Columns

"Old School drop down puzzle game"

We've seen many good puzzle games for each system that define fun of puzzle games. Nintendo Entertainment System had Tetris, and Genesis has Columns. Columns is what started the puzzle craze for the Sega Genesis as Tetris did for Nintendo.

Columns is a unique twist on Tetris that takes individual jewels in sets of 3 instead of blocks in different shapes and sizes. Their are 3 jewels from top to bottom in a piece. Each piece can be switched from top to bottom to change around the color of the piece. For example, there is a blue jewel, a red jewel and a yellow jewel in that order from top to bottom. You have the ability to rearrange the jewel in order so it can read red, yellow, blue or yellow blue, red. It's a simple yet effective developed system. The object of the game is to match up 3 of the same colors in a row by switching the jewels around to make those 3 colors disappear. Jewels will keep dropping until eventually the screen fills up with the jewels and no matchs are made. Once this happens the game is over.

To complain about Columns by saying there is no story, is about as useful as saying water is wet. It's painfully obvious on both parts, but it is over looked. Columns has no story rather it relies on it's strick gameplay.

The graphics are of somewhat importance to determine whether or not a jewel is of a certain color to be distinguished. If your on a black and white TV it can get complicated, but each jewel is designed for that matter just in case. The bigger the TV , the more botchy the jewels look.

Gamplay is what this game is all about. It's a puzzle game that is simple and easy to pick up, but hard to master. The jewels fall faster as you advance in points and levels. The jewels will begin to fall so fast, you won't have time to make out what your doing in the game.

The replay value is phenominal. That's all that can be said about it. Like all puzzle games, replay value is what's thought of in the game design to keep playing over and over and over due to the fact there is no real levels or bosses in a puzzle game.

Overall I give this game a 6. When I compare it to other puzzle games, the graphics just annoy me to the point were it's to goudy and tacky to continue to play. I've played this game when it first came out, and I would of given it the same score as I do today.

This game get's a 6 out of 10

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 04/17/03, Updated 04/17/03