A couple of years ago, Meteos provided one of the first convincing cases for the DS's stylus control, kicking off a revolutionary summer that really established the then-quirky handheld after a post-launch lull in title quality. The only function that Meteos lacked was Wi-Fi capability, which would come to the system a couple of months later. Another puzzle game, Tetris DS would implement this function brilliantly.

Honestly, I could probably run my Tetris DS review through a find/replace algorithm and generate a passable review for Planet Puzzle League (PPL), as the two games are remarkably similar. The only real difference is the Panel de Pon (also known as Tetris Attack and/or Pokémon Puzzle League here in the States) gameplay.

The DS makes some interesting changes to that classic and beloved gameplay, however. The game can be played using the D-pad and holding the DS in the traditional manner, and is much more playable than Meteos when played that way, but an astute player might notice a lot of dead space on the sides of the screen and a somewhat shrunken play field. This is because the game is more or less intended to be played with the DS held vertically (in the "book" formation) and using the stylus. Panel de Pon veterans might initially feel a little "dirty" while using the stylus to whip tiles across the play area in one fluid motion and jumping all over the pit with lightning speed, but that feeling passes with time -- usually while using it to execute 7+ chains that would be impossible under more traditional controls.

PPL provides several single-player modes, some wireless multiplayer for up to four players (both multi-card and single-card play is supported), and three Wi-Fi modes (free play, friend play, and a curious "Birthday Play", which pits you against another player with the same birthday), but it's all mostly the same solid game. The majority of the various modes have already been seen in previous versions of the game, so veterans will know what to expect.

Unlike previous console versions, PPL doesn't feature any Nintendo-based theme; Tetris Attack featured the cast of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Story, while Pokémon Puzzle League obviously featured Nintendo's cash-generating cast of cuddly cockfighting creatures. While this may be a welcome change for some (especially Pokémon-haters), for me it made this title seem a bit too sterile, especially in Vs. Mode. The musical cues and alarms present in PPL just don't convey the same feeling as hearing your character taunt your opponent as you put together chains and combos to bury him under a pile of garbage blocks (sometimes with a little fanfare for an especially long chain). The tiles, backgrounds, and music we do get in PPL are all fairly generic and somewhat forgettable.

It would be ludicrous to actually penalize a puzzle game for any of that, however, because it's all just window dressing. PPL is still as fast-paced (if not faster) and intense as previous versions, and still every bit as addictive. Having a portable version that supports both local and Wi-Fi multiplayer is icing on an already-delicious cake. Puzzle fans will not be disappointed, and the simple gameplay (with tutorial) will quickly ensare newcomers.

Jun 27, 2007 | 0 comments
Chris Ingersoll