Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook: Beginner's Guide to Playing and Getting a High Score Part 2

In part one of this beginner's guide we looked at all the classic moves such as Flame Gems and Hyper Cubes. We also touched on some of the new moves like the Star Gem. We are now going to deal with other bonus gems.

Speed Bonus and Blazing Speed:

The first bonus that does not create a gem is the “Speed Bonus”. It is obtained by making three matches in less than two seconds. The speed bonus goes up with each match made quickly. The more matches made, the more time is given to make matches without losing the Speed Bonus. As the Speed Bonus is built up there is also a meter below it. If the meter is filled, it triggers “Blazing Speed”. When Blazing Speed is active, any match acts like a Flame Gem, exploding a bunch of gems in each move.

The Last Hurrah!

The latest version of Bejeweled Blitz has a unique bonus called the “Last Hurrah”. Once the minute ends, all the bonus gems that were not blown up go off at the same time, thereby offering bonus points.

The newest and biggest feature of Bejeweled Blitz is the ability to buy boosts with coins that are earned by playing Bejeweled Blitz. To obtain coins, you need to make a match with a gem that has the number "one hundred" on it. This will earn you one hundred coins. You can also gain coins by getting multipliers. Each multiplier earns you one hundred coins at the end of the round.

Five different boosts can be purchased with the in-game coins. The price of each boost ranges from 2500 coins to 7500 coins. Each boost does something different. The cheapest boost at 2500 coins is the “Detonator”, which will trigger any special gems in play. The next gem in line is the “Scrambler” costing 3500 coins.

In my opinion the most beneficial of all the boosts, the Scrambler, allows you to scramble all the gems on the board and can be used twice per round. The “+5 Seconds” boost adds five seconds to the clock and costs 5000 coins. The “Mystery Gem” costs 5500 coins and drops a random special gem on the board at the beginning of your round. Last but not least is the “Free Multiplier”, which can be bought for 7500 coins. This boost adds a multiplier to the beginning of the game for three rounds.

Here is a list of quick tips for getting a higher score:

• When your minute begins, start scanning the bottom of the board for moves first, this increases your likelihood of creating a cascade.

• Creating Flame Gems and Star Gems, then blowing them up is crucial to getting your Multiplier Gems, but don't get too hung
  

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  up on blowing up your Flame and Star Gems. Continue to check for any moves near your bonus gems. A solution will present itself eventually, but you can waste a lot of time by only trying to blow up your bonus gems. Besides, even if you can't blow them up, you will still get the points in the Last Hurrah.

• There is a Hint button on the left of the board. Use it only if you can't find any moves on your own as it eats up a lot of time.

• Watch out for moves that will make two rows disappear at the same time. These are fairly common in the game and really help you get your speed bonus. Once you learn to recognize them, making these moves will become easier.

• Lastly, try not to move your Flame Gems against the edge of the board. If they are against the edge and you blow them up, they will take out less gems, earning you fewer points. This also means there is less of a chance you will get a Multiplier Gem for making this move.

You can find more tips on the Bejeweled Blitz game on the top left corner under Tips and Tricks. Follow these simple tricks and you will be

addicted to this Facebook game in minutes. You'll be smack-talking to all your friends as you double their scores! Pop Cap makes all kinds of great puzzle games besides Bejeweled Blitz like Plants and Zombies and Peggle, be sure to check them out. If you are interested in moving to the next step up in gaming, you may want to try a full-fledged MMO like Entropia or Gaia Online.