PopCap Games has announced they will be releasing Bejeweled 3 on five different platforms. Bejeweled 3 will be released on Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PSN, Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE Arcade. The title will be released on all five platforms at the same time in Q4 2011.

“Critics agree that Bejeweled 3 raised the standard for match-3 games to new heights,” said Ed Allard, studio head at PopCap Games.  “This holiday, we’re bringing that experience to PlayStation 3, PSN, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and Nintendo DS gamers with adaptations that look great and play even better on each platform.”

Bejeweled 3 took the match three genre to the next level. The third installment added eight mini-games and a complete revision of sound and graphics. The fundamental game play has not changed; players still match three or more of the same gem. Bejeweled 3 is a fun game and it is great news that it will be coming to more platforms.

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Avanquest has announced the upcoming release of Jewel Link Chronicles: Legend of Athena for the Nintendo DS. The game features match three game play and challenges the players to match three objects of the same kind to complete the level and progress through the game.

There are five different eras to challenge the players. The player will travel through the eras constructing different buildings and battling mythological creatures, while collecting gold and jewels. Players use the stylus to drag orbs onto the board and destroy blue marble slots. The levels is complete when all blue slots have been destroyed.

Jewel Link Chronicles: Legend of Athena will be available February 25th.

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Popcap’s most successful game, Plants Vs. Zombies, has now arrived on the Nintendo DS, after having been released on PC, iOS, Xbox Live Arcade, and Mac OS. How does it compare with the previous editions? Well in some ways, not so well in others.

For those few of you who still don’t know what Plants Vs. Zombies is, it’s a modified tower defense game in which you thwart a zombie invasion on your suburban lawn with plants, which can be “bought” with sunshine. Some plants like sunflowers generate sunshine, while others fire projectiles that damage zombies. Other plants devour, blow up, and freeze zombies, while others can cause them to attack other zombies. The zombies come in just as many varied forms. Some have road cones on their heads to protect them, while others are tied to balloons to float over the plants. Some are armed with pick axes to burrow under the ground, while others ride zombie dolphins. The goal is to prevent them from entering your house and eating your brain. Successful protection results in cash being sent your way.

During all this, Crazy Dave – who is craaaAAAAaaazy - will sell you plant and tool upgrades, while you can send your other plants to Zen gardens to earn even more money to buy more stuff. Aside from the main game, there are tons of minigames that often riff off of other Popcap games, like “Beghouled” which is Plants Vs. Zombies, Bejeweled-style.

So how well is the game implemented on the Nintendo DS?

Well, it seems clear that Popcap was presented with a choice on how to stuff the game onto a DS cart – content or graphic fidelity – and they wisely went with content. All of the stuff you have with the with the PC Game of the Year edition, including the Zombatar feature in which you can create your own customized Zombie, is there. Not only are all of the minigames present, but Popcap actually managed to fit in four new exclusive DS minigames. Air Raid is a zombie-themed side scrolling shooter. Home Run Derby has the player having to hit home runs to earn sun to fend of zombies. Heat Wave actually utilizes the DS microphone, in which you have to coax your tired plants into cheering up using the mic. Bomb All Together gives the player a limited amount of explosive plants to deal with zombies.

As for gameplay, Plants Vs. Zombies is the rare DS game that uses only the touch screen and stylus. All aspects of the game are controlled as such. One of the unexpected delights is that it also features ad hoc multiplayer for some good old versus head-to-head action, which one player controlling the plants and the others the zombies.

The graphics, however, do suffer. The downgrade is comparable to seeing the Atari 2600 try to handle an NES game. The characters seem to have four frames of animation, while being highly pixellated. However, the gameplay and massive number of minigames as well as multiplayer makes it an easy price to pay. There’s too much game here not to be pleased with the final result, and Plants Vs. Zombies is the perfect DS game for having some quick gameplay sessions.

Plants Vs. Zombies is a welcome addition to the Nintendo DS library, and anyone who hasn’t tried this addictive gem yet – or have and want it on the go as well, should pick this game up.

Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment has announced the release of TouchMaster: Connect for the Nintendo DS. Touchmaster: Connect is a compilation of twenty different games. The twenty different games are different styles, too. There are action, puzzle, card, strategy and trivia games.

TouchMaster: Connect allows players to connect to Facebook and Twitter to post their scores for all of their friends to see. This feature is not normally found in DS games and this is one of the first to bring that feature to DS games. Players can connect to world wide leader boards to see how their scores stack up against the rest of the players around the world.

TouchMaster: Connect is available now at retail stores for $19.99.

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Vampire Moon: The Mystery of the Hidden Sun is a hidden object game for the Nintendo DS. There has been a solar eclipse in Transylvania and Emily, a New York City reporter has been asked to go report on the the eclipse. The eclipse has been going on for days. Players have to uncover what is going on by finding hidden objects.

Both screens of the Nintendo DS are utilized to play this game. The top screen contains the entire hidden object level and a box. Players can move the box around the screen, which will cause the bottom screen to get a zoomed in view of everything that fits in the box. The bottom screen is the touch screen and if a hidden object is located, the player touches the object.

The objects are listed at the bottom of the screen. The players has to locate each object before the level is complete. Besides finding hidden objects, players are challenged by puzzles that progress the plot. The puzzles can not be skipped and have to be completed in a set time. The puzzles are challenging and it is a bit annoying that you can not skip the puzzles and continue on with the game.

The graphics are nice for a Nintendo DS game. All of the objects are clear and the player can tell what the object is. It is nice to have a hidden object game that has objects that look as they are expected to look.

Overall, Vampire Moon: The Mystery of the Hidden Sun is an entertaining game. The Nintendo DS screens are a bit small for hidden object games, but the game makes a good use of the screen size. If you like hidden object games and own a Nintendo DS, check out Vampire Moon: The Mystery of the Hidden Sun.