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Summary
The cute puzzle mechanics ofFruit Mountainmake it an addictively charming addition to one’s game library, although it is a pretty simplistic concept without much to distinguish it. Developed and published by Bexide Inc., this game covers the basic concepts of throwing, matching, and balancing as players throw different types of fruit onto a plate to merge with fruits of the same type, while attempting to prevent anything from falling off the plate. It is cute, but it also feels as though there could have been more to the game overall.
Like many othercozy games releasing in 2024,Fruit Mountainincorporates cheerful graphics and music to foster a peaceful feeling, which ismade even calmer with the Standard Mode of the game not having any time limits for completion, which could create a bit more pressure. There is not really any story to be seen, although presumably the player is stacking fruit in a bowl for a painter in the background to craft into a masterpiece. Of course, one would imagine it would be easier to paint if players weren’t continuously changing the arrangement.
A Simple Concept With Hidden Complexity
The Gameplay Of Fruit Mountain
Thegameplay mechanics ofFruit Mountainare extremely simple. There is an empty platter on a table, and players are given pieces of fruit to throw into the bowl. As pieces of the same fruit hit each other, they will combine to become a larger fruit of a different type, withthe ultimate goal being to create watermelons. For example, two apples will create a peach, two peaches will create a pear, and so on. Fruits pile up some in the bowl as players continue to throw more in, but as soon as a fruit falls out, then it is game over.
Combining fruit into bigger varieties will add more points to the overall score,and whenever a player can create a chain of multiple fruits combining, then there are even greater points awarded. This can be accomplished either through thoughtful strategy, much like a game of fruity chess, or simply by pure luck. Gameplay begins rather simplistic, but can get increasingly complex as the amount of fruit in the stack gets higher and less stable.
Fruit Mountain Is Cozy And Addicting With Its Quick Levels
But There Are Some Things That Could Have Made It More Interactive
The quick nature of its games, andthecozy feeling from a combination of music, sounds, and gameplaycan makeFruit Mountaina highly addictive game, with the constant push to try one more round for a better score. Overall, there is little to do in the game other than simply stacking and merging the same few fruits over and over in the same environment. It feels as though there would have been a lot of value added by having some customization options to unlock through gameplay, or perhaps silly achievements to work towards.
Overall, there is little to do in the game other than simply stacking and merging the same few fruits over and over in the same environment.
Whether providing different styles of bowls, new room settings to play in, or perhaps different types of objects or fruit,Fruit Mountainwould have added just a little bit more variety to keep the game from getting tiresome as quickly as it does.While the gameplay is fun, it just doesn’t hold a person as long as it couldif there was just a little more to engage a person.
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Two Game Modes For Relaxed Or Timed Play In Fruit Mountain
Challenging Speed Or See How High It Can Go
There are two game modes inFruit Mountain, with each being quite similar to each other with the essential gameplay left unchanged. The Standard Mode has no time limit and lets players try to see just how much they can combine and stack, with enough time to sit and plan their throws.
It is a much more relaxed pace, lending it more to the idea of a calm, cozy game. Alternately, the Timed Mode is the same game but with three minute time limits in place. This added little bit of pressure can keep things moving more, but is otherwise identical to Standard.
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Ranking System Tests Players Skills Against The Online World
But It Would Be Nice To Play Against Friends
Fruit Mountainhas several ranking boards for players to look at with the aim of becoming the best in the world. As long as players are connected to the internet,there are online weekly and monthly leaderboards for both Standard and Timed modes,as well as a personal ranking board for each mode where a player can work on topping their personal records. The ranking boards can be viewed from the main screen, but also at the end of each round of gameplay there will be a popup showing how that score compares.
Unfortunately, putting one’s scores against those of the top players worldwide can be a bit discouraging sometimes.There is no feature available for comparing a player’s score only against others on a friends list, which would have been nice for friendly competition. Currently, the only way to compete in any type of multiplayer fashion is to tell one another what the top scores are.
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Final Thoughts & Review Score
3/5 - “Good” By Screen Rant’s Review Metric
In many ways,Fruit Mountainis quite similar to theSuikawatermelon gamethat became a bit of a sensation online for a while, with the same concept of merging fruit to ultimately become a watermelon. In this case, it is more involved with balancing stacks of fruit to not fall out of the bowl, and the 3D graphics are nice. Gameplay is straightforward, but clever players can still incorporate strategies into their stacking as they work on climbing the leaderboards.
Fruit Mountainis addictive, fun, and relaxing, but it hurts itself in being a bit too limited in gameplay and design. Even small, simple features such as unlocking outfits for the painter would have provided a little more to do. As it is, however, the game is good, with no glitches or problems, and presents a fun puzzle game for all ages to enjoy.
Screen Rantwas provided with a Nintendo Switch code for the purpose of this review.
