Game Classification

Luxor: Quest for the Afterlife is another entry in MumboJumbo's line of marble poppers with Egyptian themes. The gameplay remains the same as in the previous titles. The objective is to make matches of three or more spheres of the same color. The player controls a scarab-shaped catapult at the bottom of the screen that moves sideways, throwing balls at a string of marbles being pushed towards a pyramid by an insect. The spheres move on twisty tracks, and if several of them enter the pyramid the game is over. The goal is to clear all the balls, collecting the treasures and power-ups that fall after some matches.

Besides the spheres, a treasure chest appears randomly on the field that can be broke with the ball. Some matches also throw treasures and power-ups that can be collected with the scarab. The money is used in the store, to purchase upgrades for the power-ups, or cosmetic changes like a new set of marbles or a different scarab.

Some powers are used automatically after being collected. The turtle makes the marble line movement slower. The net creates a glowing line at the bottom that collects anything that falls on it. The bomb explodes all the marbles that share its color. The open hand stops the movement for a few seconds. The circular arrow makes the spheres move backwards. The spike blocks the pyramid entrance, breaking a number of marbles before exploding.

Some powers need to be activated by throwing them with the scarab. The cloud paints several spheres with the same color. The scorpion runs out of the pyramid, destroying all the marbles in its path. The lightning bolt shoots up in a straight column, destroying all the balls crossing it. The arrows increase the speed of the shots.

In Adventure Mode, the plot is shown as cutscenes between levels. The queen Nefertiti needs to recover the four canopic jars of her husband Akhenaten, stolen by thieves sent by the god Amun. A map of ancient Egypt shows all the major cities, and the pathways between them are comprised of a series of levels.

After completing certain levels, the player receives pieces of seven artifacts that help on the quest. The Eye of Horus shows in which level the other pieces of artifacts are located. The Sphinx unlocks the Puzzle Mode. The Scarab makes golden scarabs appear on the levels, that throw coins when shot. The Statue of Horus upgrades the ball shooter. The Cow of Hathor increases the points received for each piece of treasure. The Chariot allows automatic travel to any city. The Sun Disc of Aten locks a city, trapping the thieves.

Some levels have slight variations to the regular gameplay. In battle levels, there are two shooting scarabs, at the top and bottom, and two exit pyramids with a marble string between them that acts like rope in a tug of war, being pulled in opposite directions by two insects. The objective is to move a circular section to the player pyramid, by making matches as fast as possible. In the river levels, the screen is divided by a river filled with spheres, and the goal is to make a path to destroy the balls at the top bank. On swarm levels several insects invade the screen, each pushing three marbles. [source:mobygames]

Distribution : Retail - Commercial
Platform(s) : PC (Windows)

Links

• http://www.mobygames.com/game/luxor-quest-for-the-afterlife/