Game: 2048 Battles
Genre: Puzzle, strategy, party
System: Nintendo Switch
Developer|Publisher: Baltoro Games
Age Rating: EU 3+| US E
Price: $3.99 |£3.59 |€3,99
Release Date: 20 September 2019
Review code kindly provided by Baltoro Games
My first acquaintance with 2048
Quick test: who knows the game 2048? Alright, you can put your hands down now!
Chance is high that you not only know the game and even that you have played it. The game was all the rage in 2014 and I even remember when I saw it first. That was at a memorable place after all! You know how we all while away waiting time in a different way? And I don’t mean waiting time commuting or at the doctors office. No, I mean standing in line.
It was a very cool kinda line, at the Happiest Place on Earth: at Disney World Orlando actually, waiting for our turn to join Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story Mania. Usually, I tend to read on my Kindle app, or play a little game on my mobile. Or chat with my family of course, we don’t want to be the ones that stare at a screen all the time!
Anyway, in that line I noticed the lady in front of me playing a game on her mobile. Being into games myself I of course peaked at which game it was: that was the first time I saw 2048. My better half and I both downloaded it that same night.
Basic gameplay of 2048
Long intro, I know. But it does explain why I was eager to give 2048 Battles a try when it landed on the Switch. First, for the few people who have never heard of 2048 (where have you been?) a little explanation.
In 2048 you get a 4×4 grid with tiles. Sliding it bring out 2 number 2 tiles, and sliding to the right, the left, the top or bottom gives another set of 2’s. And when your sliding causes two numbers 2 on top of each other they make one 4. Sliding two 4’s on top of each other makes 8 and so on. The trick is to ultimately make the number 2048 by sliding two 1024 on top of each other. of increasing multiples of 2; the player has to shift the tiles of same number so they merge into a double tile, and keep doing so until the magic ‘2048’ number is reached. Or until the tile grid is full and no new numbers can be added.
Enter 2048 Battles on the Switch. The basics are the same but with a twist: instead of numbers, the tiles depict little images. Choosing a 5×5 grid is a possibility too. Customisation options are there. Multiplayer is added. Baltoro has gone to great pains to expand on the gameplay.
How to make a basic game more interesting
Instead of the flat grid with numbers, now you can choose to play on various tile sets, but you have to earn them with coins. Don’t worry, it’s not coins you can buy for real money. The coins are earned when you finish a game (or the game finishes for you as there are no more moves left). You can also earn coins by earning achievements, like having all game modes played or having played all tile sets.
The game modes that you can choose from are the Classic 2048 experience, where you want when you create the final tile. You can play Timed too, having only 5 minutes to get as high a score as you can. You can also limit yourself by the number of Moves you can make. And then there’s Endless, allowing you to play on indefinitely if you are good enough.
For me, the new graphics of the tiles make it fun: choosing between Ancient Egypt, Wild West, Numbers, Vikings , Future or Medieval Asia. And watching how two little Egyptian huts combine in an ever larger structure, and ending in a Pyramid which equals reaching 2048.
There’s more customising to be done though. Change the background into various colours or patterns. Or change your background music if you get sick of hearing the same tune over and over again.
To complete the package there are some statistics in the game, showing you what your best score was, how much coins you earned or how many moves you made.
Have your family join in: Partygame
2048 Battles is named this way because multiplayer is added. You can can play with one other friend or up to 8 players. You need to hand out joy cons though, as there’s no online mode. Battle Power-Ups are featured, and are said to change the outcome of the battle.
I must confess I haven’t found anyone who wanted to give it a try with me, so I can’t attest to this mode.
Sliding by using the left stick works well, and the extras you get for each match are fun (turning the grid, clearing one tile and one change to level-up one tile.
Conclusion
You might argue that 2048 is great as it is now. Might be true, but I have found it very enjoyable to see the little images slide around and make ever new ones. Like its original, 2048 Battles is soothing, has a certain rhythm and gives a feeling of achievement if you are able to reach higher than before.
I feel that for the price this is a nice little time waister that feels right at home on the Switch. Which is why my final verdict is I like it!
