Bubble Blast Easter for iOS

A common trend with mobile games is to take classic mechanics, combine them with a one-minute timer, and challenge users to get as high a score as possible. It's immediately addictive, easy to compete with others, and makes the "freemium" upgrade model easier to implement. That said, Bubble Blast Easter manages to make it work in many ways with only a handful of drawbacks to an otherwise finely-structured, free app.

The goal of Bubble Blast Easter is to shoot colored eggs at a pattern of eggs above you to match and destroy the old eggs. It's very similar to Bubble Bobble -- the classic arcade game -- but with Easter bunnies and eggs, and a timer that can be grueling if you don't learn the tricks to extend it. There are hidden timer eggs that will give you more time, as well as bombs and wildcard eggs, so you can chain together potentially higher scores rapidly with the right strategy. The game has coins you can gather, as well as Game Center integration so you can compete with other players' high scores.

Bubble Blast Easter is a free game with paid upgrades, like so many of the App Store's new games. However, none of the paid upgrades are necessary to enjoy the core gameplay, nor are the prices exorbitant. For a holiday-themed game that rehashes old gameplay mechanics, Bubble Blast Easter manages to be both addictive and a lot of fun. If you're looking for a new game to keep you occupied in downtime while traveling, give this one a shot.