Given the number of perfectly good "Bejeweled" clones lurking in the iTunes Store, it's impressive to find one, such as "Smiles," that goes its own way by changing just one rule. The object of "Smiles" is to match rows of three or more identical blocks. But instead of switching around two blocks within the grid, players must swap in a block from outside the grid to match three and then use the block they just swapped out as the next block to swap in. There's a loss of strategy in always having to use a particular block, but "Smiles" counters that by encouraging players to think quickly and keep the board constantly in motion while the score multiplier rockets upward.
The fast pace of the main game mode is a surprisingly fun departure from "Bejeweled," and a nice level of polish -- in the presentation and the responsiveness of the controls -- makes it work.
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