Simplistic Arcade Puzzler
posted by SegaVyse (AUBURN, AL) Apr 18, 2010
Member since Nov 2009
Puchi Puchi Virus is an arcade puzzler, one of those puzzle games in which quick pattern recognition and response are as important as anything. The basic mechanic is the puchi lock. There are multicolored viruses on a hexagonal grid, and tapping one with the stylus locks it. If you lock two other viruses of the same color, they form a triangle, and any viruses on the inside of the triangle also get locked, allowing one to form combos. However, viruses that are not used in a triangle when puchi locked soon turn to stone, as do viruses that are left alone for too long. The more stone viruses there are in the playfield, the worse patient condition gets. This causes more viruses to appear and move around and the like. Once the playfield is full of stone viruses, you lose. Every so often, one gets a pill, which one can use to unstone a number of viruses.
The first and only real major flaw in the game is that is much too easy to accidentally click a virus which one did not intend to. This is extremely frustrating and forces you to completely rethink your strategy in a split second. The true downer is that the game is just too simple for my tastes. It's a solid fifteen minutes of fun at a time, but more than that and I find myself bored, as compared to Meteos or Bust a Move which I can play for hours on end.
Superficially, the graphics are simple 2D sprites, and the art style is reminiscent of the Wario Ware games. The music is cutesy and forgettable. There is no story to speak of, but the characters are amusing and chuckle-worthy.
If you're a fan of other arcade puzzlers, the game is definitely worth a shot. Otherwise, not so much.
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