BrickShooter is a wonderful “combinatorial puzzle” game based on a unique twist on Tetris. The best way to describe the game is perhaps to think of what happens when you combine Rubik’s Cube with Tetris and BlockOut. While alot of puzzles games are moderately difficult, BrickShooter will test not only your reflexes, but also your strategy and logic as well. Basically, the game is played from a 2D top-down perspective, where you must fill a ten by ten grid with colored brick about five to seven rows deep. But the bricks don’t fall from the sky. Instead, they are lined up in three rows surrounding this grid board and in plain view. The purpose of the game, similar to Tetris, is to clear the center grid area of all bricks, and though it starts off with a few bricks, achieving this goal is a daunting task that even Tetris will have a hard time completing. Once the grid is filled or you are left with no movement options, then it's game over. It’s fast, fun, and challenging – all the hallmarks of a great puzzle game. In contrast with most shareware games, the free shareware version of BrickShooter does not have any gameplay options, but there is a 30-minute time limit. This provides enough time for you to evaluate the game in all its glory before deciding whether or not to pay for the registered version. With top-notch gameplay, fun twist on the old idea, and an intuitive controls and easy-to-understand objectives, BrickShooter is one of the best Tetris variants I have played in a very long time. The PalmOS and WindowsCE versions are also available for owners of handheld devices who want some arcade/puzzle fun to keep them occupied during boring meetings. Two thumbs up, way up! Reviewed by: Underdogs |