Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Polarium Paves The Way, July 18, 2005
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
In the vein of classic puzzle games, Polarium is very easy to learn but exceptionally hard to master. The object is to draw a single continuous line thereby changing the polarity (ie color) of the tiles so an entire row matches and disappears from the screen. It's a simple concept but you'll soon find yourself stumped as the blocks pile higher and higher.
People that have difficulty with spatial relations and seeing patterns might be frustrated, but sticking with Polarium will surely eventually help improve those skills, something which makes the game especially good for children. This is a game that truly is for everyone (over age five that is).
There are four modes of play. Challenge is an endless string of blocks falling and it's your job to score the highest points. Puzzle is a collection of 100 grids you have to solve with one continuous line. These puzzles get extremely challenging very quickly and will surely please more seasoned players. In addition you can create your own puzzles and share them with friends. And last but not least the game features wireless multiplayer.
One of my few nit picks with the game is that you don't have a choice of background music. Thankfully, it's very good music, but still it would be nice to change it up now and again. To make up for this though the game has you draw a picture to identify you on the highest scores list. It's a great feature that makes the experience that much more personal. Several times I've spent more time creating a cool icon for my listing than I did playing the game itself.
If you like puzzle games or are interested in trying one out, you owe it to yourself to pick up Polarium. This is one game that is sure to remembered as a classic in years to come.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Time Killer, December 28, 2006
Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
This game suffers from a few minor flaws, but I personally keep my copy in my DS lite as the default. Why? Becuse it's the ideal game to play when waiting for the bus, the perfect game when your buddy is taking his time getting ready to go, and the best way to forget how long you've been waiting for your boss in the parking lot.
Polariums flaws are forgivable, and its gameplay rewarding. First, the control can be unresponsive, and it can cost you. The touch screen is used to draw a small golden cube across the colored bricks in order to complete a line which will change the polarity of the bricks (switch from black/white to white/black). However, pull the stylus in the wrong direction and you'll find your line stalled out, or the line is drawn in a way you didn't intend, and this can be frustrating, bt it's part of the games challenge. Second, I wish there were a few more sound tracks, the ones that have been included in Polarium are good, but with as simple as the gameplay is, I would have liked to hear a few more fashion-show trancey tunes emitted from my DS speakers.
On the good side, the puzzle mode is challenging and addictive, as well as highly rewarding; the completion of each puzzle sees the tiles vanish in a glimmer of golden particles and a jingle sound to announce your success, simple sleek and strangely pleasing.
The game includes 100 templates on which you can design and save your own puzzles, giving the game a little more depth in its multiplayer potential.
Alternatively, the game offers a challenging tetris style play mode that becomes very difficult very quickly, and offers this in a multiplayer option.
Overall, I'm pleased by the simple monochromatic presentation of Polarium, but I would have liked to see a little more variety in the BGM. This game is at it's best when you have about ten minutes to kill, such as the bus stop, and I reccomend it for the casual gamer.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just...can't...stop...PLAYING!!!!! (A multi-category review), May 9, 2005
A Kid's Review
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
Puzzle games are supposed to be the most addictive games around, but this is ridiculous. On a full DS charge, I usually start playing this game and don't stop until the unit shuts itself out. Then I plug it in, think about it for a bit, then keep playing the unit while it's charging! Heck, my Super Mario 64 DS and Rayman DS copies are probably going to be sitting for a long time before I start playing either of them again.
I am giving up time playing Polarium right now to write this Multi-Category review, but despite the time shortage, I'll add on another category to my preexisting seven: a new Multiplayer category, because that area deserves special mention.
Read this review and start flipping the tiles.
PLOTLINE: Guide a weird golden geometric figure around a playing field full of black and white tiles to form a line around them, then tap the last tile in the line to flip all the tiles you drew over, hopefully forming solid-color horizontal rows that vanish and give you points. there are three main gameplay modes, and they are the fast-paced Challenge mode, the brain-twisting Puzzle mode, and the frantic fun of Versus mode. The game overall: simple, but challenging. RATING: 10
GRAPHICS: Like most puzzle games, this one clearly says, "Graphics, schmaphics." The great gameplay covers up this fact completely. Plus, with almost no colors other than black, gray, and white, this game is easy to see in almost any lighting situation. A vast contrast from the color-rich Rayman DS, in which the only place you can play it in is a closed closet. RATING: 8.5
SOUND: The sound effects are cool, and so is the background music. The music doesn't distract you in Puzzle mode, making it easier to clear out the more difficult situations. RATING: 9
CONTROL: I was a bit wary when the game's manual said it was completely stylus-driven (no buttons will work other than the obvious Power button), but a few minutes of gameplay demonstates that buttons would actually hinder this game. There are two ways to draw lines, and you can choose between sliding the stylus across the screen (drawing) or clicking each corner on the line in order. There are a few skeptics who may look at this game and say that the D-Pad could be another control option, but it's obvious that that would be a nightmare in something fast like Challenge or Versus. RATING: 10
MULTIPLAYER: If the game's single-player modes sparkle like a gem, then the multiplayer shines brighter than the sun. Versus mode is multicard play, so unlike Super Mario 64 DS, you can join with another Polarium player and start playing almost immediately. You can also create your own custom puzzles and trade them with other users who own the game. Got a friend who doesn't have the game? Then you can have them turn on their Download Play and send them a Polarium demo. The demo contains the full Tutorial, 10 puzzles, and the Versus mode option. The best part? You can then turn off your DS, leaving them to play their Polarium demo as long as their DS is on. Truly, Polarium's multiplayer is far superior to Super Mario 64 DS's. RATING: 10
GLITCHES: None. RATING: 10
ENTERTAINMENT: The puzzle game I've ever- I repeat, ever - played. RATING: 10
REPLAY VALUE: You can always get a higher score on Challenge, beat someone at Versus, or create or solve another puzzle. The Replay is practically infinite. RATING: 9.5
OVERALL RATING: 9.6
A FINAL WORD: Polarium is not only one of the best puzzle games ever, but it's also one of the best games on the DS. Get a copy today!
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