Press Start

>> Release the nerds

by ERIK LEIJON

It is universally accepted that gaydar exists in some capacity as a sixth sense, but little does the general public know that a similar internal barometre exists for the identification of nerds. Unfortunately, my own nerd-dar is rather lacking, so I consulted Wired magazine’s mail-order section for a small electronic device that emits a low-level hum when someone with Urkel-ian tendencies enters the room (where’s that noise coming from?) The point is, when I popped in Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (DS/D3, Engine & 1st Playable), the first surprise hit of 2007 and all-around fantastic portable title, my nerd-dar went ballistic.

Puzzle Quest has nothing to do with the Roy Scheider sci-fi TV show from the ’90s (what keeps making that noise?), but it is a meshing of the two geekiest genres around: puzzle and RPG. With an utterly banal Tolkien-esque storyline involving knights, orcs and magic, Puzzle Quest will win over both puzzle and RPG fans with its deceptively simple battle system. The hero walks around the overworld from town to town engaging in missions, and every battle is a gem-matching puzzle game akin to Tetris Attack and Connect Four.

EXISTENCE-CONSUMING: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

On each eight-by-eight grid are four types of coloured gems, which reflect four different masteries: experience, money, multipliers and skulls. Take turns flipping two pieces on the grid against some generic bad guy. Match up three of a kind and collect the benefit of the type you matched, match four or five and you get another turn.

PQ’s puzzle roots are obvious, but the initially complicated RPG-style magic system is what makes this title so enthralling. When you acquire enough gems, your hero can pull off magic attacks that can cause damage, help you to regain HP or even affect the items on the board. Since most of the moves depend on how much power and how many gems you have, it takes a few tries to actually understand the genuine effect of these moves. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll develop personal strategies on how to play the grid, and that’s when Puzzle Quest will begin to consume your existence.

The only thing that will get you to put down the game (other than a dead battery) is the tough-as-nails AI, which never provides an easy bucket. The enemies increase their skills as you do, so the time-honoured tradition of beating on some hapless troll to gain EXP doesn’t exist. Often your enemy will have more HP and far better magic than you and, when necessary, will unleash a fury of four-of-a-kind turns on the grid. It’s frustrating because the AI catches all of the breaks and the enemy’s magic is too strong, but in the end I found myself winning more often than not (except against the Dugog) and learning the intricacies of the gameplay extremely quickly.

The game’s nothing to look at, but Puzzle Quest is the most addictive game of 2007. It excels in every aspect that a portable game should, and even non-RPG puzzlers should consider unleashing their inner nerd. Puzzle Quest is also available on the PSP.

Bits o’ Sega

There were a couple of interesting bits from the world of Sega recently. First of all, Sonic and Mario will team up for the first time in an upcoming Beijing-themed Olympic game for the Wii and DS. Even more under the radar is the return of the supposed Super Mario 64-killer, Nights. It’s been 11 years since the first Nights, and I can’t think of a better-suited style of game for the Wii. Both games are a long way from hitting shelves.