Review - Polarium (DS)
Format: Nintendo DS
Publisher: Nintendo
Producer: Mitchell Corperation
Genre: Puzzle
Price: £20 new, £10-15 second hand (Apr 2005), £5-£17 ebay (Apr 2005)
Origin: US
Reviewer: Sideath
Remember the first time you played Tetris - the solid clunk as the bricks slowly slotted into place - the wonderful feeling as you destroyed four lines at the same time? And because of this (and also the high score your sister got), you went back and back to it? Well, Polarium definetly duplicates it.
The basic premise behind Polarium is that there are black and white tiles across the board. Your mission is to flip the tiles over, with a stroke of the stylus, you have to flip the tiles around until all the tiles in one row arrange into the same colour. Simple, you might say. Indeed simple to learn, but nearly impossible to master.
There is a variety of modes inside the game itself - Challenge mode sends you a continuous stream of rows, in which you have to hurriedly flip and destroy them without letting them pile up - like a backwards Tetris, really - instead of forming rows, you are given them, and have to move the tiles INSIDE them to destory them. Indeed, the same feeling of euphoria and enjoyment achieved by the 4-row destroy in Tetris is achieved when you get a 9-row combo in Polarium. Hugely addictive, as is with Tetris.
Another mode is Puzzle mode - where you have to complete the entire puzzle in just one stroke! This mode takes no prisoners, and once you reach level 50 (you can go back to any level at any time) you'll be tearing you hair out with frustration - but once your stroke is correct, and the tiles flip camly into place - that feeling is so wonderful, bare text cannot describe it.
There will be many who will be put off with its simple graphics, its simple premise, but it's difficult learning curve. However, this is indeed, like its tiles, a black and white matter - persevere, take it off the shelves, play for one or two hours, and you will soon realise what a gem this is. This game is definetly simple to learn, but extremely hard to master.
CWScore: Seven out of ten
Publisher: Nintendo
Producer: Mitchell Corperation
Genre: Puzzle
Price: £20 new, £10-15 second hand (Apr 2005), £5-£17 ebay (Apr 2005)
Origin: US
Reviewer: Sideath
Remember the first time you played Tetris - the solid clunk as the bricks slowly slotted into place - the wonderful feeling as you destroyed four lines at the same time? And because of this (and also the high score your sister got), you went back and back to it? Well, Polarium definetly duplicates it.
The basic premise behind Polarium is that there are black and white tiles across the board. Your mission is to flip the tiles over, with a stroke of the stylus, you have to flip the tiles around until all the tiles in one row arrange into the same colour. Simple, you might say. Indeed simple to learn, but nearly impossible to master.
There is a variety of modes inside the game itself - Challenge mode sends you a continuous stream of rows, in which you have to hurriedly flip and destroy them without letting them pile up - like a backwards Tetris, really - instead of forming rows, you are given them, and have to move the tiles INSIDE them to destory them. Indeed, the same feeling of euphoria and enjoyment achieved by the 4-row destroy in Tetris is achieved when you get a 9-row combo in Polarium. Hugely addictive, as is with Tetris.
Another mode is Puzzle mode - where you have to complete the entire puzzle in just one stroke! This mode takes no prisoners, and once you reach level 50 (you can go back to any level at any time) you'll be tearing you hair out with frustration - but once your stroke is correct, and the tiles flip camly into place - that feeling is so wonderful, bare text cannot describe it.
There will be many who will be put off with its simple graphics, its simple premise, but it's difficult learning curve. However, this is indeed, like its tiles, a black and white matter - persevere, take it off the shelves, play for one or two hours, and you will soon realise what a gem this is. This game is definetly simple to learn, but extremely hard to master.
CWScore: Seven out of ten
posted by sideath at 4/28/2005 10:33:00 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home