The game premise is simple enough. Seven blocks of different shapes are dispersed across the playing board, and there is a shape on the board that you must create with those blocks.
The game is controlled almost exclusively with the touchscreen and stylus. Pressing the D-pad or buttons do nothing, but the Start button brings up the options menu. Other than that, evertyhing from puzzle selection and game controls are handled with your stylus.
You can move, turn, or flip your blocks with the stylus, and is a very easy dynamic to pick up (even though there is a tutorial). Click on a block with the stylus to activate it, and a familiar “move” icon appears over the block. Just press down and drag the block where you want it to go. If you click around the edge of the block, then little white “anchor dots” appear at each of the block’s corners, and you can press and drag the anchor to turn the block around. Lastly, you can flip the piece 180 degrees by double-tapping it.
The controls are simple and intuitive, but actually solving each puzzle can be quite challenging. Some of the areas of the puzzle are fairly easy to figure out, but other areas (typically the large areas of space) could have several correct solutions. The trick is that you only have a limited number of blocks, so even though the “body” of your rabbit is correct doesn’t necessarially account for all of the pieces. Sometimes you’ll find a solution to part of the puzzle only to backtrack when you realize that you cannot continue. There are a few “tricks” to these puzzles and once you recognize the recurring themes then you’ll have an easier time with the harder puzzles.
The graphics are extremely simple in this game. The blocks themselves have different effects to look like chrome or other shiny metals, but the playing board consists of two solid colors. There are some “pointer trails” when you move a piece but overall the graphics aren’t impressive at all, even by DS standards. The top window shows you the current puzzle you’re on, and the bottom screen is your “sandbox”.
The sound isn’t that impressive, either. There are sounds when you manipulate and drop the pieces, but the background music is absolutely annoying. I have to turn the sound completely off when playing this game.
The main attraction to this game is how addictive the puzzles are, and is actually alot of fun. Well, those who enjoy Sudoku or the Brain Age series will find it fun. One annoying thing about Brain Age is that you can only play a certain puzzle for so long on a particular day. I bought the game because I want to play puzzles! Let me play the puzzles! There is no “you have to wait until tomorrow to play the next puzzle” or “you’re not smart enough to continue on”… you can play any of the puzzles in your current level as you want.
