Review: Aqua Panic Deluxe

Released on December 1st of this year, Aqua Panic for the iPhone and iPad provides a hit console title for those on the go. Yes, you could still carry around your PSP for whenever you want to load this title up, but the iPhone and iPad version offer features and services that the console version isn't capable of. But does this mean that Aqua Panic is better fit for the Apple products? The answer to that isn't really that simple.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Appears January 11, 2026

Just in time for Halloween, today, Capcom announced an official North American release date for Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, a unique DS game in which you play as a ghost who must "haunt" various objects in order to solve puzzles and hopefully get to the bottom of what exactly happened to him.

DS gamers can find out more about Sissel and his unique abilities starting January 11, 2011.

Blue Toad Murder Files Sneaks To PC November 24

It's fairly unusual for a mystery adventure game to hit consoles before PCs, but so was the case for British Developer Relentless Software's Blue Toad Mystery Files, which released this year over the course of several months on PS3's PlayStation Network. However, there's good news for PC gamers, as Relentless has announced the entire series will be available in a bundle for PC starting November 24.

Professor Layton 3 Coming September 12

Layton fans have a spot of good news today: apparently the good professor has the ability to turn back time, as his upcoming game, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future will be arriving in North America a week earlier than originally announced, September 12, 2010.

Konami Puts Some Puzzle Into Your Castlevania

There are people who are entirely opposed to puzzle games. There are people who have never played, let alone enjoyed, a Castlevania game. If you ask me, those people are insane. Konami is a Titan of the video game industry, puzzle games can be extremely entertaining, and Castlevania is one of the best side scrolling action series ever. That being said, I couldn't be much more excited about Konami's announcement of a new title in the Castlevania series, Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night.

Spawn Kill Favorites: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

I'll start off by confessing that I've been playing this game off and on for nearly a year. It's just one of those games that's great to pick up and play for a little while, set it down, and come back to it later. It's also one of my all-time favorite games for the DS (it's also available on nearly every other platform), even though it's far from perfect. But a game doesn't have to be "perfect" to be fun, does it? Even though I've finished the story mode, I know I'll keep playing whenever the "match 3" bug strikes me, and I'm very eagerly awaiting the true sequel, which promises to do nothing but improve over the first game. (more...)

Review: Polar Panic

Eiconic Games has aimed to combine modern-day visuals with old-school puzzle appeal. Their latest title Polar Panic hearkens back to a simpler era when characters moved a square at a time and story progression was denoted on a flat overworld map. While their fundamental goal was well-met, Polar Panic seems to lack a few contemporary staples.

Review: Bust a Move Live!

Puzzle Bobble, also known as Bust a Move, has been a staple of my puzzle gaming regimen for many years now. Though there's absolutely nothing to learning the game's basics, this deceptively simple facade has been the downfall of many gamers who have fallen prey to the "just one more level" mindset. Case in point -- at 4:45 am, I finally downloaded the game for review for a quick peek. At 6:00 am, I decided that sleep might be a good idea and turned off the 360, subsequently losing all of the progress I had made. The funny thing is, I didn't mind at all. That just meant I could conquer those levels again. That, my friends, is the mark of a fantastic puzzler. Bust a Move Live! deserves that honor as well as your hard-earned cash. (more...)

Review: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

After recently completing the original Professor Layton title, I was eagerly awaiting the US arrival of the second in the series, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. The sequel picks up where the first left off, as Layton receives a letter from his mentor mentioning the mysterious Elysian Box, said to kill all who dare open it. Fearing for his friend's safety, Layton and Luke immediately set off to visit him. So begins the second adventure of the famous puzzle-solving professor. But does this installment continue the magic of the first, or is it something best left unexplored? (more...)

Review: Roogoo: Twisted Towers

When Roogoo first hit the Xbox Live Arcade, I found it to be a wholly adorable and entertaining puzzler experience. I never expected it to launch into a full-fledged franchise with sequels and games crossing over to other platforms, but that's exactly what happened. SouthPeak has hit a home run with this simple puzzler, though its Wii iteration leaves much to be desired. Roogoo: Twisted Towers for the Wii offers up some puzzle fun... if you can get past some completely ridiculous camera angles. (more...)