''Jewelbox'' is a

computer game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

developed by Varcon Systems for the

Macintosh The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and ...

. It is a clone of Sega's ''

Columns A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression membe ...

''.

Gameplay

''Jewel Box'' is a game in which the player moves colored gems that fall from the top of the screen, which disappear when they form patterns, and the round ends when the playing area becomes filled with gems; special gems cause different things to happen. The player must manipulate the jewels to form lines of three or more horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Jewels are affected by gravity, allowing the player to set up chain reactions which multiply the value of the gems matched. When the playing area is filled, it is cleared and the player loses one life - unlike ''Tetris'', the player is given three lives in each game, and the opportunity to earn additional lives by reaching points milestones. Gems are worth different numbers of points, with black onyx-like stones being the most valuable. The game includes an easter egg where matching three black jewels on the bottom row of the play area resulted in a huge points bonus.

Development

Jewelbox was originally published as shareware, in 1992, and was developed by Rodney and Brenda Jacks, with music by Jim Holt. After its initial release, Jewelbox was published as a commercial game by Varcon Systems. The commercial version added many new features including support for different display sizes and more powerups including the ability to collect and play wildcard jewels whenever you wanted. Varcon sold the game individually and as part of a package of three arcade game challenges.

Reception

The game was reviewed in 1994 in ''

Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

'' #211 by Jay & Dee in the "Eye of the Monitor" column. Jay did not rate the game, but Dee gave the game 3½ out of 5 stars. Dee noted that the gameplay is vaguely similar to that of ''

Tetris ''Tetris'' (russian: link=no, Тетрис) is a puzzle video game created by Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov in 1984. It has been published by several companies for multiple platforms, most prominently during a dispute over the approp ...

'', but that "''Jewelbox'' is not just a clone—it has intriguing rules all its own, including special gems that cause amazing things to happen, and beautiful sound and graphics". Laurel Clyde, in the book ''Managing Infotech in School Library Media Centers'' mentions ''Jewelbox'' as one of the games "that pay homage to Tetris while extending the concept in new directions". Larry Hanson, in his book ''Everything You Wanted to Know About the Mac'', said that ''Jewelbox'' "deserves special praise, not only for its nice graphics and music, but also for its packaging. Instead of the shelf-hogging cardboard boxes most games come packed in, ''Jewelbox'' (like Varcon's other games) comes in a re-useable suede bag."

References

{{reflist 1992 video games Classic Mac OS games Classic Mac OS-only games Falling block puzzle games Video game clones Video games developed in the United States