Fans of Tetris should seriously consider it.
The game follows a classic Tetris mechanic, with objects falling down to be stacked into a vertical column. Things get a little different however when you start taking into account how every object, each a differently sized and weighted piece of garbage, can be broken and turned into smaller more-manageable pieces. This is really the crux of Trash Panic's strategy, using objects to crush other objects in order to keep your trash can from overflowing. If three objects overflow within the course of a level, however, it's Game Over. But that's just the tip of the insanity iceberg. There are objects that are too soft to be properly crushed and destroyed, items you aren't supposed to destroy (called mottanai, which means something in Japanese I cannot possibly fathom) but rather have to safely transport to the bottom, with a penalty doled out for failing to do so (imagine a giant angry rain of rubber balls or steel barrels filling up your garbage can). Objects can be decomposed with the use of a "decomposition orb", or you can use the occasional fire item to set the contents of your trashcan ablaze, though some objects burn better than others, while some detritus doesn't burn at all. There's even a temperature gauge at the side of your trashcan, telling you how hot the fire is and therefore how rapidly items burn, and an oxygen gauge, which comes into play when you shut your garbage can's lid on a blaze, rapidly increasing the heat but extinguishing the oxygen supply. You can shake the PS3 controller to shake your trashcan, in an attempt to move or dislodge objects. If all else fails you can set fire to an explosive, such as a propane canister or bundle of dynamite, to simply destroy large sections of trash in your can (As well as portions of the background). Oh, and each level has a boss piece of trash that needs to be destroyed. I feel that needs repeating to really sink in: BOSS. TRASH.
At the end of every level, after desperately trying to position, shake and destroy everything so that your can doesn't overflow, you're graded on how ecologically you threw out your trash, from E to SSS rank. Saving mottanai items, decomposing objects, and keeping your can neat and tidy all give you positive ECO points. Overflowing, destroying mottanai items, using bombs, or creating a "carbon footprint" (ie. burning stuff) all warrant negative EGO points. Needless to say it's very, very easy to get EGO points in Trash Panic; I don't think I ever once ranked higher than a B, even on its easiest difficulty. Which goes into Trash Panic's real flaw- This game is HARD. Teeth-grinding, migraine-inducing, screaming-at-your-TV difficult. You can go from managing the contents of your trash to having one item failing to break on contact, the next item getting stuck, and now your can's blocked and every subsequent item is overflowing. Things can go terribly wrong in a matter of seconds on any difficulty. Couple this with occasionally strange glitches, such as heavy objects suddenly bouncing out of your can for no reason, and broken trash floating in midair, and you will at some point want to quit out of frustration.
Everything about Trash Panic is also really, really Japanese, which basically just means crazy. The game's mascots are strange, freakishly-limbed black monsters that really serve no other purpose than to stare at you disconcertingly whilst you manage your trash. The graphics look ripped straight from Katamari Damacy, with its hyper-stylized watercolor hues, and the music is every j-pop or electrosynth song you've ever related to Japanese culture. Pretty much everything in Trash Panic is an eclectic mix of cute, strange, yet oddly addicting fun.
Trash Panic is a game that certainly has some faults, most of which stemming from its excessive difficulty and occasional glitches. It's addictive Tetris-with-a-twist mechanics, catchy music and crazy details however will keep you coming back for more. And with a one on one multiplayer and mission mode in addition to it's main puzzle gameplay this game is a bargain at only five dollars. If you've ever loved Tetris, or even just have any sort of attachment to puzzle games you should seriously consider downloading Trash Panic.
By Chris Norris-Jones - Systemlink Blog
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