Puyo Pop Fever - DS/DSi

You won't be surprised to discover that Puyo Pop is of Japanese origin. In fact it's a bit of a cult game over there, mainly due to the fact that it's just so darn addictive. Well, this latest addition to the Puyo Pop series, which appeared last year on the home consoles, is now brought to the Nintendo DS by an enterprising THQ. At the same time as retaining all the addictive qualities of its predecessors, the game is a natural choice for the mould-breaking Ninty handheld: Games like Polarium and Zookeeper have already shown that the DS, with its genius stylus control, is uncommonly well-suited to puzzle games. Its no-nonsense Wi-fi connectivity powers mean that two player action, the game’s real raison d’etre, is easier than ever before.

The concept is remarkably simple: Bust-a-Move-style 'matching of coloured balls/gems' puzzle gameplay, amidst a collage of colourful, Manga-inspired visuals. There are a host of different game modes on offer, for both single and multiplayer gaming, including the titular Fever Mode, which adds a slightly different twist to the gameplay, providing players with the opportunity to create a string of chain reactions that can devastate opponents if executed correctly.

Puyo Pop fever clearly represents old-school gaming at its best. It's simple, fast and at times furious, and somehow manages to possess that 'impossible to put down' factor that we first witnessed in the likes of Tetris all those years ago. It doesn't offer the greatest amount of depth as a single-player game but, if you have friends, then this game is must-have for your DS collection. After all, 3 million Japanese can't be wrong.
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