I have a weird history with this game. I got it around launch for the DS based on hype and I didn’t really get it. I sold the game and ended up getting it again around 2-3 years ago based on recommendations. Playing it again I understood the hook and I was planning on continuing. But I got busy with other games and kind of forgotten about it. I continued with the save yesterday and I understand why it just won’t work out between us :P
The interesting thing about this puzzle game is that you’re not allowed to change the blocks horizontally but only vertically. It definitely shakes up the formula. The game also has different planets with different rules like the speed of the blocks launching and how quick the blocks drop. The main mode is having you carry out missions and select the route you want to take. You earn lots of different currencies that you can use to create new things like new items, music and even planets if I remember things correctly.
Here’s where things start to get problematic. You can’t save and continue with your progress in the main mode. You have to finish it in one go or put the DS on standby. There is an option to play a separate mode with only one planet but it’s barebones and not the main course. The game also crams lots of info in the lower screen and it expects you to select the blocks with perfect accuracy while the blocks are super tiny. I’ve had many times where I just can’t pick the block I want with the touch screen. Then there are the mechanics, the game seems to have way too many things to keep in mind that it kind of gets in the way of a pure puzzle game. It feels like being complex for complexity’s sake. And lastly, it looks like the game is going to be very grindy if you want to unlock everything. You’re going to need a lot of different currencies.
It feels like this game had the potential to be one of the best puzzle games with strong gameplay. Its appeal is limited to a small niche for being too ambitious and trying to do too much with the small screens. It doesn’t quite reach the perfect balance of lots of depth while easy to pick up and play. But that small niche will absolutely love it.
The interesting thing about this puzzle game is that you’re not allowed to change the blocks horizontally but only vertically. It definitely shakes up the formula. The game also has different planets with different rules like the speed of the blocks launching and how quick the blocks drop. The main mode is having you carry out missions and select the route you want to take. You earn lots of different currencies that you can use to create new things like new items, music and even planets if I remember things correctly.
Here’s where things start to get problematic. You can’t save and continue with your progress in the main mode. You have to finish it in one go or put the DS on standby. There is an option to play a separate mode with only one planet but it’s barebones and not the main course. The game also crams lots of info in the lower screen and it expects you to select the blocks with perfect accuracy while the blocks are super tiny. I’ve had many times where I just can’t pick the block I want with the touch screen. Then there are the mechanics, the game seems to have way too many things to keep in mind that it kind of gets in the way of a pure puzzle game. It feels like being complex for complexity’s sake. And lastly, it looks like the game is going to be very grindy if you want to unlock everything. You’re going to need a lot of different currencies.
It feels like this game had the potential to be one of the best puzzle games with strong gameplay. Its appeal is limited to a small niche for being too ambitious and trying to do too much with the small screens. It doesn’t quite reach the perfect balance of lots of depth while easy to pick up and play. But that small niche will absolutely love it.