| I've been a closet Bejeweled 2 Deluxe addict for | | | | gem created when a five-gem match is made. It's |
| the last three or so years. I play Bejeweled on | | | | the rarest of matches and doesn't occur with |
| my computers at home. I play Bejeweled online, | | | | much regularity, but having one, two or more in |
| and I play it on my laptop when I'm on the road. | | | | the Bejeweled 2 window, provided me with a |
| Were it not for cell phone signals in my area, I | | | | sense of power and a knowledge that as long as |
| would probably have an iPhone, because | | | | it was there, I wouldn't hear the arresting "Game |
| Bejeweled 2 is now available for it. | | | | Over" words from the baritone-voiced narrator. |
| Why have I stayed hidden? Well, as an adult in | | | | Having a hyper cube was like knowing that the |
| this universe, it just didn't seem right to be | | | | cavalry waited on the hill in the distance for my |
| hooked on a game that matched three or more | | | | signal to come to my rescue. It was like having |
| colored gems only to have more colored gems | | | | Dudley DoRight ready to hop on Horse and chase |
| fall from above to be matched until no more | | | | Snidely Whiplash away from Nell Fenwick in time |
| matches could be made. It wasn't logical to need | | | | to save her from the oncoming train. It was like |
| to have this "simple" game available to me | | | | knowing that Superman was waiting in case I |
| whenever I needed it. | | | | suddenly fell out of a 30 story building. |
| I've decided, however, that I can't possibly be | | | | As long as I had a hyper cube, I knew the game |
| alone in my addiction, and that others secretly | | | | couldn't end. And the sound that announced the |
| sneak off for a break from the daily grind for a | | | | creation of a hyper cube only added to that |
| little Bejeweled "me" time. I'm venturing out to | | | | sense of confidence. It was like the sound |
| admit my love of the game and try to explain | | | | announcing that Grasshopper had finally taken the |
| the draw that it has for me. | | | | stone from the hand of Master Po. All of the |
| I thought when I broke 100,000 points that I | | | | other gem-matching sounds ranged from bings to |
| must be the Queen of Bejeweled because it took | | | | clinks to clashes to crashes, but a five-gem match |
| me so long to get there. Then I thought when I | | | | sounded like that of a calm mastery of the game. |
| surpassed 200,000 points that I'd reached | | | | My strategy became one of identifying potential |
| Bejeweled nirvana. But when I crossed the half | | | | hyper cubes, creating them, and then protecting |
| million mark, I knew I had to try for a million, then | | | | them with positioning, gem diversionary tactics |
| two, three, four, five, six... and now I've set my | | | | and calculated "saves." It became a game of |
| sites for infinity (and beyond). | | | | protection, which in turn became a game of wildly |
| At one point, though, I realized that is wasn't just | | | | high scores. And one day, I looked at my list of |
| the luck of the falling gems that helped me gain | | | | scores and said to myself, "Dang, Girl, you're good |
| higher and higher scores. It was the ability to | | | | at this!" And the fun part was that I didn't have |
| create and hold onto hyper cubes - the special | | | | to be "Rainman" to finally "get it. |