Village Gamer

6waves and Pixelmatic have announced the launch of Gem Wizard on the Mobage platform in Japan simultaneously for iOS and Android. Gem Wizard is a new match-3 title that uniquely combines blitz gem popping gameplay with RPG item collection and crafting mechanics. This launch marks the beginning of 6waves’ mobile publishing initiatives in Japan, as well as Pixelmatic’s first game release.

Free to download and play, Gem Wizard transports players to a magical world where they can learn gem magic and compete with their friends to become the greatest wizard in the land. Players are rewarded with gems and materials after each game, which can be combined through a simple match-3 crafting system to create mighty weapons and high level mystical gems. By socketing gems into magic wands and other fantasy themed weapons, players can completely customize their abilities to suit their style of play.

“Gem Wizard is one of most unique and in-depth mobile puzzling game’s I’ve ever played,” said Ken Takano, Vice President of 6waves Japan. “We are very excited to be releasing this game in Japan.”

“We’re very excited to be working with 6waves for the launch as they have a strong presence in Japan through their top ranking titles on Yahoo! Mobage,” said Samson Mow, Founder & CEO of Pixelmatic. “Gem Wizard is geared towards a casual-core audience, players that enjoy casual games but are looking for deeper gameplay, and we’ve seen that the Japanese market is ideal in this respect.”

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=SC9qlYEVXL0]

Gem Wizard is an online title powered by Pixelmatic’s proprietary Excellion Engine. The game will have new content added on a regular basis, and future releases will see the addition of an item redemption system for free in-game giveaways. Gem Wizard is available today from the App Store and Google Play, and fans can also follow the latest Gem Wizard news on Twitter and the official website.

Key features of Gem Wizard include:

• Bite-sized Gameplay:  Players match 3 gems of the same color in an exciting 60 second blitz.
• Item Collection: After every game, players have a chance to earn gems, materials, and items. The game also has over a hundred unique weapons with special bonuses and more are on the way.
• Item Crafting: With a simple match-3 crafting system, players can easily create high level gems and powerful weapons.
• Magic Customization: Players can completely customize their magical powers by collecting 5 types of socketable gems, each with its own distinctive ability.
• Daily Rewards: Players can open a treasure chest for free each day to find great items.
• Weekly Battle: Players compete head to head with their friends for the top of the leaderboard and earn prestigious medals.