BostonPocketPC

Hexic is a very popular game in our household next to Zuma. My entire family play it on the Xbox 360, their computer via MSN games and now it is available on both the Smarthone platform aka Windows Mobile Standard and Pocket PC aka Windows Mobile Professional and Classic from Astraware for Microsoft. The game plays like other versions using the directional pad to move around the screen and rotate your gems in search of the elusive Black Pearl which is done by creating a flower to earn a starflower piece, then you use starflower pieces to make another flower and earn the elusive black pearl when you make a cluster or flower out of black pearls you win the game.

(pictures above are from the PPC version)

(pictures above are from the Smartphone version)

If you are not familiar with Hexic, it is a fantastic twist on the match-three genre by famed Tetris designer, Alexey Pajitnov. Hexic is deceptively simple to begin with - just rotate any trio of hexes in order to form a cluster of three or more same-color pieces - but a real brain-boggling challenge to master. Featuring Marathon, Timed, and Survival game modes, players are sure to enjoy many hours turning hexes into stars, stars into pearls, and pearls into victory!

(Pictures above are from PPC version)

(Pictures above are from SP version)

Astraware also has released Mozaki, a classic brain-teasing strategy puzzler, also by Alexey Pajitnov. Players grab a piece from the stack and place it on the board, connect pieces of the same color to make an unbroken line from the colored edge to the centre of the screen, and connect the required number of lines and win the level. Marathon Mode is deceptively simple, but more colours and mismatched blocks increase the difficulty. Players who prefer to play against the clock can check out Timed Mode for an extra challenge.

Both games have been developed by Astraware for Microsoft's Carbonated Games studio and can be purchased at Astraware for $9.99 each. To try and learn more about Hexic head here. To try and learn more about Mozaki head here.

If you don't have a Windows Mobile phone (you know you should!) you can check here to see if both games will play on your phone direct via your carrier all you need to do is enter your phone number and you will be charged $6.99 for the game and it will be sent to you. Head here for HexicMobile and here for Mozaki Mobile.