I know that a new version of this Puzzle Quest was released for other formats than the ones listed in the title, but I am only reviewing the original versions.

There is a brief moment, on your second day of colour-matching puzzling and stat growing that you’re covinced that Puzzle Quest is the greatest game ever. This is more than just addictive – it’s ’staying up all night whilst you’re eyes melt’ addictive.

But, of course, it’s not the best game ever made – the presentation is a it rank in places for that. But it does marry two of the most addictive things in the world – ‘match three clour puzzlers’ along the lines of Zoo Keeper and Bejeweled and RPG style stat building.

Yes, it works brilliantly. There’s an RPG overworld to explore – chat to people, buy from shops and take on quests. And then the battles themselves take the form of puzzle matches. Rather than just scoring points though,  matching different icons deals damage and hoards EXP, money or mana with which to unleash special attacks and cruel spells.

Puzzle Quest has all the properties of a solid puzzler. But beyond that, being inside a story and a character-building framework gives it a sense of purpose – something that Zoo Keeper maybe lacks a bit.

The graphics of Puzzle Quest are a bit of a let down. But you don’t notice this flaw much thanks to the addictive gameplay and the enormous lifespan! Yes, this is a brilliant game and a must for any Ds or Psp owner. I just wonder why this has not had more publicity…

RATING: 82%

If you liked this, try Lumines 2 or Zoo Keeper.