Match-3 games are a dime a dozen. For instance, there's a fancy new one called Gyromancer due out next week. It's a collaboration between Square/Enix and Popcap, based on a design by Infinite Interactive in which you level up a character in a fantasy RPG. I suspect I will be addicted. I'm easy when it comes to match-3 games. Who isn't?

So I can't really claim there's anything super-special about Jewel Master: Egypt that has hooked me. It's a mostly slavish imitation of the match-3 dynamic. But it's got a few unique twists that have secured it a place in the little tin I carry with my Nintendo DS that only has room for five games.

First is the theme of an ancient Egyptian city and the resources you need to develop it. This is a nice change of pace from colored gems. You're matching bags of flour, apples, bricks, lumber, spices, and so forth. Everything has a unique role in the meta-game, whether it's fueling some special spell ability or adding to your persistent stockpile so you can unlock new buildings.

Second is the meta-game itself. As you play, you spend your accumulated resources adding structures that unlock new gameplay mechanics. Once you've built enough structures, you advance to a new dynasty, which adds new gameplay mechanics. It's got a very city-builder sense of upwards and onwards.

Third are the different levels themselves. They have weird shapes. They have strange rules about unlocking squares and breaking chains. A lot of the levels have corridors or choke points. There's something labyrinthine about these puzzles. Some of them require very meticulous solutions. How very ancient Egyptian.

Fourth, this isn't a forgiving match-3. Many match-3 games are just a matter of marking time. You will play and you will succeed. You will take your time to study the board and find the best move. There is no failure and therefore there is no challenge. After all, match-3 games are for casual audiences who will not abide failure. That's not the case in Jewel Master: Egypt. Every level is timed and has a very specific goal. You have to unlock the scarab and then guide it to the bottom of the puzzle. And you have to do this before the water drains from the vase. If you don't want challenge or failure in your match-3, Jewel Master: Egypt is not for you.

Finally, there is no better platform for match-3 games than the Nintendo DS. As much as I adore Bejeweled: Twist, I would rather play a middling match-3 on my Nintendo DS than a superb match-3 on my PC or Xbox 360.