Home
Reviews
Burning Mirrors from Handy Entertainment
January 28, 2004
I’m a pretty smart gal, and I like a challenge, but Burning Mirrors has me absolutely bamboozled— and hooked— all at the same time. The premise is relatively simple, in that you are responsible for placing a set number of mirrors in just the right spots in order to reflect the light from a central source (the sun) to a variety of candles scattered about the playing field. Sounds easy, but believe me, it isn’t. All of the relevant rules of physics apply, including the fact that “the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.” I hadn’t heard that one since high school! Thankfully there’s a tutorial included with the game, and you aren’t tied to your moves once you make them. You can freely add and remove mirrors from the board, up to the maximum number allowed, and you’re also able to rotate them any way you wish.
Of course there’s more to it than that, including a time limit. You get two lives to start, and if you want a hint on a particular level, you’ll have to give up one of your mirrors for it. If you give up on a level and want to try the next one, that will cost you a “life” in the game (you start with two). Light all the candles on a level and you’re awarded points for doing so, which of course means that there’s a high score table as well. Just as with Reverces I love the game, and like the graphics, but wish that there were some better sound effects to go along with that. As it is, Burning Mirrors is one of the hardest logic/puzzle games I’ve ever played, but also one of the most enjoyable. It’s even “educational” in a way, because it really makes you think about angles and reflections and the best possible spots to put your mirrors. Not to mention the historical bits behind it as well, since legend has it that Archimedes used a series of mirrors to destroy the Roman fleet in ancient times!
Burning Mirrors requires just 85K of space on your Palm OS handheld device, and Palm OS 3.5 or higher. You can get it for $14.95, and a free trial is also available at the Handy Entertainment web site.
PocketGoddess Rating for Burning Mirrors from Handy Entertainment: 
