Zuma's Return

Zuma's Return is a game developed by PopCap. It was initially released for PC in 2015, and was ported onto the iOS, Sony PlayStation4, Microsoft XBox One, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 4D Viewer two years later.
==Story==
An ordinary boy is stranded on Exodium Island and gets attacked by Hielo, a tiki mage, who turns him to stone and steals his good luck charm.
The boy comes across a frog named Zuma, who unintentionally enchants him with a strange, coin-like relic, which allows him to move and talk while in his petrified state. The two then set out to find the Eight Spirit Animals and the Exoda, said to be able to erase all traces of dark magic.
==Gameplay==
Zuma's Return sticks to the system of past Zuma games. The player controls Zuma, who is fixed to a Lilypad somewhere on the map (although some stages offer multiple lilypads that you can switch between, or sliders that Zuma can slide along). Coloured balls move along a path (some stages have two paths), and Zuma is able to shoot these balls himself (see the Controls section for information on how to shoot balls). Zuma may hold two balls at a time, and swap these balls whenever he wishes. If three balls of the same colour fall a line, they will break and points will be earned. If the balls reach the skull at the end of the path, a life is lost.
The petrified boy appears on the side of the screen (on the top screen in the 4DV release), showing an objective. The player must pass this objective to fill the Zuma Bar - once the bar is full, no new balls will appear, allowing the player to complete the stage by destroying the remaining balls. Objectives include getting enough points, destroying certain colours of balls and obtaining relics (relics appear outside the track, and can be collected by hitting them with a ball).
There are nine areas, each with five to seven stages and a boss. Each boss requires the player to pass a set objective to win, although the player must also make sure to avoid their attacks, which cause damage on impact. If the player loses all three hearts during a boss fight, they must redo the battle from the start.
==Controls==
*PC: Aim with the mouse, left click to shoot, right click to swap balls, click a Lilypad to switch to it
*iOS: Hold down to aim, release to shoot, tap Zuma to swap balls, tap a Lilypad to switch to it
*PS4/XBO: Left Analogue Stick to aim, R1/Right Trigger to shoot, L1/Left Trigger to swap balls, L2 or R2/Left or Right Bumper to switch lilypads
*Switch: Left Joystick to aim, B to shoot, A to swap balls, X/Y to switch lilypads
*4D Viewer: Tap to aim, L to shoot, tap Zuma to swap balls, tap a Lilypad to switch to it
==Power-Ups==
Any ball may become a random power-up at any time. Destroy the power-up holding ball to earn this power.
*Bomb: The ball explodes when destroyed, destroying other balls caught in the blast.
*Slow: For a set period of time, the balls move slower.
*Reverse: For a set period of time, the balls move backwards.
*Accuracy: For a set period of time, your shots fly faster, and indicators are given to show exactly where each shot will land.
*Tri-Shot: In place of your next shot, Zuma shoots three piercing metal balls in a wave pattern.
*Laser: In place of your next four shots, Zuma shoots lasers, each destroying a single targeted ball.
*Lightning: In place of your next shot, Zuma shoots a lightning bolt which destroys all balls of the same colour as its target.
*Flame: In place of your next shot, Zuma shoots a fireball which explodes after touching a ball or relic.
*Sunshine: Turns two random balls into random power-up balls.
*Mystery: Triggers the effect of a random power-up.
==Areas==
Purple balls start appearing from Stage 16 onwards, while white balls start appearing from Stage 34 onwards.
===Seaside of Soul===
#	Name 	Type 	Objective
1	Water's Edge 	Ordinary 	Score 500 points
2	Sandy Expanse 	Ordinary 	Collect 1 relic
3	Deserted Wilds 	Ordinary 	Destroy 10 red balls, 10 blue balls, 10 green balls and 10 yellow balls
4	Vegetation Road	Slider 	Destroy 50 balls
5	Fallen Leaf Way	Two Paths	Use 4 powerups
===Coppice Village===
# 	Name 	Type 	Objective
6 	Quiet Clearing	Ordinary 	Score 1000 points
7 	Vine Valley 	Ordinary 	Destroy 65 balls
8 	Guiding River 	Ordinary 	Use 5 powerups
9 	Secret Spring 	Two Lilypads	Destroy 15 red balls, 15 blue balls, 15 yellow balls and 15 green balls
10	Hidden Shrine 	Two Paths 	Collect 2 relics
===Silent Hills===
# 	Name 	Type 	Objective
11	Lost Grasslands 	Ordinary 	Destroy 75 balls
12	Blossom Route 	Ordinary 	Collect 3 relics
13	Native Dwelling 	Ordinary 	Score 1500 points
14	Herb Garden 	Slider 	Use 7 powerups
15	View of the Winged	Two Lilypads	Destroy 20 red balls, 20 green balls, 20 yellow balls and 20 blue balls
===Jungle of Resource===
# 	Name 	Type 	Objective
16	Tangled Farm 	Ordinary 	Score 3000 points
17	Maze of Trees 	Ordinary 	Collect 4 relics
18	Mud Lair 	Slider 	Use 8 powerups
19	Stagnant Swamp 	Ordinary 	Destroy 100 balls
20	Sugarcane Paradise	Two Paths	Destroy 20 red balls, 20 blue balls, 20 purple balls, 20 green balls and 20 yellow balls
21	Intricate Altar 	Ordinary 	Score 4000 points
===Mystery Peak===
# 	Name 	Type 	Objective
22	Fertile Field 	Ordinary 	Collect 5 relics
23	Switchback Garden	Ordinary 	Destroy 120 balls
24	Crescent Sandpit 	Two Lilypads	Use 9 powerups
25	Frosted Climb 	Ordinary 	Destroy 25 red balls, 25 blue balls, 25 green balls, 25 yellow balls and 25 purple balls
26	Searing Summit 	Two Paths 	Score 5000 points
27	Uninhabited Lake 	Ordinary 	Collect 6 relics
===Frosted Mystery===
# 	Name 	Type 	Objective
28	Echoing Avalanche	Ordinary 	Use 10 powerups
29	Aurora Outlook 	Ordinary 	Destroy 150 balls
30	Evergreen Maze 	Slider 	Destroy 30 red balls, 30 blue balls, 39 yellow balls, 30 purple balls and 30 green balls
31	Crystal Caverns 	Ordinary 	Score 6000 points
32	Snowy Paradise 	Two Lilypads	Collect 7 relics
33	Silver Rink 	Ordinary 	Use 11 powerups
===Ocean of Orient===
# 	Name 	Type 	Objective
34	Coral Cove 	Ordinary 	Destroy 180 balls
35	Sunbeam Reef 	Slider 	Use 12 powerups
36	Sandswept Seabed	Ordinary 	Destroy 30 red balls, 30 blue balls, 30 yellow balls, 30 green balls, 30 purple balls and 30 white balls
37	Twilight Current	Two Paths 	Score 7500 points
38	Whirlpool Den 	Ordinary 	Collect 8 relics
39	Shark Residence 	Slider and Two Paths	Destroy 200 balls
40	Undersea Volcano	Ordinary 	Score 8000 points
===Wilds of Dusk===
# 	Name 	Type 	Objective
41	Night-Shining Sea	Ordinary 	Use 13 powerups
42	Despair's Doors 	Two Lilypads 	Collect 9 relics
43	Candlelit Path 	Ordinary 	Destroy 35 red balls, 35 green balls, 35 blue balls, 35 yellow balls, 35 purple balls and 35 white balls
44	Mystic Sights 	Two Paths 	Score 9000 points
45	Drowned Swamp 	Ordinary 	Destroy 240 balls
46	Stormswept Jungle	Two Lilypads and Two Paths	Use 14 powerups
47	Reflective River 	Ordinary 	Destroy 40 red balls, 40 green balls, 40 blue balls, 40 yellow balls, 40 purple balls and 40 white balls
===Temple of Dawn===
# 	Name 	Type 	Objective
48	Ancient Mysteries 	Ordinary 	Score 10000 points
49	Misty Morning Air 	Two Lilypads	Destroy 250 balls
50	Relic Hideaway 	Ordinary 	Collect 10 relics
51	Stairs of Summoning 	Slider 	Destroy 45 red balls, 45 green balls, 45 blue balls, 45 yellow balls, 45 purple balls and 45 white balls
52	Illuminated Path 	Ordinary 	Use 15 powerups
53	Altar of the Knowing	Two Sliders 	Destroy 300 balls
54	Escape from Anguish 	Ordinary 	Score 12500 points
===Iron Frog Gauntlet===
#	Name 	Type 	Objective
A	Searing Sage Garden 	Ordinary 	Score 12500 points
B	Immaterial Stairwell	Two Lilypads 	Collect 10 relics
C	Crystalline Shrine 	Ordinary 	Destroy 300 balls
D	Thunderstorm Climb 	Slider 	Use 15 powerups
E	Blossom Ridge 	Ordinary 	Destroy 45 red balls, 45 green balls, 45 blue balls, 45 yellow balls, 45 purple balls and 45 white balls
F	Mirrored Pyre 	Two Paths 	Use 16 powerups
G	Eclipse Balcony 	Ordinary 	Destroy 50 red balls, 50 green balls, 50 blue balls, 50 yellow balls, 50 purple balls and 50 white balls
H	Sight of the Renewed	Two Sliders and Two Paths	Score 15000 points
==Bosses==
After completing every stage in a given area, you must fight the boss of the area before you can access the next area. During these battles, Zuma moves on a slider while the boss moves around an area at the top of the screen. The balls slide along a path which loops across two to three horizontal lines, not ending in a skull.
During the battle, Zuma must dodge the boss' attacks while completing objectives to damage them. He has three hearts, and if all three are lost, the player must restart the battle from the start (lives cannot be lost during boss fights).
Name 	Boss of 	Battle
Garra Empunan 	Seaside of Soul 	A creature formed from cut-down timber, with two sets of claws that float separately from his body. Garra will attack with green shockwaves, which deplete three quarters of a heart if they hit. There are five candles in a line in the centre of the screen - shooting a ball at a candle will extinguish it, and once all five are extinguished, the battle is won.
Hierba Medico 	Coppice Village 	A Doctor from a human village, who hid his soul in a segment from a totem pole. Hierba attacks by shooting purple fireballs in waves of three. If a fireball hits, it depletes half of a heart and causes poison, temporarily reversing Zuma's movement on the slider. There are five lamps in a line in the centre of the screen which will glow in a sequence at the start of the fight. To win the battle, the player must shoot the lamps in the order that they glow.
Acero Relampago 	Silent Hills 	This metallic creature is talented in protecting belongings, but has recently turned savage courtesy of Hielo. During this battle, Acero throws treasures, four in quick succession, which will take away one quarter of a heart and daze Zuma, temporarily messing up the colours on the screen, if they hit. Skulls slide across the centre of the screen, mixed with some green-eyed skulls, and the player must shoot five green-eyed skulls to win the battle.
Vida Dorada 	Jungle of Resource	A sea creature who hoards gold in the thickets. Throughout the battle, Vida shoots homing algae which take away half a heart and temporarily slow the speed of Zuma's shots if they hit. There are five coins in a line in the centre of the screen, although they are covered by leaves. To collect a coin, the player must use Bombs to destroy the leaves that cover it, then shoot it to collect it. Collecting all five coins will end the battle.
Calamar Volcan 	Mystery Peak 	A territorial octopus who dwells in a hot spring with several babies. During this battle, Calamar shoots fast-flying water jets, which take away half a heart and temporarily mess up your screen if they hit. To deal damage, the player must use a Bomb to lure a baby out of the water in the centre of the screen, then shoot it with a ball that matches its colour. After doing this five times, the battle ends.
Hielo Asistante 	Frosted Mystery 	This cloaked Mage is assumed to be the main antagonist of the game. Throughout the battle, he fires icicles, shooting either a homing icicle, a fast icicle or a wave of three icicles. All of these icicles take away half a heart and temporarily stop Zuma from shooting. To deal damage, the player must shoot all four segments of Hielo's ice barrier to break them. Once all four segments of the barrier are destroyed, simply shooting him is enough to defeat him. If he is shot before the entire barrier is destroyed, however, he will fully restore the barrier.
Reliqui Anfibia 	Ocean of Orient 	A stone crab who serves as Hielo's bodyguard. During the battle, he tosses rocks which bounce off the edges of the screen, taking off half a heart and temporarily stopping Zuma from moving should they hit. To progress, the player must shoot the five boxes behind Reliqui to break them. If they shoot Reliqui himself, however, he will temporarily go berserk, allowing him to move and attack faster. Once all five boxes are broken, the battle is won.
Suerte Murcielago	Wilds of Dusk 	A vampire bat who draws power from good luck charms. Throughout this battle, Suerte's soul will mirror his movement while he himself shoots meteors which leave flames on the slider. If Zuma touches a flame, he will lose half a heart and move uncontrollably for some time. To deal damage, the player must shoot Suerte, which leaves his soul temporarily vulnerable. After five hits to the soul, the battle is won.
Cristal Fantasma 	Temple of Dawn 	A magic crystal that replicates the appearance of others, attempting to stop the boy from undoing Hielo's spell. During the battle, Cristal, appearing as a copy of Zuma, will act as Zuma does. If Zuma moves, Cristal will wait for him to stop moving, then copy his movement. If Zuma shoots, Cristal will shoot a gemstone which takes away an entire heart if it hits. Cristal may also shoot a star which temporarily effects a portion of the slider - blue stars will freeze the targeted area, making it slippery, red stars will burn the targeted area, making Zuma's movement along it slower, and green stars will electrocute the targeted area, making it inaccessible. Shooting Cristal with a ball will damage him, and five hits are needed to win the battle.
==Game Modes==
*Adventure Mode: The main game mode. You may select any area and must complete every stage in the area in succession, in addition to defeating the area's boss. To unlock an area for this game mode, you must complete all areas prior to that area.
*Gauntlet Mode: This mode challenges you to survive for as long as you can on a specific stage. Completing any stage in Adventure Mode unlocks it for Gauntlet Mode.
*Challenge Mode: The player has three minutes to gert as many points as they can on a specific stage. Completing an area in Adventure Mode unlocks all stages from said area in Challenge Mode.
*Heroic Mode: A more challenging replay of Adventure Mode, with a different story and different dialogue. Complete Adventure Mode to unlock this mode.
*Iron Frog Mode: The player must complete eight original maps in a row without losing a single life. Complete Adventure Mode to unlock this mode.
Category:Zuma (series)
Category:Puzzle Games
Category:PC Games
Category:PlayStation 4 Games
Category:Xbox One Games