Match 3 games are often called “Bejeweled Clones”. The premise is nearly identical across similar games – you are presented with a board of icons such as gems (fruit in Rio Match 3 Party). The object is to move pieces around and match 3, or more, of them up/down or left/right. They disappear and more take their place for you to continue.
Rio Match 3 Party offers many play modes that Popcap probably never envisioned when they published Bejeweled back at the turn of the century. These modes help break up the monotony of matching fruit level after level.
If you have played Candy Crush Saga then you have an idea of what to expect out of Rio Match 3 Party. There is an overhead map showing the levels you have beaten, your ranking (out of three points – thanks Angry Birds) and what levels you have yet to complete. This path is linear and there is no way to deviate off of it so the map is just a method of choosing previous levels and to give you a sense of adventure.
What sets Rio Match 3 Party apart is the level challenges. From Guide the Monkeys (they have a set path that you must make matches on to clear) to boss fights, there is a fair bit of variety here. Most levels have move limits and are coupled with another requirement to make them even tougher.
After beating a level you can replay it on a harder difficulty two times. The difficulty is raised exponentially so if you think the first play through is too easy, the third will change your mind.
I personally prefer my match 3 games to be like Puzzle Quest where you are fighting something/someone in a role playing style battle. I am not saying Rio Match 3 Party is horrible, it is great for reminiscing with memories of the movie.
Grab Rio Match 3 Party on Google Play and the iTunes App Store.