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Planet Puzzle League Review
Written by Robert Falcon on Monday, June 18, 2007
Great local and online play options; simple yet truly addictive gameplay; TONS to do.
Addictive beyond belief; visuals won't entirely overwhelm with simplistic backgrounds.
So it's been called a lot of things in the past -- Tetris Attack, Pokemon Puzzle League, Panel de Pon. But what this series will probably be best remembered for is this particular variation, Planet Puzzle League. That's because with this newest entry specifically made for the Nintendo DS, Intelligent Systems and Nintendo have outdone themselves. They've foregone the need for a silly, useless license in favor of the enjoyable puzzle action within the formula itself -- and it actually works better. Holy crap.
The game is simple -- line up three blocks or more in a row, horizontally or vertically, to remove them from a playfield. What sounds relatively simple soon becomes quite an addiction, thanks to the fast-moving playfield that constantly moves up, and a number of challenges to complete. The game has various modes to choose from, including an Endless mode (playing until you lose, basically), a Garbage mode (where you have to clear the screen of cluttered shapes), a Time Attack mode (clear certain sections within the allotted time) and several others. There's even a Daily Mode, where various challenges can be taken on once -- and only once -- per day to test the capacity of your mind. If you blow it, hey, don't sweat it -- there's six other days in the week, you know.
Where Planet Puzzle League earns its finest kudos is with its multiplayer action. Players can download the game locally and take each other on with just one single cartridge, or they can hop online via the Wi-Fi Connection and challenge players from all over the world via online play. The game even supports voice chat upon trading of Friend Codes, enabling you to talk trash if you're up for it. These options, coupled with the entertaining single-player stuff, make this an absolute must-have.
The game can be played one of two ways. Players can either hold the Nintendo DS like a book and play it vertically, with one screen sitting next to another, or they can hold it the traditional way and play that way. Either way works wonderfully, as the game presents itself in a very playable manner. Players can also opt to either go with touch-screen play with the stylus (which shifts pieces around upon touching them) or using the simple digital controls, like previous Tetris Attack entries. Either way, again, works to the user's benefit.
If Planet Puzzle League has one real gripe, it lies in the presentation. It's not disappointing, by any means, but the scope of stylish backgrounds may not be for those who want to keep an eye on the puzzle action going on in the foreground. A few of them can be distracting with their flashing lights or discotheque-themed settings, although they do replace the need for a franchise quite easily. The soothing music and various other options to mess around with more than make up for this flaw, adding heavy value to the game.
Don't miss out on Planet Puzzle League for the DS. It's the best home release of Panel de Pon to date, with its online options and various modes. Its presentation may not suit everyone but it's really going to be hard arguing against buying a game because it's just not fashionable. Unless you like being laughed out of an EB Games location (like you were when you bought that Mary Kate and Ashley game -- admit it), don't hesitate to jump into the League.
posted June 20, 2007