Game: Puzzle Quest: Challenge Of The Warlords
Genre: Puzzle/RPG
Systems: DS, PSP, Xbox Live Arcade

Every so often a game blends two genres in such a way that the collective jaws of the collective masses hit the collective floor. This could be for two very different reasons. One could be because we were so dumbfounded that someone tried it that we have to applaud them no matter the outcome.

The other is that the creators did such a flawless job blending two otherwise different categories that they created a game that transcends description. Puzzle Quest is such a game.

I bought Puzzle Quest after hearing raves from web comics and other gamers who would talk about it, but it is not until you start the game that you realize exactly what it is. Puzzle Quest is a puzzle game, no doubt, but unlike the traditional puzzle game this one begins you with picking a character class.

A quick explanation will sum up the game in such a way that you might be able to comprehend it. There are several different colored circles as well as purple stars, white skulls, and golden coins on the screen.

Like any of the hundreds of flash games you could find on any website the key is to line three of the same type up to clear them from the board. If you clear three of the same color you get mana of that color, three coins and earn gold that can be spent on items, three stars and gain experience to level you up, and three skulls and damage your enemy directly. Mana can be spent on attacks that heal you or damage your opponent like in any other RPG.

The game takes some of the quintessential features of puzzle games and meshes them perfectly with a plot driven RPG. The plot is not very good, but I doubt anyone would be able to take any plot seriously on this new genre’s foray into the world of gaming. At first the game as a whole feels ridiculous.

The world of Puzzle Quest is not all bunnies and cuddles; it does have some problems that must be noted. For instance, the version I played (Nintendo DS) is hampered by sloppy controls. You may touch one block and it may think you touched another – which could be (and has been) deadly. Puzzle Quest’s music doesn’t earn any badges either. While the music may sound good at first, the same two or three tracks loop throughout the entire game.

However, I do believe this game to be a very good one. It appears on one platform for each of the major three companies currently banging heads, so no matter who you swear allegiance to you can buy it – which I recommend. I put on my robe and wizard hat to recommend you: