SpoonySage
N3DS Community Ghost Gym Leader
The Story Thus Far...
Connect four puzzle games are dime a dozen in the Nintendo universe. I don't know what makes them so much fun, but they prove to be just the right amount of blocks for simplistic, puzzle-fun. This little gem was one of the first things I bought with the $10 Nintendo gave me for my DSi to download and now it appears on the 3DS eShop as well. In fact, for the month of May you can even get it free on Club Nintendo! But is it worth your points?
Gameplay Mechanics
As I mentioned before, this is a game where blocks are dropped down and you need to find a way to connect 4 (square or line) in order to string together combos. With quick stylus work, you can earn more coins by picking up blocks, or bits, and combining them with the falling bit shapes. As soon as you connect the first one, all the bits in the series will freeze for a second before quickly falling. During the pause is your chance to rack up a high score, so don't be slow! Placing blocks in the falling path is another way to safely rack up the score.
Now, what sets this game apart is that the colors you solve will each represent a bit in an 8-bit image on your top screen. To beat each level, you do NOT have to solve every piece of the puzzle; you only have to complete the right colors to complete the image before your bottom screen fills up so new pieces cannot arrive.
If you are worried your screen is filling up too fast, then you can pick up bits and move them to the side bar. Sometimes, the best strategy is to let certain color blocks completely fall just so you can then use those colors to finish future bits, and tapping on the bits to make them fall faster will help with this tactic. The POW Block can be used to remove the bottom row if you have made some mistakes, but it will get rid of how many bricks you can hold, so you may have to spend coins to reopen those slots as the side bar is essential to later levels.
Graphics
The graphics are of course a shout out to the older 8-bit art style while also giving an 80's vibe to the experience (or at least that was how I would feel in several screens). The pictures unlocked by completing levels are just the same as they were all those years ago, but can impress you at times with how well they have held up or how entertaining they are in this kind of setting. 8-bit images and block puzzles just seem to go together.
Sound/Music
Each level has its own music, and each song can be purchased with your coins from combos in the levels. The music has a fantastic selection of bit-style (is that a genre?) remixes of Nintendo classics. I immediately tried to unlock all the music with my coins, just so I could have it play ad nauseum after beating the game. Each song starts simple and adds in more elements until you have something really catchy and unique. Some may be too slow to start for your taste, but you will be pleased with the end result. Here, let me just show you an example:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2LbclF3Qv8&feature=relmfu[/media]
Honestly, the music alone is reason enough to buy the $5 game.
Replayability
There are 14 levels and then Dark World versions of each that are MUCH harder. The main game will only take an hour to beat, but the Dark World levels will take a bit longer. These levels can be purchased with combo coins just like music, which means you will have to play several levels a few times to get enough coins for everything. Another reason to replay is the Starman next to your score, which indicates you never had to use a POW Block in that level. All in all, for the price, you get a decent amount of gameplay.
Hit the POW Block? And ruin my high score???
Multiplayer
Sadly, the game's one weakpoint is Multiplayer. There is no 2 player racing (like Doctor Mario) or level creation mode (later seen in Pushmo) to share with friends. Considering this game is from the Art Style series, you would think they would include something for you to create with and share, but alas. Should a sequel ever come out, that would definitely be an area they need to explore.
Rating
The gameplay is short. While I did not try for all Starmen, I did unlock and beat all levels as well as purchase all music in one weekend. But it was a great weekend. Level creation would have kept me playing longer, but hey, I used the music in this game for background listening several times and am very happy with the price, so I say it earns a clear
9/10
If you have Club Nintendo points, then cash them in now.
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