Columns

"Loves puzzle games? Try Columns."

It's been cloned and re-cloned. I'm sure there are a billion free versions of it on the internet. That said, there is no excuse for you to not play "Columns." Columns is, in principle, a simple game. Line three or more gems in a row, they disappear, repeat. But anyone can do that. The real challenge of this game is playing it marathon style on the hardest difficulty setting. Oh, c'mon! You're a "modern gamer," right? You've saved princesses and destroyed alien shrines. Surely, a simple puzzle game often incorrectly labeled as a "Tetris knock-off" can't be too hard for you, can it?

Sound: The music in this game is great. I wish I could find the songs so I could put them on my iPod. They're that good.

Graphics: Well, there isn't much to work with except the jewels and they look pretty good. Nothing exceptional, though

Gameplay: Alright, as I said before, this is a simple game. If you're looking for a challenge, play this on the hardest

difficulty for as long as you can stand it. I suggest you work up to it, though. There is a multiplayer mode. You could see who can handle the highest difficulty the longest.

Summary: In the words of Joe Rogan, "It ain't the best ride... but there's no line." This game may not be the best game I've ever played, but it is fun and can be addicting. If you really want to play it on the Genesis, you should play it on 6pak. If you don't feel like buying 6pak (for instance if you smoked crack and lost proper judgement), you could easily find a version of this game online. It might not have all the bells and whistles such as the original music or difficulty settings, but it should do. If you're playing it on the computer, I guess you could just listen to your MP3 files. This can be an addicting game and if you play it long enough, you will see it when you close your eyes.

7 out 10 Poptarts

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/30/07