1. As a big fan of puzzle games (especially meteos) I am also quite curious to know how this game is.

Posted at 9:06AM on Apr 4th 2007 by DrunkPenguin

2. I'm passing on it.

Still holding out for some kind of BigFishGames pack or something.

Posted at 9:06AM on Apr 4th 2007 by strider_mt2k

3. This is far and away the most compelling game to be released on the DS since Elite Beat Agents. It may even surpass it. Certainly, in terms of sheer addictiveness, it's miles beyond EBA.

The RPG elements are surprisingly deep, and the spells and special abilities you use during "battle" is a refreshing change from your average puzzle game.

The value appears to be top-notch as well- there already seems like there's too many quests to go on, spells to learn, weapons to forge, castles to build, monsters to capture, cities to conquer, and stats to level up to ever finish. And I'm only a Level 15 Knight. There are three additional character classes you can play the game through with too.

There's a steep learning curve to the puzzle, and at first it's going to seem like your DS Lite is cheating. But once you get the hang of it and start recognizing the combos, that sensation goes away.

It's a must-buy.

I got it at www.Buy.Com. They were selling it cheap, $26.99 or something. Shipping would have been reasonable if I didn't get impatient and pay for two-day mail.

Posted at 9:17AM on Apr 4th 2007 by KilgoreTrout XL

4. Let me preface this by saying I can't stop playing the game. I just can't. I should, though.

Why?

I thought, not too long ago, how when we were kids, playin' the ol' NES, if something was merely too difficult, we would exclaim that "the game cheats". Thinking back, I admit this was merely a result of my own lack of ability.

This game, however, cheats like a mofo. You'll make your move, thinking you've done well, and then the enemy will proceed to get -exactly the gems he/she/it needs- to wail on you for several consecutive turns.

The RPG element is rather simplistic, and one could argue, pointless - but it works. It makes me want to continue playing - even after turning the game off in disgust.

Multiplayer mode is at least kinda fun, though.

Posted at 9:29AM on Apr 4th 2007 by Ryan D.

5. The demo is a good indication of whether you'll be hooked or not. If you explore the gameplay (not just the puzzles, but the levelling, questing, citadel building, etc) and find it boring, I doubt the full game will sway you.

If your main hesitation comes from the limitations of the demo (you want more and you're not sure there IS more), get the game. The difficulty will satisfy any puzzler, the branching storyline works for RPG lovers, and the game has serious longevity.

As far as I'm concerned, they've made the perfect puzzler by giving it different levels of interaction. Meteos and Elite Beat Agents are great, but they now seem one-dimensional by comparison.

Posted at 9:31AM on Apr 4th 2007 by Xian!

6. As far as the cheating AI, I found that it works both ways. Often times taking a risk on a particular gem dropping from above to complete that 4-set works out fairly well. Also, the game requires one to have some degree of blocksense to prevent that from happening to you.

Posted at 9:34AM on Apr 4th 2007 by MoeWong

7. Yes, it's very good. If you work the spell mechanics then about when you get to level 15 you're so powerful that the Bejeweled part of the game gets pretty easy. But it's still fun and engaging.

The NDS conversion is pretty poor; terrible fonts, bad music samples, some annoying bugs and slowdowns. Apparently the PSP conversion isn't great either. Shame, because the PC demo is great and there's no reason this game couldn't be stellar on the NDS.

Posted at 10:00AM on Apr 4th 2007 by Nelson

8. You really should buy this game and play it. It's a totally unique experience in gaming, very addictive and hefty in size. A value for sure. I've had it for a little while now and it's the standout in the 14 games that I own. Look at the sales figures if you don't belive me.

Posted at 10:01AM on Apr 4th 2007 by chessmaster

9. This is a MUST BUY game! I'm completely addicted, and the best description I can come up with is that PQ: COW is a cross between Bejeweled and Magic: The Gathering, with a few light RPG elements thrown in. It also has that wonderful "pick up and play" ease that quickly draws you in, but there's so much to it, and even a decent if stereotypical story.

Buy this game if you enjoy puzzle games at all--you simply won't be disappointed.

Posted at 10:01AM on Apr 4th 2007 by PocketGoddess

10. Well that settles it, I am going to take a quick trip through my local commercial mecca to try and buy this game.

Posted at 10:11AM on Apr 4th 2007 by DrunkPenguin

11. I'm in love with this game. Granted, I am addicted to Zoo keeper as well, but like what has been said before, I love the added element of battle with spells. The quests are fun, and the part about not dying when you lose a battle is good for me too. I'm not putting this game down for a long while!
I haven't really experienced a 'cheating AI', sometimes I'm lucky, sometimes he's lucky. But then again I'm not that good at lining up moves yet either.

Posted at 10:14AM on Apr 4th 2007 by divinenanny

12. The AI does not cheat; the developers are on record saying so on their forums.

Posted at 10:21AM on Apr 4th 2007 by Nelson

13. As a fan of puzzle games, I think it's great. I don't think that this is anything to get if you are looking for a serious RPG though. It is more puzzle than RPG, in my opinion. BUT, you do level up, and the different items and weapons you have and spells you equip do affect game play, and different enemies do present different challenges.

It is flawed though. I don't care what anyone says - the computer pulls super awesome moves out of it's arse, and it can be frustrating. But, I'm slowly beginning to realize that the computer AI is part of the game's addictiveness. Also, the audio on the DS is annoyingly loud. You can change it to comfortable levels in the Settings, but you have to go in and change it every time you play. Annoying.

Blah, blah, blah - bottom line: It's worth hunting down.

Posted at 10:34AM on Apr 4th 2007 by remraf

14. KilgoreTrout XL said it very well. This is a fantastic game, for all the reasons mentioned above. I also want to go on record saying that it *does not cheat*. The computer is simply A) quick to make decisions, B) quick to identify 4-of-a-kind matches on the board, and C) possibly aware of potential combos. When you combine these things it looks like the computer cheats. I do think there is plenty of luck involved in play, contrary to what the developers might tell you. I prefer it like this though.

It should be noted that the DS version (and possibly the PSP version) has an unimpressive presentation. Occasionally lame or non-existent sound effects and animations, and boring artwork for the pieces. They get the job done though, and this is not the type of game that lives or dies by the quality of its presentation.

Verdict: GO GET IT.

Posted at 10:47AM on Apr 4th 2007 by Jason

15. I bought this game for my son, and he played it once or twice. I'm thinking about giving it a try, but he has lost the manual. Is it possible to learn to play without the manual?

Posted at 10:56AM on Apr 4th 2007 by ed

16. KilgoreTrout XL: Let's not say anything we can't take back, here. The little Bejeweled thing here is okay, but surpassing Elite Beat Agents?

Posted at 11:05AM on Apr 4th 2007 by JC Fletcher

17. I agree with the majority, definately worth the purchase. One of the things I like most about it is that there are different goals for puzzles, depdending on what you're trying to accomplish. Capturing monsters requires you to clear the puzzle board while learning spells requires you to clear a certain amount of colored jewels along with a certain amount of scrolls, which are only generated by making 4 or 5 gem combos. Making new items (Runes) requires you to clear a certain amount of Anvil & Hammers.

Aside from the main quest, there's plenty to do, from side quests, capturing monsters, sieging cities, capturing mounts, etc.

Just to give you an idea of how much I like this game, I have a DS, but before this game, rarely played it. My son played it more than me. And it wasn't from a lack of games. My wife has Trauma Center, Phoenix Wright 1 & 2, Hotel Dusk and Cooking Mama, my son has Super Mario Bros., Diddy Kong Racing, Animal Crossing and Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time. So, I've had plenty of games to choose from and I still rarely played. Now, with Puzzle Quest, I take my DS everywhere. Grocery store, work, bathroom; basically anywhere that I might have an opportunity to play for a few minutes. If that's not the sign of a good game, I don't know what is.

Enjoy.

Posted at 11:24AM on Apr 4th 2007 by Liquid Swords

18. All I know is, I love it.

I've been alternating between this and Custom Robo Arena for the past week, though; I definitely like PQ more.

Posted at 11:43AM on Apr 4th 2007 by Phil

19. @ ed: Yes, I think you can learn to play without the manual. Check www.gamefaq.com, I'm sure you'll find answers to any questions you might have.

Posted at 12:00PM on Apr 4th 2007 by Liquid Swords

20. so, i'm a level 34 knight... what does that mean? it means i play this game waaaayyyyy toooooo muuuuuch! i have to say that i rarely lose a battle these days, but i find going on all the side quests impossible to avoid... it just sucks me in... and i still have trouble on the more logic-type elimination puzzles that are required to capture creatures... and forging new weapons becomes harder as well because the more anvils you need the more likely you'll get a mana drain before achieving your goal

for those that say the AI cheats, you might be right... however, i have discovered that my playing methods have changed drastically since i started playing and i fall victim to those crazy chains much less often, even catch a few myself...

and i actually see some signs that the game may get more difficult... recently i've started encountering a lot more enemies that will block my spells... this really changes your strategy a lot and i enjoy those battles much more... hopefully that will be more of an occurrence... unfortunately, i don't think blocking spells is an active thing because i block them sometimes without doing anything... it would be good if you could use a spell to block a spell, but maybe i just haven't figured that out yet...

i'd say buy the game, but beware... in order not to play it i literally have to leave my DS home

Posted at 12:07PM on Apr 4th 2007 by WexusNexus