Bejeweled Blitz tutorial video says, 'Multiplier cubes are your friend'

Want to rake in those high scores in Bejeweled Blitz like those friends of yours who seem to have way too much time on their hands? Well, listen to this guy and you might be well on your way. YouTube user bejeweledtips, who claims his real name is Wladscaw, posted a highly educational and even more entertaining video describing the power of what he calls "multiplier cubes." First, Wladscaw demonstrates a normal level in which he manages to achieve Blazing Speed, but still comes away with under 100 thousand points.

Enter the "multiplier cube." In his second round, Wladscaw scores over 300 thousand points with relative ease using multiplier cubes. And thankfully, this well-informed and articulate fellow goes into detail of just how he did it. Apparently, blowing up 12 jewels in a row will multiply your score for every subsequent set of jewels destroyed. When you reach upwards of seven multiplier cubes, that turns out to be a ton of points. But we'll admit, Wladscaw's enchanting Russian accent does a much better job of explaining than my hideous Philadelphian accent ever could, so enjoy. Check out his YouTube channel for even more tutorial videos. Now, if only our friend Wladscaw would start producing Zuma Blitz tutorials.

Pig Up! on Facebook: Flapping about is fundamentally flippin' fun

You know, EA has good reason to celebrate buying PopCap for a potential $1.3 billion. For one, it has made some of the most recognizable casual games ever created. But for two, when it crafts new IP (intellectual property), you can bet that brand will be around for a long time.

The very same goes for Pig Up!, the studio's first original IP since Plants vs Zombies. It's as simple as it gets when it comes to casual gaming (Note the absence of social gaming.), but equally as addictive.

From the adorable pig that you keep in the air with Flaps, or finite clicks of the mouse, to the twangy banjos and roar of "Hoooogg Wiiiiiiilld" as you crush evil bees beneath you, everything about Pig Up! is memorable. The game tasks players with launching a brave little piglet into the air with a shoddy cannon strapped to a pickup truck, and keeping it in the air for as long as possible. Of course, it's not as easy as it sounds.

Gallery: Pig Up! on Facebook

First of all, you're only given so many Flaps to start, because the piglet can only fly by flapping its arms, strapped to wooden planks--can you tell Pig Up! is oozing with southern backwoods flair? Luckily, the game knows for how long you hold the mouse button pressed, as the longer you do, the higher your piglet will reach with a flap of its makeshift wooden wings. This comes in handy when directing your piglet into Flapples, or green (Granny Smith?) apples that restore your number of Flaps by one or two.

As you flap higher and higher, you'll reach new levels that increase your score multiplier (you start at 2X), but the position of the Flapples and bees on screen will remain the same. Speaking of bees, these buggers will hover for a moment and come charging toward your piglet in a straight line. Being hit by one consumes one of your Flapples, but closely dodging bees applies hefty bonuses to your score. Dodge enough bees in succession, and your Hog Wild meter will fill. Once the meter fills, your piglet will become invincible to what sounds like a war cry the dudes from Deliverance would let out, and will gain Flapples from bashing enemy bees. But only for a few moments, so be mindful of when your meter runs out.

pig up! in action
As you continue besting your own high score--and your friends', which appear as Flapples to eat in-game--you'll unlock powers to enhance your piggy-piloting abilities a' la Zuma Blitz. Powers like extra Flaps to begin each round with or better yet, rocket packs! (Seriously, could anyone resis a piglet on a jet pack?) These power-ups cost Pig Pence, the game's one and only currency, that players accumulate through playing more rounds or buy outright for Facebook Credits.

The game has little to no social features to speak of (at the moment) other than leader boards, weekly tournaments and posting scores to your Facebook News Feed. Though, that might not be where PopCap is looking with not only Pig Up!, but Facebook gaming in general. Players who thrive on sending gifts to and visiting friends daily won't find much in this new PopCap game. For the rest of you, the game's anime-esque art style, simplistic if addictive gameplay hook and charming humor will certainly keep you coming back for one more flap.

Click here to play Pig Up! on Facebook Now >

Have you tried Pig Up! on Facebook yet? What do you think of PopCap releasing another IP before bringing another of its iconic brands to the social network?

Wooga sees PopCap's Bejeweled Blitz with Diamond Dash for iOS

The Facebook Game Faceoff continues, but this time, on a much smaller screen. Wooga announced that its hit Facebook gem-basher, Diamond Dash, will hit iOS devices this summer. Inside Social Apps reports that the Berlin-based company will release the mobile version of 10 million-player-strong Facebook game will join a brand new experimental HTML5 game. And despite being a late bloomer on iOS compared to Zynga and PopCap, Wooga CEO Jens Begemann appears confident.

We feel the timing is right. For us, it's not about sprinting. We're not in here to sell the company in a year," Begemann said. "We think that our audience and our target group is coming onto mobile now." However, this version of the game is being create by a different team entirely from the folks who crafted the Facebook game. "We know that if we copy the Facebook game, we won't be successful," he told ISA.

The game will be available for iPhones and iPads at first, but an HTML5 version for Android devices is on the way as well, according to ISA. Like its competitors, Diamond Dash for iOS will be supported through micro-transactions. Hey, as long as we can set gems aflame with massive crashing fireballs, we're so game.

Are you psyched to see Wooga finally entering the mobile games space with Diamond Dash? Do you think the company is too late coming with mobile versions of its hit game?