Comparison

Sparkle 2 vs Hero Emblems II

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sparkle 2

Match orbs with magical enchantments and powerups to stop them from falling into an abyss. Explore mysterious lands, discover enchanted keys, and unlock secrets in this visually stunning puzzle adventure.

Highlights
  • Orb matching puzzle action
  • Magical enchantments and powerups
  • Story, Survival, and Challenge modes
  • Over 90 unique levels
  • 200+ enchantment combinations
  • Voice-over narration
  • Original soundtrack
Features
Read full description

Simply the best marble popper ever made! REVIEWS "Sparkle 2 is a must buy that takes the crown as the best marble shooter in the App Store, and one shining example of iOS entertainment." Apple'n'Apps 4.5/5 "Sparkle 2 stands out from the rest because of its gorgeous visuals and multifaceted gameplay." - 148 Apps 4.5/5 Editors Choice "A well-thought out marble shooter with a nice story, gorgeous graphics, and an amazing soundtrack." - AppAdvice 5/5 "Sparkle 2 is a great iOS game. It’s relatively simple and a whole lot of fun to play." - Capsule Computers 9/10 "Smooth marble popping puzzle action combined with a soothing soundtrack and drop-dead stunning visuals." - JayIsGames DESCRIPTION Challenge the darkness with your swift orb matching skills, mighty magical enchantments and earthshaking powerups. Match the orbs before they fall into the abyss and find your way through mysterious lands of startling beauty! A long time ago five enchanted keys were created. The keys were scattered around the lands, and they still remain undiscovered. Many have come to find them, and so far all have failed. Will you find the keys and unlock the secrets, or will you join the endless ranks of souls forever trapped within these lands? Sparkle 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the award-winning hit game Sparkle enjoyed by millions of players since 2007. Sparkle 2 is an independent sequel and a spiritual successor to the first installment suitable for both new and existing fans of the series. FEATURES - Experience unrestricted premium action puzzle gaming - Admire state of the art special effects - Explore three game modes: Story, Survival, and Challenge - Discover over 90 unique levels throughout the story - Supercharge your Slinger with over 200 combinations of 16 different Enchantments - Find exciting locations and delve into the mystery - Immerse yourself in a story narrated with professional voice overs - Enjoy the soundtrack by the award-winning composer Jonathan Geer Watch the trailer: http://youtu.be/giB9y6-cBFM

About

Hero Emblems II

Embark on an epic adventure combining match-3 puzzles with classic JRPG elements. Lead a team of heroic warriors, unleash powerful skills through strategic emblem matching, and explore a world filled with magic, monsters, and ancient mysteries.

Highlights
  • Match-3 emblem battles
  • Traditional JRPG exploration
  • Unique hero skills and backstories
  • Equipment customization
  • Food consumption system for buffs
  • Japanese character voice acting
Features
Read full description

A new evolution of match-3, combat, and adventure! Hero Emblems II is a JRPG that combines elements of side-scrollers and match-3 games. Players control members of the Night Chasers, a group of heroic warriors, as they embark on an adventure to save their lands from an evil threat. [Game Features] ◆ Thrilling match-3 battle experiences Match three Emblems to clear them from the board and make your heroes attack. Clear four or more to generate Magic Emblems, allowing your heroes to unleash powerful skills. Perform combos to launch even more powerful attacks and vanquish your enemies! ◆ Traditional JRPG experience In a world of magic and swordplay, players will control members of the Night Chasers as they embark on an adventure together. Enter deep caves, explore ancient ruins, unlock treasure chests, fight against ferocious monsters, upgrade your equipment in town, and gain new information from villagers in the local taverns. A exciting RPG experience is waiting for you in Hero Emblems II! ◆ Substitute Heroes Each Hero possesses their own unique skills and backstory. There's Zack, the Human Warrior; Lucien, the Marten Knight; Sid, the Felinian Black Mage; Abner the Bard, and many more! Lead your favorite heroes into battle! ◆ Thrilling Japanese character voices in battles Personalized character voices make combat a thrilling, intense and fun experience! ◆ More equipment Enemies attack with a wide range of debuffs such as Poison, Ignition, Petrification or Curses. To fight against these tough opponents, you will need to choose your Heroes' weapons and armor carefully, and make good use of accessories to resist enemy debuffs and boost your Heroes' abilities! ◆'Food Consumption System' for Enhancing Battle Power A hero's adventure is always brimming with all sorts of challenges. Vicious monsters boast tremendous strength and always catch people off guard with their varied attack styles. Now, heroes can boost their abilities by indulging in delightful delicacies, allowing them to thwart monster attacks with a more refreshing rhythm! ◆One-time payment, IAP-free, and ad-free A New Chapter in the Night Chasers' History A long time ago, there was a mercenary group known as the Night Chasers. Instead of making money, these heroic warriors went around helping those in need. During the war, they helped a great many people who were suffering under tyranny and injustice. However, in the ensuing age of peace, the Night Chasers were no longer needed, and were forced to disband. Years later, four young people - Zack, Lucien, Sid, and Odelia - decided to carry on their legacy, forming the new Night Chasers. One day, Zack and his party save an Elven girl named Dolores. Suffering from amnesia, Dolores cannot remember why she has ventured so far from the Elven Kingdom – only that she has been sent on an urgent quest. Concerned for her well-being, the Night Chasers take her into their fold, leading them to discover an ancient and terrible threat to the kingdom... ** Recommend to use iPhone 6/iPad min4/iPad Air2/iPad 5th Gen./iPad Pro or later devices for better experiences.**

Screenshots

Sparkle 24 screens
Hero Emblems II4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Sparkle 2 at 4.8 against Hero Emblems II's 4.3. Sparkle 2 also leads on review sentiment (92% vs 63%) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 10.3). Hero Emblems II's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Sparkle 2 costs $6.99 and Hero Emblems II $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sparkle 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 324 and 156 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Sparkle 2's written reviews are positive against 63% of Hero Emblems II's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sparkle 2 ships an update every 4 months, Hero Emblems II every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Sparkle 2 versus Hero Emblems II: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSparkle 2Hero Emblems II
Price$6.99$6.99
Rating4.8 (324 ratings) — better4.3 (156 ratings)
Positive reviews92.4% of reviews — better62.8% of reviews
Number of ratings324 — better156
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better10.3
Further details — not scored
Size221 MB544 MB
Age rating4+12+
Developer10tons LtdHeatPot Games Ltd.

Customer experience

Sparkle 2

All ratings321 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.9%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews288 reviews
Positive92.4%
Neutral3.5%
Negative4.2%

Hero Emblems II

All ratings156 ratings
Positive81.4%
Neutral7.1%
Negative11.5%
Written reviews180 reviews
Positive62.8%
Neutral11.7%
Negative25.6%

User reviews

Sparkle 2

From 324 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Adorable artwork
  • 👍 Smooth gameplay
  • 🎵 Wonderful music and sound effects
  • 🕹️ Addictive and fun
  • 💻 Excellent for newer devices

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes on iOS 16
  • 📺 Low resolution graphics on some devices
  • 🤯 Levels too easy for experienced players

Hero Emblems II

From 156 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Excellent match-3 gameplay mechanics
  • 💰 No pay-to-win or microtransactions
  • 🎨 Beautiful graphics and animations
  • 🎵 Great music and character voice acting
  • 📖 Engaging story with RPG elements

Room to improve

  • ⚔️ Severe difficulty spikes and boss balancing issues
  • ⏳ Excessive grinding required for progression
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and soft crashes
  • 🌍 Poor English localization and translation quality
  • 📋 Lack of quest journal or quest tracking system

Bugs and requests

Sparkle 2

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Instant crashes on launch
  • Pause menu issues with gesture controls

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add difficulty settings
  • Implement progress sync across devices
  • Restart levels in easier mode

Hero Emblems II

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • Game crashes during final boss battles
  • Soft crashes and emblem dropping errors
  • iCloud sync not working properly after reinstall
  • Location markers disappearing after quest completion
  • Touchscreen input not working on one side of map
Show 6 more
  • Elf character joining prevents map movement
  • Five-star gems unable to convert with adjacent gems
  • Visual glitches and display errors
  • iPad home bar black border display issue
  • iPad orientation support missing
  • Game freezing and crashing randomly

Requested features

11 requests
  • Enemy level indicators for dungeon difficulty assessment
  • Quest journal and quest tracking system
  • Endgame endless mode for post-story gameplay
  • Easy or casual difficulty mode
  • Game+ or New Game+ mode
Show 6 more
  • Multiplayer PvP battle mode
  • Korean language support
  • Better iCloud sync functionality
  • Difficulty balancing adjustments
  • More distinct puzzle board icons
  • Faster map navigation speed

In-app purchases

None

Sparkle 2

No in-app purchases

None

Hero Emblems II

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sparkle 2 free?
Sparkle 2 costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hero Emblems II free?
Hero Emblems II costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Sparkle 2 or Hero Emblems II?
Sparkle 2 is rated higher. Sparkle 2 averages 4.8 out of 5 from 324 ratings, while Hero Emblems II averages 4.3 from 156 ratings.
Do Sparkle 2 or Hero Emblems II have ads?
Neither Sparkle 2 nor Hero Emblems II shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sparkle 2 or Hero Emblems II?
Sparkle 2 ships an update every 4 months, and Hero Emblems II every 3 weeks. Most recently, Sparkle 2 was updated on November 1, 2026 and Hero Emblems II on November 2, 2026.

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