes to be the fastest shape matching freak this side of the moon? The only way to find out is to keep on playing and earn the bragging rights.

Disclaimer:
The author does not condone piracy. If you find that you enjoy the game after playing it for a bit, do purchase the license. Good work should be given its due.