Bite Sized Puzzler
Derived from the retail DS game Planet Puzzle League, Puzzle League Express takes the core of said game and strips off some of the extra baggage. The price, coming in at a mere five dollars, makes up in a large way for what is lost in translation. No more multiplayer, no online component whatsoever, and some other trimmings here and there. Ultimately though, the package is nice and rounded out for a downloadable title, and it makes a great edition to any DSi.
The premise of Puzzle League Express is based on the idea of lining up at least three blocks of the same color. You do so by sliding blocks within a stack left and right until you line up a winning combination. Once those blocks are cleared, gravity kicks in and previously supported blocks will fall downward. Skilled players can take this time to line up combo's, increasing your score. The learning curve is a bit steep, but the game has a built in hint system which highlights combo possibilities. While you play the stack grows towards the top of the screen, a process that will end your game. You can increase the rate of the growth if you start feeling confident, but generally the idea is to keep the height of the pile under control.
The root concept is realized in four different modes: Endless, Score Attack, Vs. Com, and Clear. Endless mode and Score Attack are cut from the same cloth, with the former having you go on an endurance run until you allow the blocks to reach the top of the screen, and Score Attack has you on a two minute rush to get as many points as possible. Clear mode offers a bit more variety, sending you through preset stages with the challenge of clearing blocks above a line. It's an interesting option, but there aren't many stages to take part in. The final mode, Vs. Com, is essentially the multiplayer mode from the original retail title, just with a non-human opponent. As you play better, you can cause problems for the computer, and vice-verse.
The presentation of Puzzle League Express is one of its high points. The brilliant music and backgrounds from the original have been carried over, as well as the great diversity in the options. The game defaults to the horizontal "book" style of holding the DSi, but if you prefer you can change it to the traditional vertical position. Additionally you have the option of using either the stylus or buttons to slide blocks on the grid. The stylus controls however are much more intuitive, offering a smooth motion across the screen. Still, fans of Puzzle League predating the DS may still prefer the more traditional options.
Overall Puzzle League Express is a great example of condensing a product into a downloadable package. I'm not a huge fan of the idea of reusing an old game concept and selling it as something new, but Puzzle League Express is a complete enough package even with some missing features from the original. It's also nice to have access to a great pick up and play puzzle title without the need for a cartridge. If you're looking for the deepest Puzzle League experience available, seek out the original DS cartridge. Otherwise this satisfying taste of it will be more than enough to tame your hunger.