Act: Cupid's Match-Up [by EndBoss]

Game Review: Cupid's Match-Up
Release: Feb 2004
Genre: Action
Developer: End Boss
System Requirements: 300+ MHZ Intel or AMD Processor, Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, DirectX 8.0 or newer, Direct3D compatible video chipset
Price: US $14.95


One of the first arcade games many years ago was Gyruss.  In Gyruss, you controlled a ship that could only move around the edge of a circle firing towards the middle of the circle.  From the middle of the circle, ships would emerge trying to destroy you.  EndBoss has taken that idea and made a much more peaceful game from it.

In Cupid's Match-Up, you are an angel who flies about with love on his mind when he happens upon a local ice-skating rink.  Around the rink kids are skating completely unaware of the joy that awaits them.  As Cupid, you fly around the rink, using your arrows to match-up couples on the ice.  How do you know who is going to be a perfect match?  Thankfully those who would make a great couple wear the same types of hats.  So all you need to do is match up a boy and a girl who are both wearing the same hat.  You do this by shooting each with one of your arrows. 

After you have shot any one character on the screen with an arrow, a heart shows above their head, and they will start cheering with joy.  When you then shoot their new companion, both of the characters in the couple will disappear from the screen.  If you clear all the couples from the screen, you will move onto the next level.

Of course life and love are not always such an easy thing to do.  If you try to match up someone with a baseball cap with someone with a cowboy hat, they will quickly show their distaste for one another, costing you some of your own hearts.  Your hearts are shown in the top left-hand corner of the screen, and serve as a life meter for your character.  You loose a full heart by making a bad match, and half a heart when you get hit by a snowball.

Often those two things go together.  Though it is hard to imagine why, some kids just don't like the whole love/valentine's thing.  So they will spend their time at the ice skating rink throwing snowballs at you.  You also will have snowballs thrown at you after you have made a bad match on the later levels.  Thankfully, there are fences that while intended to protect the skaters go a long way towards giving you refuge from the oncoming onslaught of snowballs.

Plucking the kids with your arrows isn't quite as easy a task as you might think.  For starters, the kids do not skate the same direction as they go around the rink.  They also don't go the same speed.  This leads to some good old-timed fashioned video gaming as you must carefully choose your shots so as to not accidentally hit the wrong kid.  In addition, some kids take more than a single shot to convince them that they are in love.  Others may reject the feeling once you hit them a couple of times. 

Cupid's Match-Up provides some fun gaming that takes practice and patience to master.  With a very nice random level allocater, each time you play a specific level you will have different kids skating in different directions, which creates a high level of replay ability as each level really is a new adventure even if you have played it before.


Graphics 8/10
Cupid's Match-Up is done in 3D graphics that are as bright and cheerful as the Valentine's Holiday should be.  Though the models in the game are all relatively low poly, the thing that stuck out to me was the animations in most of the models.  While the characters ice-skated around the rink, they moved very fluidly, and after being hit by one of cupid's arrows, they change to a cheer while they are skating.  Cupid himself is a friendly looking cherub with wings that are always flapping.  Though the graphics will remind some of Black & White, they do quite well in this game.  The graphics are especially nice considering the very low system requirements.  Most everyone with a computer should be able to enjoy this game.

Sound 8/10
The variety and quantity in the music tracks in the game is quite wonderful.  There is a different feel from a relaxed mood to more up-beat pieces.  Each is well-done, though none is overly memorable. 

Game Play 7/10
Getting used to how Cupid moves, and more importantly, where he will fire is a big part of succeeding at the game.  Though it should seem obvious, using the heart aimer as you set up your shots is extremely helpful in getting your arrows to hit the people you want to hit.  Moving Cupid is easy enough, though for many of the levels the best strategy is to not move Cupid and instead let the skaters come to you. 

Concept 8/10
Cupid is a very different take on the Gyruss concept, and certainly a much more family friendly one.  The only issue on this is that there isn't very much variation on the concept as you go forward, the game doesn't offer a lot to look forward to.  Still, the levels get harder, and the challenge is certainly there.  The most solid point of the concept is the intrigue factor at seeing the differently dressed/hatted skaters and the way that Gyruss has completely been turned on its head in this game.

Value 8/10
The full version of the game offers a lot more game than the demo.  With the random generator in the game, Cupid's Match-Up has a lot longer play life than most games of this type, providing lots of game play for a very little price.

Fun 7/10
Cupid is definitely a game that focuses on patience as much as anything.  Though there isn't a timer and associated time records for the levels, I still found myself trying to beat the level as quickly as possible so that I could move onto the next level.  However, to win at the game, you must be calm and patient, waiting for the right shots, and firing with accuracy.  Cupid is a great game to play on a lazy afternoon!  It helps continue that relaxed feeling you get, presenting slow-paced game play that is a fun way to pass the time.

Overall 7/10
Most of the crowd that enjoys puzzles and simple games will likely love this game for its peaceful nature, and ease of play.  With time you can become an expert at playing, and you can take some of the more daring shots, firing across the rink to hit skaters on the far side.  Cupid is a game that is as lovable as the holiday that it is centered around.

Added: March 15th 2004
Reviewer: Russell Carroll
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