Customer Reviews

Wind and Water: Puzzle Battles

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"Wind and Water Puzzle Battles" joins other recent independent Dreamcast titles, proving that the Dreamcast isn't dead. What is most refreshing about "Wind and Water" is that it is not a scrolling shooter, which 90% of the other indy releases are. "Wind and Water" is much more akin to "Puyo Pop" or "Tetris" but with it's own unique rules. The game involves a large cast of characters and a surprisingly fun story. Basically, you play a character within the game who is working with the game's developers to help complete the game's development. Charlie Kaufman would be proud. Level progression takes place on a "Super Mario Bros. 3" like map and includes a number of non-puzzle mini-games. Suffice to say, this game offers a lot in gameplay AND extras. Would you believe the entire game was made by two brothers? Don't hesitate, buy this game!

Let me begin this review by stating that I am generally a huge supporter of independent releases like Wind & Water: Puzzle Battles - that is, games that haven't been approved for release by the hardware manufacturer that often has abandoned the system it is played on. In the case of Wind & Water: Puzzle Battles, however, I make exception to that norm not only because the game is incredibly overpriced at $40, but due to the game's excessive similarities with several other puzzle games including Alexey Pajitnov's, (of Tetris fame,) Hexic and Hexic HD.

Wind & Water: Puzzle Battles tries to make its own mark on the tile-flipping puzzle formula by including a competition mode, a time-based point multiplier, "battles" against computer-controlled characters ala Puzzle Quest or Tetris Attack, and a few mindless mini-games. Trouble is none of this is completely original by any means, even on the Dreamcast which wasn't exactly known for having a lot of great puzzle games. In fact, it isn't anything that can't be found in similar $5-$10 downloadable games which brings us to the final point of this review: Wind & Water: Puzzle Battles was originally a ~$12 downloadable game for the little-known portable GP2X system. There the game's low resolution graphics, meandering music, and pick up & play style game play feel much more at home than what is being portrayed now as a full-blow Dreamcast release.

If you must own a Dreamcast puzzle game, for $40 you can easily buy most or possibly all of the Dreamcast's better puzzle games including Bust-a-Move 4, Next Tetris, Mr. Driller, Puyo Puyo Fever, or even another independently released Dreamcast game, the four player, tile-flipping puzzler Inhabitants. Those would be purchases much better spent.