Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

"The best game currently out for the Nintendo DS."

For the longest time, everyone was ready for Final Fantasy III. Now, the newcomer from a fairly obscure game developing company has came through with a surprisingly great game. Puzzle Quest : "Challenge of the Warlords" - it is a mix of RPG and a Bejeweled-like clone. Sounds awful? You bet!

Bejeweled was only fun for your mom or slightly 'slow' computer gamer friend. Not so. Mix in basic role playing elements such as stereotypical monsters such as orcs and goblins, and put in a type of leveling 'reward' system, and you have a game that cannot be beat.

If you own a Nintendo DS, don't waste any more time and buy this right away. Amazon is selling it for $29.95. This game has everything, and there is no reason not to buy it. I have spent this most time with this game and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Final Fantasy III had it's moments (and is still in my rotation) but Puzzle Quest is shaping up to be a very clever game made from some unknown developers.

This game was surprisingly hard as a "Sorcerer" and even after many hours there are many challengers that have to be re-challenged. Even though you are matching "3 similar" jewels at a time it is tougher and cooler then paper can let on. To deal "damage" to your person's hitpoints, you can save up groups of 3's (or 4 or 5) and use it to cast a "spell" or use a "skill" that can either do damage or affect the other persons "jewel" pool (mana pool). For example, you can cast "mana burn" (without using your turn) for 4 red jewels and 4 yellow jewels, and it will burn the other players mana pool by -5 for each one. Or, for 4 red and (x) yellow you can cast "burning hands" and steal 8 red jewels (up to 8) and add it to your mana pool (costs a turn)

This is similar to 'equipment' and "mounts" - buy equipment and it will affect your mana pool, deal extra damage, etc. After fighting the same opponent 3 times (3 giant rats! 3 orcs) you can "capture" them - and the mini game to capture them is very tough (at least to me -) You have to clear a stage of every jewel. After you get the mount, you can level it up by beating an opponent within a certain timer time that decreases as it levels. At level 1 you have 20 seconds / move to defeat the opponent, at leve 6 you have 14 seconds / move, etc.

Get quests from towns, have "8" extra characters that each can do something during battle. (Currently, I have one that deals 10 damage to undead and one that gives you a positive bonus fighting against "good" opponents (non evil types)

Very fun game, I am off to play it now! I have enjoyed this game so much I have built a website dedicated to it. Check it out at PuzzleQuest.Blogspot.com

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/02/07