When it comes to puzzle games, one of my favorite genres is the one where you have to match at least three of one type of gem, making matches so that you can highlight the tile backgrounds underneath the gems, ultimately winning the level by lighting up all of the board. Though the "board lighting" genre is one of my favorites, they can still bore me if there isn't enough innovation to change things up a bit. El Dorado Quest is still very much a typical "board lighting" game, but yet within that is a few unique twists that make the game better than other games cut from the same cloth.

El Dorado Quest is still your standard "board lighting" puzzle game, where in order for you to eventually beat the level, you usually have to highlight all of the board by making match three groupings on top of the tiles on the board. In order to make a match all you have to do is click on one gem and then click the gem either up, down, left, or right of it to switch them out and make a match. Once your first match is made, the tiles under those gems will light up, disappear, and then the pieces above them will fall down, potentially making several matches along the way as they cascade down. After all the tiles are highlighted a missing piece of one of the holy amulets will appear on the board, and to then clear the stage you have to remove all the gems directly underneath the piece so that each match will drop the amulet piece one-step closer to the bottom, and once the piece has fallen off the stage you'll then collect it and move on to the next level.

Besides the standard highlighting procedure, you've also got obstacles in your way such as blocking pieces that you need to make a vertical match on in order to shatter the block; rock and dirt that you need to destroy with a pickaxe so that they will be removed and you can get by them or use the gems they had; and you've also got hidden jewels that need two like-minded jewels to connect with in order to use the hidden one and remove the block. Of course, what self-respecting game would increase the challenge without a way to counter those difficulties, and with El Dorado Quest you've got hammers you can use to either bust individual blocks you can't make a match with or highlight a square you just can't seem to match, and lighting attacks that will clear all the gems and blocking pieces in a column.

But you know what, all of that is fairly standard, so where does the change of pace come from? In terms of story, you're following two explorers as they make their way towards El Dorado, gathering the holy amulets that they need. Usually, the characters in a puzzle game's story would remain on the sideline and nothing more, but in El Dorado Quest they actually get involved with the gameplay, thus making the boards feel like real explorers investigating an area than you merely matching up gems in a game. On every so many levels you'll see representations of the two explorers on your board, and you'll need to clear a path for them by making matches over the tiles that have their predetermined paths on them. As you clear the path for them, they'll slowly travel around, eventually gathering the resources you need in order to complete the stage or either flipping the switches you need to move on. Your explorers, for example, will gather keys for you to unlock doors, grab matches for you to light dynamite, etc. The two explorers aren't just eye candy to get a few odd powerups here and there, but whenever you come across a stage they are on you absolutely must complete their path and journey, gathering everything and flipping all the switches in their way, or else you won't complete the stage at all.

Graphically the game looks great, featuring sparkling gems, nicely animated explorers, and the background images of the boards are exotic and beautiful as well. Even better than the graphics, however, is the sound, which includes everything from the twinkling and exploding gems to lighting bolts and rock shattering hammers. Besides the sound effects, El Dorado Quest also features some excellent background music, which isn't the same tune from one level to the next, but features plenty of tribal type chants, war drums, and other exquisite sounds that make the background music sound really amazing.

El Dorado Quest isn't a major departure from the same gameplay genre that it borrows from, but the inclusion of the little explorers who walk around your board are a neat twist that makes the game seem unique and fresh, and the graphics and sound work help elevate the quality of the game as well, making it something special and overall a game you should definitely give a shot.

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