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"[GAME] Pullblox"

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This thread has been linked to the game 'Pullblox'.
Fri 27/01/12 at 14:43
Regular
"And in last place.."
Posts: 2,054
The short review for this game would be:

The latest game made by the people behind the rather brilliant Advance Wars series.

That was certainly all the information I needed to know I was going to buy this game but I think this forum has seen too many one line reviews recently so perhaps I should continue... they also the creative minds behind Paper Mario and WarioWare. Is that enough information now?

After the huge success of Tetris on the Gameboy, it only feels right that every Nintendo handheld console should have a darned good puzzle game. Tetris existed before the Gameboy but the thanks to the Gameboy, the game’s profile soared and it remained one the must-have games throughout the lifespan of the console. Pullblox is the 3DS’s Tetris. It plays nothing like Tetris but as a must-have puzzle title on the 3DS, it is every bit the 3DS’s Tetris.

Pullblox is available on the 3DS eShop and like all good puzzle games, it is easy to play but gets increasingly taxing on the brain. The title gives an indication as to what you will be doing in the game, pulling blocks (I’ll not use the trendy, modern text speak spelling). You also get to push blocks. And climb on them. Reach the top and onto the next puzzle. You can see why I’m not a salesman but how many of the great puzzle games sound good on paper?

Each puzzle in Pullblox is a set of blocks placed neatly on top of each other. Think of a jigsaw, with large pieces and no picture. The blocks sit on a floor marked with a grid. The aim of the game is simply to pull and push the blocks to make a staircase to the top.

To give the game a bit of personality, Pullblox has you in control on Mallo, a chubby, little pig faced creature. The tutorial has Papa Blox explaining the controls and explaining how to move the blocks. He also goes on to explain the reason. The game is not about proving to Papa Blox that Mallo can climb to the top of a set of blocks, the town’s children are trapped at the top of these structures and need rescued. Through Mallo, you can prove you clever you are and be a hero at the same time. It’s all sickenly cute, cuddly and charming but it does add some character and colour to the game. It makes Tetris seem like a boring game in comparison, the lack of colour on the Gameboy now seems appropriate.

The blocks at the bottom of the pile are always the starting point. You can pull these blocks out up to 3 spaces on the grid. Jump on this block and you can then pull the block on top back 2 spaces. You can’t go to the 3rd as Mallo would fall off. Jump onto this block and the next can be pulled out 1 space. Blocks can be moved from the front or the side but you cannot move a block you are standing on. I’m sure you can see where the puzzle element comes in. Part way up the structure and you’ll pause and wonder how on earth you can proceed. Sometimes the answer is staring you in the face, other times you’ll have to back track a little or mess about before it becomes obvious. There is a handy reset button at the bottom of each grid. At times this is the best option, reset and try again. The reset is instant, there is no hanging about while the level reloads which does add to the ‘one more go’ aspect on a troublesome level.

The early levels are straightforward but the difficulty ups with each set of levels, the number of blocks to move increases and it can get rather complex. Mallo has a limited jump and at times you will need to do a spot of platforming to get yourself over the other block you need to be on. You can’t help but admire the design of some of these levels, some really are works of a genius, particularly those that take the overall form of Nintendo hardware and characters.

The lower screen shows the overall puzzle allowing you some time to plan ahead. In the early stages you will find no use for it but it becomes very useful for any level where the height of the blocks goes above what is shown on the top screen. You can rotate the camera during the puzzle to allow you a better look. The 3D works well and can be of help to seeing how far you’ll be able to pull out a block.

Further into the game, some new toys are thrown into spice things up. Each time the game adds a new item to the puzzle, Papa Blox will be on hand to explain it first. Coloured switches will automatically move out all blocks of the same colour. Manholes will allow you to appear on a higher level but before you can do this, you must have the entrance and exit manholes exposed in order to use them.

There are 250 puzzles to work your way through but the fun doesn’t stop there. In Pullblox Studio you can create your own levels and share them with friends. As with the campaing levels, Papa Blox will explain all you need to know. And if you want even more fun than that, you can search the web to find levels that other people have created. A QR code is produced for each level and it is a simple case of using the camera to read the code. This is all done within the game, no need to exit the game to activate the camera. The levels are added to your game in a second or 2, there is no sitting looking at a progress bar.

Being able to expand upon the already generous number of levels gives the game a potentially infinite lifespan. The only downside to the downloading of levels is that you won’t be able to add the more complex levels until you have passed a certain point in the campaign. You are not told where you need to reach but not being able to add the level at all rather than being blocked from playing it is a minor nuisance.

To finish off the one line review at the top, I’ll add a one line summary at the end:

The 3DS has its first must-own puzzle game, this will be remembered as a classic.

10
There have been no replies to this thread yet.
Fri 27/01/12 at 14:43
Regular
"And in last place.."
Posts: 2,054
The short review for this game would be:

The latest game made by the people behind the rather brilliant Advance Wars series.

That was certainly all the information I needed to know I was going to buy this game but I think this forum has seen too many one line reviews recently so perhaps I should continue... they also the creative minds behind Paper Mario and WarioWare. Is that enough information now?

After the huge success of Tetris on the Gameboy, it only feels right that every Nintendo handheld console should have a darned good puzzle game. Tetris existed before the Gameboy but the thanks to the Gameboy, the game’s profile soared and it remained one the must-have games throughout the lifespan of the console. Pullblox is the 3DS’s Tetris. It plays nothing like Tetris but as a must-have puzzle title on the 3DS, it is every bit the 3DS’s Tetris.

Pullblox is available on the 3DS eShop and like all good puzzle games, it is easy to play but gets increasingly taxing on the brain. The title gives an indication as to what you will be doing in the game, pulling blocks (I’ll not use the trendy, modern text speak spelling). You also get to push blocks. And climb on them. Reach the top and onto the next puzzle. You can see why I’m not a salesman but how many of the great puzzle games sound good on paper?

Each puzzle in Pullblox is a set of blocks placed neatly on top of each other. Think of a jigsaw, with large pieces and no picture. The blocks sit on a floor marked with a grid. The aim of the game is simply to pull and push the blocks to make a staircase to the top.

To give the game a bit of personality, Pullblox has you in control on Mallo, a chubby, little pig faced creature. The tutorial has Papa Blox explaining the controls and explaining how to move the blocks. He also goes on to explain the reason. The game is not about proving to Papa Blox that Mallo can climb to the top of a set of blocks, the town’s children are trapped at the top of these structures and need rescued. Through Mallo, you can prove you clever you are and be a hero at the same time. It’s all sickenly cute, cuddly and charming but it does add some character and colour to the game. It makes Tetris seem like a boring game in comparison, the lack of colour on the Gameboy now seems appropriate.

The blocks at the bottom of the pile are always the starting point. You can pull these blocks out up to 3 spaces on the grid. Jump on this block and you can then pull the block on top back 2 spaces. You can’t go to the 3rd as Mallo would fall off. Jump onto this block and the next can be pulled out 1 space. Blocks can be moved from the front or the side but you cannot move a block you are standing on. I’m sure you can see where the puzzle element comes in. Part way up the structure and you’ll pause and wonder how on earth you can proceed. Sometimes the answer is staring you in the face, other times you’ll have to back track a little or mess about before it becomes obvious. There is a handy reset button at the bottom of each grid. At times this is the best option, reset and try again. The reset is instant, there is no hanging about while the level reloads which does add to the ‘one more go’ aspect on a troublesome level.

The early levels are straightforward but the difficulty ups with each set of levels, the number of blocks to move increases and it can get rather complex. Mallo has a limited jump and at times you will need to do a spot of platforming to get yourself over the other block you need to be on. You can’t help but admire the design of some of these levels, some really are works of a genius, particularly those that take the overall form of Nintendo hardware and characters.

The lower screen shows the overall puzzle allowing you some time to plan ahead. In the early stages you will find no use for it but it becomes very useful for any level where the height of the blocks goes above what is shown on the top screen. You can rotate the camera during the puzzle to allow you a better look. The 3D works well and can be of help to seeing how far you’ll be able to pull out a block.

Further into the game, some new toys are thrown into spice things up. Each time the game adds a new item to the puzzle, Papa Blox will be on hand to explain it first. Coloured switches will automatically move out all blocks of the same colour. Manholes will allow you to appear on a higher level but before you can do this, you must have the entrance and exit manholes exposed in order to use them.

There are 250 puzzles to work your way through but the fun doesn’t stop there. In Pullblox Studio you can create your own levels and share them with friends. As with the campaing levels, Papa Blox will explain all you need to know. And if you want even more fun than that, you can search the web to find levels that other people have created. A QR code is produced for each level and it is a simple case of using the camera to read the code. This is all done within the game, no need to exit the game to activate the camera. The levels are added to your game in a second or 2, there is no sitting looking at a progress bar.

Being able to expand upon the already generous number of levels gives the game a potentially infinite lifespan. The only downside to the downloading of levels is that you won’t be able to add the more complex levels until you have passed a certain point in the campaign. You are not told where you need to reach but not being able to add the level at all rather than being blocked from playing it is a minor nuisance.

To finish off the one line review at the top, I’ll add a one line summary at the end:

The 3DS has its first must-own puzzle game, this will be remembered as a classic.

10

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