|
Puchi Puchi Virus
Publisher: NIS
Developer: Kids Factory
Genre: Puzzle
Release Date: May 19, 2009
Platform: Nintendo DS
Rating: E - Everyone
Reviewer: Eric
The DS is home to some of the most random cheap games you have ever seen.
There are games that have you putting out fires to sucking up anything in sight
with a tornado. One of the cheap-o games that might have fallen under the radar
is from NIS, a company that is known for their RPGs. Instead of releasing a role
playing game NIS is giving Nintendo DS fans an addictive puzzle game.
Puchi Puchi Virus is the sort of game that you will not want to put down. With
gameplay that is easy to learn, Puchi Puchi Virus not only delivers on the
gameplay front it also gives a story that is more advanced than your normal
puzzle games. How many other puzzle games have you getting rid of the Puchirus
to civilians on another planet other than Earth? Dr. Kevin Longfellow can do it
and his assistants, Honeydew and George the Chicken, are there to help you.
Puchi Puchi Virus has two game modes, single and multiplayer. The single player
mode lets you examine new patients (this is Examine mode) and you can do some
researching (Research mode lets you replay past patients). You have to use your
Virus Buster to cure the patients. There is a handy tutorial right at your
fingertips and you can use it whenever you’d like. Goals on Examine mode range
from getting so many points within a time limit to achieving a certain combo.
At the start of each patient you will see how many viruses are on the screen. To
get rid of the viruses you have to click (with your stylus) three of the same
colored viruses. Once you click on the three viruses you will see a triangle
forum. All you have to do now is click again to eliminate the viruses or you can
extend your combo if another colored virus got in the way. There is a time
limit, a few short seconds, before you have to clear the viruses so you just
can’t click a whole bunch of viruses to get a massive combo right away. You are
rewarded with bigger chains so you ultimately want to get that huge combo, just
be careful.
If you want to play it safe you can just click three viruses at a time and
achieve small amounts of points. This will eventually bite you in the ass when
you move the stylus too slow or other viruses are left in the middle. During
time the viruses will grey out and the only way to get them back is either using
a pill (destroying 50 viruses gets you one) or putting a triangle around it
(three viruses at once). I know my words might have made things sound a little
weird but the tutorial in the game really makes things a lot easier. Puchi Puchi
Virus is just a new breed of puzzle game so it has its own set of rules.
Most of the games levels only last a few short minutes, nothing more than four
minutes tops. There is no endless mode where you can keep advancing in the game
to get a high score. Multiplayer does help with the replay value but when it
comes to the finer details Puchi Puchi Virus is hanging itself out to dry.
Final Verdict
While the list of budget Nintendo DS games begins to grow it is hard to find a
good one. Sometimes you can take a risk and find a gem, but how many others have
you bought before that gem? Just save yourself the time and effort and pick up
Puchi Puchi Virus. The puzzle mechanics are great and the games story is quite
amusing. This game should be a must own for all puzzle fans.
Rating Breakdown
Gameplay: 9 out of 10
+ The easy pick-up-and-play mechanics make this game a blast.
- An endless mode would have been nice to see.
Graphics: 8 out of 10
+ Cute anime graphics are always welcomed.
- Lack of character animations is a real bummer.
Audio: 6 out of 10
+ For what it’s worth the music is passable plus some.
- Puchi Puchi Virus is lacking in music, nuff said.
Replay Value: 10 out of 10
+ Never a dull moment when playing this puzzler.
- Nothing.
Overall
8.25 out of 10
More reviews:
MetaCritic: 7.3/10
TestFreaks: 6/10
Puchi Puchi Virus Trailer
|
