Puzzled

A glance at this issue’s selections shows that the puzzle games genre is alive and well in 2004. All but two of the games are either puzzle games or contain elements of puzzle games. It makes sense—puzzle games are easy to learn, highly addictive, and can be played in either short or long sessions. The “sliding tile” type of puzzle game is especially doing well these days, with titles like Cubis showing that the concept still has room left for innovation.

Chukchi Kerling (A)

Ballshooter’s new title is based on an actual game played by the Chukchi, a nation of Eskimos living in Siberia. Chukchi Kerling is similar to Ballshooter’s previous slider game, BrickSlider. Both involve “pushing” colored blocks to the center of the game screen to make matching pairs. When you match two or more blocks of the same color, they disappear and you score points. If you don’t match pairs, the mass of blocks at the center of the screen builds up. The only real difference here between this game and BrickSlider is that when you eliminate pairs in this one, the remaining blocks outside of the pair don’t automatically gravitate to the center of the board. This both slows the game down a bit and makes it more challenging. The cute animated characters and music are a nice touch.

Chukchi Kerling is pretty low-key, but it has its own charm.

For more information on this game, visit the Ballshooter Web site (http://www.ballshooter.com/chukchi/). Chukchi Kerling supports all Pocket PCs. A demo is available, and the full version can be purchased for $14.95.

Gamebox Gems (A)

Gamebox Gems is a collection of eight different “sliding tile” games from PDAMill that includes Bejeweled, Same, Dr. Mario, and others. The games have colorful, well-rendered graphics, although the game pieces in Sapphire Spires are a bit too small for my liking. The collection is built around the idea of treasure-hungry dwarves and each game has a nice introductory storyline. The excellent sound effects and sound track are a nice bonus, as is the ability to post your high scores automatically on the Gamebox Gems Web site. This eight-pack will give casual to mid-level gamers all the action they need for around the price of a single game.

With quality versions of eight popular games, Gamebox Gems offers a lot fun at a bargain price.

For more information on this game, visit the Gamebox Gems Web site (http://www.gameboxgems.com). Gamebox Gems supports all Pocket PCs. A demo is available, and the full version can be purchased for $9.95.

Gilbert Goodmate PDA (A)

Z-Logics recently ported the 2001 desktop adventure game Gilbert Goodmate to the Pocket PC. Gilbert Goodmate PDA is a tongue-in-cheek two-dimensional graphic adventure along the lines of Monkey Island Zak McCracken. Gilbert is out to save his grandfather, who’s been accused of letting the town of Phungoria’s famous mushroom get stolen. The game is very easy on the eyes and plays quite well. Its pop-up interface lets you navigate the game’s screens easily and interact with objects and characters. You’ll find plenty of quirky characters and generous amounts of humor in the game as you help Gilbert on his quest. But all these features come at a price: the basic games take up 25 MB of storage space, and when the full speech and voice add-ons are installed, the game tops 130 MB. It’s worth it if you have the space though, as Z-Logics has managed to make the game as absorbing on the Pocket PC as it is on the desktop.

If you enjoy adventure games, Gilbert Goodmate is a game you definitely need to check out.