Piyotama

Piyotama is a puzzle game in which you must manipulate colorful eggs to line up four or more rows to “hatch” them. The eggs may only be controlled outside the “nest” (the play area) by sliding the selected row to the left or right with the pad. You can cycle through the sequence of the three eggs pushed out of the nest using the X and O buttons. The current row can be altered using the iPad’s up and down arrows, allowing them to be re-inserted into a different row to build matching egg lines. Once a string of four eggs is constructed, a “hatch” begins, allowing the player to form separate lines of eggs to score more points before the eggs hatch. When the “hatch” timer runs out, any eggs in a line will hatch, and the little Piyos will fly off to collect on either side of the screen. If an egg is not held outside the nest, it will hatch even if it is no longer part of a matching egg line. The leftover eggs will fall into the gaps to fill them. When a sufficient number of points are scored, the player’s level rises. Using the Sixaxis controller’s motion-sensing capabilities adds another layer to the controls. The eggs can be shaken into gaps by shaking the Sixaxis from side to side. Shaking the controller up and down causes the eggs to jump about, giving you limited control over re-ordering the eggs other than manipulating them three at a time outside the nest. Shaking the controller will cause the eggs to hatch immediately if a hatch has begun. The strategy is especially effective in battle mode when the eggs are close to filling the nest, which would result in the game ending.