On The Road Again

With the rising popularity of fast-paced puzzle games that revolve around matching pieces of similar colors, there haven't been a lot of honest-to-goodness word games. This is starting to worry be, as I'm beginning to think that it may be part of a larger trend of illiteracy! But I'm just panicking, and Shangri La 2 Deluxe proves that great word games are still being made and they're as fun as ever.

In this wonderful game, you find yourself on the road to Shangri La, where you're hoping to find some ancient artifacts known as the golden seals. You don't start off with a lot of information about these relics; rather you learn more as you progress through the game, which is always more fun! Right off the bat, this game will sweep you up in its bright presentation and endless amounts of charm. You're helped along your adventure by an adorable little man that seems to have all the info on Shangri La and the secrets it holds. This guy is just one of the many great things that this game has to offer.

Word Power!

The actual puzzles that make up the gameplay here consist of spelling words out of random letters. Naturally, the longer the word is that you spell, the more points you will receive for it. The letter tiles are scattered all about in a unique pattern and only the letters that are free (not blocked in on both sides) can be used in your words. Of course, as you use more tiles, more will become freed up and available.

The objective in each stage is to reach the golden star (or stars, depending on how far into the game you are) by eliminating all of the tiles surrounding it. But wait! It's not the best idea to shoot straight for that star and that star only! It's a good idea to take your time trying to rack up as many points as possible in your quest. Each level has an expert goal, and if that goal is met, it will reward you with even more points.

All of the letter stones have dots on them. The more dots a stone has, the more valuable that letter will be when used in a word. Like Scrabble, this ensures that you get more points for the more obscure letters, and a fair amount for letters that are really easy to use.

A Treasure for Word Lovers

Shangri La 2 Deluxe is a fantastic game that many people will enjoy, but lovers of word games will go absolutely bananas over it. The game is both fun and challenging and allows you to really flex your spelling chops if you so desire. The storyline about the golden seals of Shangri La is more than enough to keep you interested, but the stellar gameplay is what will really keep you coming back for more. If you're in the mood for a good literacy challenge, this product should fit the bill nicely.