GAME IMAGE

• Weekend ds game review: Puzzle Quest 2(3)

  Puzzle Quest (Nintendo DS, Xbox LIVE Arcade)
  Developer: Infinite Interactive
  Publisher: D3 Publisher
  Released: June 22, 2010 (Nintendo DS); June 30 (XBLA)
  MSRP: $29.99 (Nintendo DS); 1200 MS Points (XBLA)

  It wouldn’t be surprising to find the words “IF IT AIN’T BROKE, DON’T FIX IT” scrawled across a whiteboard somewhere in Infinite Interactive’s offices during the development of Puzzle Quest 2. While Galactrix seemed like an experimental take an already successful formula, this true sequel reaches back and borrows so heavily from the original that’s it’s almost an identical game. Almost, but not quite.
  
  The core mechanics are the same, with players battling enemies (or other players in the game’s multiplayer) using classic match-three gameplay popularized by PopCap’s Bejeweled. The angle here is that colored gems are matched to earn “mana,” points that can be used to launch magic or other attacks. Skulls that appear on the board are your primary form of offense; match three of those and you’ll deal damage to your opponent. Match four or more, earn more mana, deal more damage, and earn another turn.