“Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords”

Platform: Nintendo DS

Developer: 1st Playable Productions

FYI grade: A+

“Puzzle Quest” is like no game you’ve ever seen. Actually, that’s not exactly true. As one can discern from the game’s title, “Puzzle Quest” is a mash-up of RPG and puzzle elements. You’ve probably seen similar role-playing elements in almost any RPG from the last 20 years, and you may also have seen similar tile-shifting puzzle elements in the popular Web game, “Bejeweled.” It’s the fusion of these pieces that makes this game original – and brilliant at that.

The game is based around a puzzle combat system involving an eight by eight grid. One of seven different types of pieces occupy each tile on the grid. The player can swap adjacent pieces with each other by dragging the stylus across the screen. If these pieces create a row or column of three or more identical pieces, they will disappear from the board and the player will earn a reward depending on the type of piece eliminated – purple stars will net experience, coin tiles offer gold, four differently colored mana sphere tiles offer magic power toward their respective color and skull tiles will damage an opponent. After the player swaps a tile, the opponent will take his turn. The battle ends when either the player’s or opponent’s health bar is exhausted.

Random battles can be played whenever a player wishes, but the game’s “quest” mode offers a lengthy adventure and additional RPG components for the player to immerse themselves in. Quest mode begins in typical roleplaying game fashion – you’ll select one of four character classes (druid, knight, warrior and wizard) each with their own set of abilities, such as dealing extra damage to an opponent or healing some of the player’s health. These abilities can be used in battle after accumulating enough specific types of magic from the previously mentioned mana spheres. It’s this element in particular that lends the game a pleasant dose of strategy in what could have been much more random-based puzzle battles.

Winning battles gives the player experience to eventually increase statistics such as morale, which increases health, or cunning, which determines who goes first in battle. Gold is also obtained after victories and can be used to purchase equipment that increases defensive capabilities as well as provides special battle skills.

In quest mode, the player will move around a map, visiting towns to accept quests which often involve hunting down creatures who are causing mischief.

The biggest flaw in “Puzzle Quest” seems to be the varying difficulty of the puzzle battles. As you move around the quest mode’s game map, you’ll encounter enemies who are much too strong for you to take on. There are times when they’ll be able to link together attacks that will finish you off in a single turn. However, there is no penalty for losing a battle and you can return to it later on when you are stronger.

Visuals in the game aren’t spectacular, but serve their purpose and certainly don’t impede the game in any way. Characters are displayed as static portraits on the screen, but are well-drawn and give the game the appropriate flavor.

The music in the game sounds synthesized, but the orchestral arrangements are still beautiful. This is one soundtrack you won’t mind turning the volume up for.

“Puzzle Quest” is one of the most addicting games in recent memory. Factor in a two-player competitive wireless mode and this is a must-play for DS owners. The PlayStation Portable crowd might also be happy to know a version for them is available as well, but without the touch-screen functionality of the DS.