Jawbreaker (Pocket PC game)

Infobox VG
title = Jawbreaker / Bubblets / Bubblet / Bubble Breaker


developer = Oopdreams software, Inc.
publisher = Microsoft
distributor =
designer =
engine =
version = 1.0
released = Pocket PC: April 7th, 2003 (packaged with Windows Mobile 2003)
genre = Puzzle games
modes = Single player
ratings =
platforms = WM:Windows Mobile 2003, Palm:Palm OS, Win:Microsoft Windows
media = upgrade disk or stock firmware install
requirements = Windows Mobile 2003 Palm OS Windows XP
input = Touchscreen

"Jawbreaker" is a port of SameGame for the Pocket PC bundled with the Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 operating system for PDAs.cite video game| title = Windows Mobile 2003| developer = Microsoft Corporation| publisher = Microsoft Corporation| date = 2003-04-07| platform = Microsoft Pocket PC| version = 4.20.1081| language = english] The operating system, and thus the game, was officially released on April 7, 2003. The game itself was developed by oopdreams software, Inc..cite video game| title = Jawbreaker| developer = Oopdreams software, Inc.| publisher = Microsoft| date = 2003-04-07| platform = Windows Mobile 2003| version = 1.0| language = english] Jawbreaker is officially listed as one of the "Core Applications" of the Windows Mobile software family, in a paper released by Microsoft.cite web | title =Windows Mobile Software for Smartphone | work =White paper | publisher =Microsoft Corporation | date =2003 | url =http://download.microsoft.com/download/f/b/7/fb761cd5-2559-464d-8492-7eb2d29155b6/Windows.Mobile-based.Smartphone.Overview.pdf
format =PDF | accessdate = 2007-02-19 ] In Windows Mobile 5.0 it is called "Bubble Breaker". The original non-bundled version of the game is available from the developer itself as "Bubblets".

Gameplay

The gameboard consists of a screen of differently-colored balls arranged in a matrix. There are five different colors: red, blue, green, yellow and purple. The player then clicks on any two similarly-colored balls to eliminate them from the matrix, earning an appropriate amount of points in the process. The more balls eliminated at once, the higher the points added to the player's score.

"The scoring can be expressed in the formula "Y=X(X-1)". X represents the amount of balls grouped together, Y is the resulting score. For example an elimination of 16 balls will result in 240 points (240=16(16-1))."

In the standard mode of the game, the game ends when the player has no more moves left; there are no more like-colored balls adjacent to each other. The screen immediately goes to the scoring screen, where statistics such as "Average Score", "Total Score" and "Games Played" can be seen, along with a button that the player can press in order to start a new game.cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | title =Pocket PC Jawbreaker Game
work = | publisher =PDA Game Guide.com: The Ultimate Guide to PDA Games | date =2003 | url =http://www.pdagameguide.com/jawbreaker-game.html | accessdate = 2007-02-19 ]

Game Options and Modes

Breaker Set

The Breaker Set option allows the player to choose between "Colorful Breakers" and "Greyscale Breakers". The first option is the default and sets the game balls' colors to the standard five colors. Choosing the latter changes the color palette and instead of differently-colored balls, the balls are adorned with various unique greyscale patterns allowing players with monochromatic Pocket PCs to play the game, as well as players who may be colorblind and have trouble differentiating the colored balls from one another. Some of the patterns include lightly colored balls, dark grey balls and a white ball with a dark dot in the middle.

Game Styles

The player has four unique Game Styles to choose from, including Standard, which is described above. The other game styles are Continuous, Shifter and MegaShift.

:Continuous is one of the "Game Styles" available for Jawbreaker. This particular mode is similar to the standard mode, with one major difference. Whenever the player clears an entire column of balls, a new one arrives from the left side of the game board. New columns can be previewed in a small area at the bottom of the screen. As with the regular standard mode, the game ends when the player runs out of adjacent like-colored balls.cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | title =How to Play Jawbreaker for Pocket PC - Continuous Mode | work = | publisher =PDA Game Guide.com: The Ultimate Guide to PDA Games | date =2003 | url =http://www.pdagameguide.com/how-to-play-jawbreaker.html | accessdate = 2007-02-19 ]

:MegaShift is another one of the "Game Styles" available for Jawbreaker. The major difference in this mode is the addition of a new column of balls whenever the player manages to clear an entire column of balls from the game board. Balls will always move to the right of the screen if there is space for them to do so. The newly-appearing column of balls can be previewed at the bottom of the screen before they are brought on-board and they appear from the leftmost side of the game board. As with the other modes, the game ends when the player ceases to have any moves left.cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | title =The Jawbreaker Strategy Guide to Megashift Mode | work = | publisher =PDA Game Guide.com: The Ultimate Guide to PDA Games | date =2003 | url =http://www.pdagameguide.com/jawbreaker-strategy.html | accessdate = 2007-02-19 ]

:Shifter is one of the "Game Styles" available for Jawbreaker. This game mode is similar to the MegaShift mode in that balls will tend to gravitate towards the right part of the game board. Unlike MegaShift mode however, the board has a finite number of balls and no new balls arrive to replenish the ones the player clicks off the game board.cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | title =Jawbreaker Puzzle Game - 'Shifter' Mode Strategy Guide | work = | publisher =PDA Game Guide.com: The Ultimate Guide to PDA Games | date =2003 | url =http://www.pdagameguide.com/jawbreaker-puzzle-game.html | accessdate = 2007-02-19 ]

History

Windows Mobile 2003 was Jawbreaker's first inclusion into a packaged handheld operating system. Pocket PC operating systems prior to Windows Mobile 2003, ending with Pocket PC 2002 did not include the game. It has since been bundled with succeeding Windows Mobile releases, including Windows Mobile 2003 SE (second edition) and Windows Mobile 5.0.cite video game| title = Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition| developer = Microsoft Corporation| publisher = Microsoft Corporation| date = 2004-03-24| platform = Microsoft Pocket PC| version = 4.20| language = english]

High Score: The Highest Score ever recorded (By mmakous) in the "Standard" mode is 1620 on 08/08/2008 on a Dell Axim X50.Fact|date=September 2008 Frankie Mesa recorded a new high score on 08/20/08 in standard mode 1956.Fact|date=September 2008

Jawbreaker in Other Operating Systems

Aside from being included in the Windows Mobile operating system, "Jawbreaker" is also distributed by Oopdreams Software, Inc. under another name, Bubblets. Bubblets is almost-identical to Jawbreaker, with some slight visual and semantic differences. Instead of "balls", the player bursts "bubbles", thus the name.Bubblets in this form is available for a much broader range of operating systems than the Jawbreaker version. The game is officially distributed as shareware for Pocket PC 2002/Windows Mobile 2003,cite video game| title = Bubblets| developer = Oopdreams Software, Inc.| publisher = Oopdreams Software, Inc.| date = 2003| platform = Pocket PC 2002/2003| version = 1.1| language = english] Palm OS, and the Handheld PC Pro platforms.cite web | title =Bubblets (aka Bubblet aka Jawbreaker aka Bubble Breaker) | publisher =Oopdreams Software, Inc. | date =2003 | url=http://www.oopdreams.com/ce/bubblets/ | accessdate =2007-02-20 ] Bubblets is also available for desktop PCs, with the official Windows version of Bubblets, also distributed as expiring shareware.cite video game| title = Bubblets| developer = Oopdreams Software, Inc.| publisher = Oopdreams Software, Inc.| date = 2003-11-27| platform = Windows| version = 1.1| language = english] As Bubblets, the game was a finalist for the "Best Puzzle Game" category of Pocket PC Magazine's "Pocket PC Award Winners" of 2001. It was given the "People's Choice Award" in the same event.cite web | last =Goldstein | first =Hal | authorlink =Hal Goldstein | title =Pocket PC Award Winners 2001 | work =Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine | publisher =Thaddeus Computing, Inc. | date =January 2002 | url=http://www.pocketpcmag.com/_archives/jan02/PocketPCAwardWinners2001.asp|accessdate=2007-02-20] The Palm OS version of the game Bubblet, was favourably reviewed by PDAStreet's Palm Boulevard.cite web | last =Staff| first =| authorlink =Palm Boulevard | title =Bubblet: Simply Addicting | work =PDA Street: Palm Boulevard - Software Reviews | publisher = Jupitermedia Corporation | date =2001-03-02 | url=http://www.palmblvd.com/articles/2001/3/2001-3-2-Bubblet-Simply-Addicting.html|accessdate=2007-02-20] Geek.com gave Bubblets a perfect score on their review and was named a "Geek.com pick".cite web | last =Triano| first =Nick| authorlink =Nick Triano | title =PDA Review: Bubblets | work =Geek.com: PDAGeek | publisher = Geek.com | date =2000-01-11 | url=http://www.geek.com/hwswrev/wince/bubblets/index.htm|accessdate=2007-02-20]

Also, a free version for Windows exists - called Jawbreaker as in the Pocket PC version, but distributed as a free software. Developed by KDI aka Kurylo Dmytro (Курило Дмитро), the game is the almost exact copy of its Pocket PC analogue except some additional features such as enlarged bubble sizes for hi-res displays. The advantage of this program is that it is absolutely free. [http://www.kurylo.galkran.com.ua/download/Jawbreaker%201.10.zip Jawbreaker 1.10]

The game has also been distributed as freeware for mobiles since June 2008cite web | title = Elvison #2: JawBreaker in mobiles| developer = Elvis Lam| publisher = Elvis Lam| date = 2008-06-20 | language = trad. chinese/english | url =http://jawbreaker.elvison.com|accessdate=2008-06-20] . JawBreaker is developed, by Elvis Lam, for those who don't have Jawbreaker-capable PDAs but JavaME-supported phones to relieve their addiction to the game. JawBreaker can be run in mobile devices supporting JavaME CLDC 1.1/MIDP 2.0 with screen resolutions of 240x320 or 176x220.

References

External links

* [http://www.oopdreams.com/ Oopdreams Software, Inc.] official website. Downloads of the shareware versions of Bubblets for different platforms can be found here.
* [http://www.airspace-v.com/ggadgets/jawbreaker.htm Airspace V] offers Jawbreaker as Google gadget for those who don't have a pocket PC
* [http://www.oopdreams.com/ce/bubblets/high_scores.php Bubblets for Pocket PC] High Scores of MegaShift,Shifter,Continuous,Standard
* [http://jawbreaker.elvison.com Elvison #2] offers JawBreaker as freeware for mobile devices supporting JavaME
* [http://jawbreaker.mundue.net/iphone/|JawBreaker for iPhone]