Crop Busters

Scarlett, of the Farm Frenzy series, is going back to her grandmother's farm, where she hasn't been since she was little. But the old place isn't what it used to be. Help Scarlett get the farm back in tip-top condition.

Crop Busters is a match-three game. Using your mouse, swap two items to create a straight line of three or more items. The object is to break wooden crates. You do this by making matches over them or using bonus items. In between levels, you use your accumulated money to buy animals, machines and buildings for your farm. The animals and machines will add new items to the boards. For instance, the hen house adds eggs, the bee hives add honey jars, the sweets factory adds candies, etc.

Some obstacles you will face include: Metal crates*: These must be matched over or use a bonus item to turn them into wooden crates then matched again to remove.

• Chains: These prevent the chained object from moving. The chained object must be matched or use a bonus item to remove the chain. Double chained items must have each chain removed separately.

I mentioned bonuses and there are two categories: creation and power-up. The creation bonuses include: * Bombs: These are created by matching four of the same items. They are activated by moving them or double-clicking them. Bombs destroy the items in the neighboring tiles. If there are chains, it will remove one chain but nothing else. If there is a metal crate, it turns it into a wooden one and, if wooden, it removes it.

• Lightning bolts: These are created by matching five of the same item. Lightning bolts clear an entire row, column or both but have the same limitation about chains and crates as bombs. Lightning bolts are activated the same way as bombs. Whether the lightning bolt is vertical or horizontal depends on whether your match was vertical or horizontal. If you make a match with, say, three horizontal and two vertical, you get a double lightning bolt that will clear a row and a column.

The power-up bonuses include: The chicken*: You power this up by matching eggs. You then click the chicken then target one tile. The chicken will remove one chain or, if there are no chains, it will remove the item and all crates below it, whether metal or wood, in one shot.

• The bee: You power this up by matching honey jars. When the bee is clicked, bees will shuffle all the unchained items around the board. Chained items are unaffected.
• The bear: You power this up by matching home-made jam jars. The bear will affect a three-by-three area, removing one chain and any unchained items. If there are unchained crates, the top layer is removed so, if it is a metal crate, it becomes wood and, i\f wood, is cleared.

Some levels also have gold bars, trucks or both. Gold bars are collected by moving them to the bottom of the board. Trucks are activated by moving them to the bottom of the board. When a truck is activated, it will drive to the center of the bottom of the screen. You then match the item(s) pictured on the side of the truck. When it is full, the truck drives off. Both of these items add to your money.