"If you want to kill time with something mindless and colorful, this game's for you"

Introduction
7 Wonders is a puzzle game made for the Sony PSP, which is very similar to the game Bejeweled, involving a grid in which you must swap blocks to create lines and score points.

Gameplay - 7/10
For those of you who haven't played Bejeweled, the basic goal of the game is to match up colored gems or fruits or boxes--it doesn't matter what the image is--in a grid, with items of the same color. You accomplish this by selecting one square and swapping it with the square next to it, either above or below. If you line up three or more, they will disappear, causing all boxes above the disappeared boxes to shuffle down, the whole process scoring you points. There are "powerups" to be had while playing, such as a special block which clears an entire row when utilized in a three or more block line.

In 7 Wonders, there are three types of modes to play, a story mode, a free-for-all type mode, and gather-the-runes mode. In the story mode, your goal is to play the game, disappearing squares on the grid while trying to complete the "wonder" you're building. Each level is a different wonder, with a total of seven, which are, as you may have guessed, the 7 Known Wonders of the World. The free-for-all mode is what you'd expect it to be--choose your own game setting and play without seeking to advance. The last mode requires you to line up specific types of blocks in order to advance, which is, perhaps, the game's only original feature, although hardly redeeming in terms of originality.

Graphics - 5/10
The game's graphics are fairly simple, straight-forward graphics: you have your grid in the center, containing the blocks of gems that you must align. Around the grid is a frame representing the current Wonder you're on. The animation has a very cartoony feel, as everything is colored with bright, friendly colors, almost as if the game was created for children. The saving grace is that 7 Wonders has no illusions as to its own quality, and undoubtedly focuses more on the puzzle-aspect than it's aesthetic quality.

Sound - 5/10
During your mindless gem-rearranging, you'll get to listen to various background-beats ranging from upbeat to soothing, that is, if you don't opt to listen to your MP3 player instead. One of the benefits of meaningless background music is that you can play the game while watching your favorite TV show or having a conversation with your mother and not have to worry about missing out on any sounds or music that might add to the game.

Play time - 6/10
Although any sane person will tire of this game within an hour or two of playing it, the game is very mild and requires no time-commitment from the gamer--if you want to pick it up and kill ten minutes, then go right on ahead and experience no drawbacks. Even if you only play this game every few weeks, it'll never get old due to its simplicity. One could compare it to playing X's and O's to pass time while waiting for something, no matter how boring the game gets after a prolonged period of time, it's always nice to play once-in-a-while.

Final Recommendation
If you see this game in a pawn shop for $5, which, is the maximum I'd expect to pay for it, then go ahead and make the purchase. As long as you expect nothing more than a periodic time-killer, you won't be disappointed.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 08/30/07