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| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: Puzzle Developer: Blitz Arcade Publisher: Atlus U.S.A., Inc. |
Atlus is known for their role playing games and their crazy Japanese imports, but with their first ever Xbox Live Arcade release, they have decided to take a chance and move into a new realm of gaming, testing out
different waters. Developed by Blitz Arcade, “Droplitz” is a puzzle game that doesn’t feature a single large eyed manga character of a protagonist that sports a spiked haircut, like many other titles released from this
publisher. Players will quickly realize while they are playing this game that, though “Droplitz” may lack the cutesy charm or the dark broodiness of the typical Atlus title, it easily makes up for it with the amazingly frantic
puzzle action that can be found.
The base mechanics of the game are very simple to learn. A continuous amount of drops of golden goo are constantly flowing from faucets at the top of the board and players much make sure that the goo ends up in
the collection bins that are located at the bottom of the board. This is done by rotating tiles until players are able to connect them into a continuous route in which the goo can flow freely. It is easy enough to create a
single pathway through a board, but the game gets to be a lot more hectic when players are working with multiple faucets and collections bins.
Each time a successful path is created on the game board, a glob of purple goo is released. The time that it takes for this specific glob of goo to reach its final destination is the player’s opportunity to create combos by
branching off additional paths that lead to a successful end. Thus, the player’s score multiplies increases and more purple globs of goo are released. Once the last of the globs of purple goo are collected at the bottom
of the board, all of the tiles used in the combos are replaced with new pieces and players must work quickly in order to construct new paths to the bins at the bottom of the board. As players continue to progress through
the stages, the rate at which the goo flows through the pipes increases. Once players run out of goo, which is represented by a meter on the left side of the game board, the game is over.
Although every level is based on the exact same idea, there are a total of four different game modes that are included in “Droplitz.” When players first begin the game only one game mode is available, the Classic Mode,
which is pretty straightforward. In this mode players are looking to obtain a high score and by doing so, they are able to unlock the nine different background themes, as well as the nine different difficulty levels that the
game can be played in. The levels differ by the speed at which the goo flows through the pipes and by the overall size of the board that is played on.
Another mode the players can try out is the Zendurance Challenge, which has players see how long that are able to last on a theme of their choice. For those who are able to do while in this mode of the game, Power
Up Mode will be unlocked. In this mode players must push their brains to the limit by working through the nine levels by using a variety of tactics, such as blowing up a small group of the tiles or freezing the flowing goo.
Those players that are able to obtain a score of 350,000 of higher in Power Up Mode, the final mode will be unlocked, Infection Mode. Though this mode will be left for the player to learn about on their own, it can be said
that this is a grant mode that all players will want to work towards reaching.
Of course every game has a few downfalls, and this one isn’t any different. The first thing that players will notice is that the art style of the game isn’t’ anything extraordinary, leaving players wishing that there was a little
bit more to look at. Also, the complete lack of a good soundtrack gets to be very frustrating, especially with the amount of time that players will want to spend with the game. It may quickly be found that turning off the
sound and turning on an MP3 is a better way to enjoy the game. The music does work well with combos that are made in the game, but the songs are going to be easily forgotten, even if the game play won’t be. The
other thing that many players will be disappointed with is the fact that there is no multiplayer in the game at all. Though it may not be something that should turn players away from the game altogether, it should be noted
for a possible future title.
Though the concept of the game is simple, “Droplitz” offers players with a good amount of challenge. Players will find that they will pick up the game and when they finally set it down, a couple of hours have already
passed. This is a game that is easily addictive, and any gamer that has enjoyed titles like “Hexic” and “Bejeweled,” it can be said without a doubt, “Droplitz” is one puzzle game that is worth adding to the collection.
different waters. Developed by Blitz Arcade, “Droplitz” is a puzzle game that doesn’t feature a single large eyed manga character of a protagonist that sports a spiked haircut, like many other titles released from this
publisher. Players will quickly realize while they are playing this game that, though “Droplitz” may lack the cutesy charm or the dark broodiness of the typical Atlus title, it easily makes up for it with the amazingly frantic
puzzle action that can be found.
The base mechanics of the game are very simple to learn. A continuous amount of drops of golden goo are constantly flowing from faucets at the top of the board and players much make sure that the goo ends up in
the collection bins that are located at the bottom of the board. This is done by rotating tiles until players are able to connect them into a continuous route in which the goo can flow freely. It is easy enough to create a
single pathway through a board, but the game gets to be a lot more hectic when players are working with multiple faucets and collections bins.
Each time a successful path is created on the game board, a glob of purple goo is released. The time that it takes for this specific glob of goo to reach its final destination is the player’s opportunity to create combos by
branching off additional paths that lead to a successful end. Thus, the player’s score multiplies increases and more purple globs of goo are released. Once the last of the globs of purple goo are collected at the bottom
of the board, all of the tiles used in the combos are replaced with new pieces and players must work quickly in order to construct new paths to the bins at the bottom of the board. As players continue to progress through
the stages, the rate at which the goo flows through the pipes increases. Once players run out of goo, which is represented by a meter on the left side of the game board, the game is over.
Although every level is based on the exact same idea, there are a total of four different game modes that are included in “Droplitz.” When players first begin the game only one game mode is available, the Classic Mode,
which is pretty straightforward. In this mode players are looking to obtain a high score and by doing so, they are able to unlock the nine different background themes, as well as the nine different difficulty levels that the
game can be played in. The levels differ by the speed at which the goo flows through the pipes and by the overall size of the board that is played on.
Another mode the players can try out is the Zendurance Challenge, which has players see how long that are able to last on a theme of their choice. For those who are able to do while in this mode of the game, Power
Up Mode will be unlocked. In this mode players must push their brains to the limit by working through the nine levels by using a variety of tactics, such as blowing up a small group of the tiles or freezing the flowing goo.
Those players that are able to obtain a score of 350,000 of higher in Power Up Mode, the final mode will be unlocked, Infection Mode. Though this mode will be left for the player to learn about on their own, it can be said
that this is a grant mode that all players will want to work towards reaching.
Of course every game has a few downfalls, and this one isn’t any different. The first thing that players will notice is that the art style of the game isn’t’ anything extraordinary, leaving players wishing that there was a little
bit more to look at. Also, the complete lack of a good soundtrack gets to be very frustrating, especially with the amount of time that players will want to spend with the game. It may quickly be found that turning off the
sound and turning on an MP3 is a better way to enjoy the game. The music does work well with combos that are made in the game, but the songs are going to be easily forgotten, even if the game play won’t be. The
other thing that many players will be disappointed with is the fact that there is no multiplayer in the game at all. Though it may not be something that should turn players away from the game altogether, it should be noted
for a possible future title.
Though the concept of the game is simple, “Droplitz” offers players with a good amount of challenge. Players will find that they will pick up the game and when they finally set it down, a couple of hours have already
passed. This is a game that is easily addictive, and any gamer that has enjoyed titles like “Hexic” and “Bejeweled,” it can be said without a doubt, “Droplitz” is one puzzle game that is worth adding to the collection.
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