It is tough when you become addicted to a game. Really, once you reach the point where you have to have it all the time, where you have to play and play and refine your skills. It makes it hard to get through the day. All the better to have multiple versions and options for games. Welcome Pocket Pogo Jewel Bash!!

I mentioned in my review of Cradle Of Rome for the Wii (found here on Tech Talk For Families) that once I started to play the BeJeweled style game, I was hooked. Then, I found BeJeweled 2 for the iPhone and it was a great day! Finally, my fix could be satisfied with a portable version of the game. Well, Hasbro has taken it one step farther with another of its line of Pocket games, Jewel Bash.

The game is small and portable, easy to fit in a backpack pocket or pants pocket (although kid's pockets might be a little too small). The screen is a touchscreen black and grey LCD which works well for the game. There are 4 game style to pick from and from my initial plays, they can be fun to challenge yourself to beat the high score or just survive the time limit.

Game play is simple, get 3 or more symbols in a row to clear them out and the board will filter down (hopefully the concept of the Jewel games is not entirely new). The game is pretty simple- the symbols range from a circle to a dot to a line to a bent line (like a smile) and so on. The sound can be turned off (helps if you are around anyone as it can be obnoxious) and the stylus has a storage spot on the back.

This is great for a portable version of the game. It doesn't rank up there with the iPhone Bejeweled or the full Wii version but you get what you pay for with this and it met my expectations. It was actually kind of nostalgic with the play and reaction of the screen taking me back to the games I played as a kid. I think the price point for this is right (although I did receive the demo unit for free) and you can't beat the portability and flexibility with the unit. Two thumbs up on this one.