Rainbow Rise - Levels 469 - 474 (Region 79)

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No "island" posts on the TL Blog lately, and no pictures on the JM Regions Master thread yet for these "higher-numbered" islands--just the names & links. So from my phone:

https://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/...ps36f48a21.png

https://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/...ps96c62405.png

Awesome, fun artwork (as usual!) Hope you have a blast on this island of Jewel Mania!

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Note: Background art screenshot from (now-)current Christmas version (1.2.3.)
Edit: I removed the screenshot I'd pasted here earlier...cropped it down to just the name. The full shot's in the post below (no need for 2, lol!) Also added in the background art I had problems with the first time... ;) (Reallly love the edit feature--thank you, TL/Storm8!)

This island seems to be timed levels galore! Here's the completed island. Please excuse my poor star count!

https://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q...02f89253a0.jpg

Level 469: Clear 24 glass squares in 1:45 (4JC). There are one block cut outs alternating through the middle of the board with a :30 doom jewel tucked away in there and blocked by a 15 count L&C on the left. Below that is 3 black jewels, then a 75 count L&C and 45 count L&C, and then restricted jewels. On the right there is a 15 count L&C and a 45 count L&C on the same row, then double boarded crates, and finally a 75 count L&C and a 105 count L&C. That whole bit is covered in glass. Also, :15 doomies fall in as you play. They seemed to wait a little while before falling. I didn't have any trouble being able to open all the L&Cs in time but clearing the glass was tight.

https://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q...199/image3.png

Level 470: Dig 9 meters in 1:40(4JC). As fun as this level is you have to move fast! Because there are only 4 jewel colors it makes it easy to make matches but you also lose time waiting for the screen to scroll as falling jewels create matches of their own. There is a barrier running straight down the middle of the entire level. On the top half of the board there are 2 20-count L&Cs with another 20-count L&C in the center. The center ones have a timer. I don't remember exactly, but it was something like :30 or 1:00. I never had a problem making matches to clear them. Below that is normal dirt and a few super dirt squares. Nothing special. BUT, then we have the bottom half. It's hour glass shaped with a 6-headed snake across the screen (with their head all pointed down) and below that are 4 individual snake heads. The top snakes need special jewels but it is possible to make matches on the bottom ones if you can clear the entire upper snake before the screen scrolls down. Below that is the bottom of the hour glass all filled with super glass. It's a little tricky to get through here. Combos work great, vertical blasters help, and if you can get a horizontal blaster to the bottom that would be really helpful too.

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Level 471: Extinguish 9 fires in 1:45 (4JC). There are thee cut outs diagonally through the middle a 1:00 doom jewel and four separate L&Cs with fire inside (15, 20, 30 and 35 count from top to bottom). The other fire is hanging out in there. The fire starts spreading immediately to get a quick start.

Also, what I absolutely hate (and have mentioned before for other levels) is that doom jewels with :15 start falling immediately once you make your first move. It's hard to catch them in time and then I've basically wasted an energy to be able to play 1/7 of the allotted time. Can't these levels be set to that doom jewels don't start falling until you hit some time marker like 30 seconds or something? It's ridiculous that after waiting an hour for just one energy to lose it within 15 seconds of starting the round!

https://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q...199/image2.png

Lost a few more rounds in 471 within the first 15 or 20 seconds. I guess I got lucky one round and got rid of the doomie quickly. You have to move quickly to get rid of them but also because the fire spreads super fast. You also have to keep your eyes peeled to try to focus on all the doom jewels that fall in and make sure that the timer doesn't get too far down. Also, don't forget that there's fire in the L&C. Once I forgot that, clear all the fire outside of them and was wondering why the level complete banner didn't come up...and then a doomie got me.

Also, it's easy enough to make bombs and blasters, which is really nice!

FYI: I think the I'm going to be complaining the rest of this island. I think it might be the worst so far partly because of all the timed levels and partly because of the crazy, stupid doom jewels and layouts.

Level 472: Clear 38 glass squares in 40 moves (4JC). The board is shaped like an X and all except for the top left and right corner squares have glass, some doubled. The hardest places to reach are the bottom left and right corners because you can't make a match there and they're both double glass. The four center jewels are unbreakable and ice blocks fall in as you play. It's easy to make blasters and bombs because of the low jewel count but hard to make combos because the special jewels can go off prematurely. If you get really lucky maybe a horizontal blaster will fall to the bottom and you can knock out a layer of glass or get a bomb+blaster combo to either the second to the bottom or the bottom row. Or you can be like me and just keep hoping for diamonds. Eventually after a day and a half I got a diamond + bomb combo, which made a second diamond and I finally made it through.

I hated this level more than any other level except maybe the next one, 473....that one might be worse.

https://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q...9/photo1-5.png

Level 473: Extinguish 16 fires in 1:30 (5JC). The picture says 17 so as you can tell the fire starts moving immediately...doesn't even wait a second. There are 4 triple boarded crates and 4 flames on the top half of the board. On the bottom right there's a 2-headed 2 shaped snake blocking off more fire. I think the heads are always red and yellow. On the left there's a L shaped L&C with 50 count, always red, blocking more fire.

Oh and guess what, enjoy the two 3 second doom jewels in the L&C! That may be even more annoying than having a doomie fall in as soon as the level starts. 3 seconds! Really? It takes at least 3 seconds to noticed that the L&C have been opened and to try to find a match! I tried to restart to that I'd have a good match inside the L&C for when it opened, but as soon as I cleared on the other went off. It's outrageous! Anyone know if it has always been like that? I'm going to try and clear those fire without opening it, maybe with a blaster+bomb combo, but it's hard to keep it locked!

https://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q...99/image-4.png

I can't wait for this island to be over......

Level 474: Dig 11 meters in 1:35 (4JC). This is one of those split-level levels, except here they're also split horizontally. For the top half the right side has a row of ice blocks and a row of dirt and the left has 3 rows of dirt locked beneath a 30 count L&C. The bottom left is a row of regular dirt and a row of super dirt. The right side is 4 rows of black jewels and two rows of super dirt under a 100-count L&C (no colored jewels on this side). As these split levels go it wasn't too back because the color count is not too high making it easy enough to make special jewels and there's not really that much dirt. The top can be cleared with matches alone.

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Finally leaving and off to Hidden Fairy Forest! I couldn't be happier!

Level 473... I'm here to grump and complain in the hope I manage to pass the level just because I've posted a whingey post (it happens frequently enough for it to be a reasonable thing to try...)

I'm sorry but THREE seconds?! That's ridiculous! Impossible! Grrr... I keep trying, and if I manage to get it unlocked in the time, it just ends because I can't clear the timed jewels in time. Grrrr....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pastasplace

I'm sorry but THREE seconds?! That's ridiculous! Impossible! Grrr... I keep trying, and if I manage to get it unlocked in the time, it just ends because I can't clear the timed jewels in time. Grrrr....

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It's so outrageous. It took me a while and I think ultimately I got through with a blaster + bomb right on top of that locked area which took out those flames and the upper snake head. Then I just took out the other fires as usual. I wonder if it's even possible to get through if the L&C gets opened...can anyone move that fast??