A palm pilot is the perfect home for Pixelus as the game can be played for a quick five to ten minute bus wait, or for a more drawn out addicted gaming session.
The gameplay in Pixelus is simple enough so anyone can play but can still tease the brain of the veteran puzzle gamers, like any good puzzle game should. It is the player?s job to complete a pixelated image by adding in the missing pixels. However, the goal is to do it with the least amount of moves possible. This is not as easy as it sounds because each missing pixel can only be launched from the perimeter of the screen. These pixels will slide until they come in contact with another pixel; otherwise they would just travel off the other edge of the screen. Herein lies the need to think ahead. Pixels must be used to place other pixels in their place. In order to perfectly place pixels on the interior of the image, you will often need to place a temporary pixel first, launch another pixel to land up against the temporary one, and then use a clear line-of-sight to vacuum up and recover the temporary pixel again.
After each level is completed, an award is given. Gold means that the level was completed with the least amount of moves possible while Silver and Bronze are self-explanatory. The more levels that are completed, the more that are unlocked. The game boasts tons of different puzzles to solve, but this is really the only type of replay value. Once a puzzle is complete, there is little reason to go back other than to get a Gold medal.
Some puzzles are harder than others, naturally. But when the player has exhausted all options and frustration has peaked, then the automatic hint option is a must. The player can access this hint mode any time from the option menu. This hint technique will be the saving grace for many players as this is the type of game that can frustrate and anger players within a relatively short amount of time. This is an option that puzzle game purists will not resort to using, as it is like a dirty little secret that everyone knows but won?t ever talk about.
The graphics support a nice Roman/Greek influenced theme and setting. Each level supports characters and environments from this ancient time period. As the story progresses, the shipwrecked main character must offer his pixel-laying skills to help famous mythical gods in exchange for safe passage home. There really isn?t a whole lot going on in the graphics department as most of the game is composed of static images, but each sprite, and especially the map selection screen have all been created with detail. The game even contains music and sound effects. Unfortunately, there are only a few tunes throughout the game, so some repetition will set in. But Palm games aren?t exactly known for their music or sound capabilities.
If you are looking for a solid game to play on your Palm, you really cannot go wrong with Pixelus. It is an easygoing game that can be played with all seriousness or become more user friendly through the use of hints. The game?s many puzzles will ensure hours of play, and obtaining gold medal will only increase the time spent with this game. Puzzle fan or not, Pixelus works really well on a Palm pilot and is worthy of a purchase.
