Builder's Block

"The Most Frantic Puzzler In Years!"

Taito have made some classic puzzle games in their time but after a quiet spell they blasted back with this gem, Landmaker. If you’re a puzzle game fan, you can stop reading and go and buy this now, its that good. If not, read on, and you’ll be hooked.
The only things Landmaker borrows from its fellow compatriots are that you are in an area and you are an arrow type thing at the bottom, you get different coloured building blocks and you must shoot them up to the top of the screen and arrange them in a specific shape to get rid of them and score points.
Once again, it’s an extremely simple concept and once again it feels familiar.
The thing is, this time you must build up buildings by getting the same colours in an equal square formation! This means 3x3, 4x4, 5x5 and so on up to 8x8. You then must hit the same colour block on the point of the front block facing you to make it disappear. Bigger buildings mean more points. Add on top of that, that each building gives you a power up depending on how big it was and your in for a fiendish and devilishly addictive time.
As always it’s the 2-player mode that people love the most and the modes on offer don’t disappoint. The rounds are frantic as whatever blocks you get rid of, end up on your opponents side and vice versa! It is a frantic game and there’s no telling how long you’ll be battling for! The battle mode of the game is the evilest 2-player mode, where you have to collect a certain amount of coins by getting rid of blocks. Thing is, frequently the leading player will get wiped out by having their blocks reach the edge of the playing area and have to start over again. Frustrating as it is, it’s magnificently addictive!
The big change here though for Landmaker is that the 1 player mode stands on its own! There’s a pointless story like mode, which is a joy to play as you are given harder and harder puzzles and only a certain amount of moves to do it in as the wall at the back moves forward after a couple of moves. There’s also the obligatory vs. against the computer, which is always a challenge.
The graphics are suitably Japanese orientated but are on the right side of cute and lovable and with nice big and bold buildings but as always, it’s the game play that puzzlers want and Taito has got it spot on with Landmaker. You’ll have no idea just how addicted you’ll get until you play.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/19/02, Updated 06/30/03