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Polarium - it's out here- worth a buy?
- Thread starter mrkgoo
- Start date
Chittagong
Gold Member
Yes. You should get Polarium. But you should get Zoo Keeper before that. I wouldn't bother buying Project Rub - rent it or load it from someone, it's old in three hours or so.
radioheadrule83
Banned
I think that's about £30 right? If so, then maybe so, maybe not.
It's at £20 in the UK, and I think that's about the right price.
Try lik-sang or other online stores and see if they're more generous. If it means waiting for the free 7-14 day shipping, I'd do it.
The game is really good: addictive but equally frustrating.
The main modes are challenge and puzzle. Puzzle mode is fiendish, and you'll have a hard time getting above "D-" on the Challenge mode. You can send a demo / 2 player mode to other DS' with the wireless function... It's not something you'll play all the time per se, but instead is something you'll be picking up off and on for a good few months inbetween games of Mario 64, Wario Ware or whatever else you pick up. The reason for that is because after the stock 100 puzzles (which will take a bit of time/effort to do), you're only left with the challenge mode, multiplayer and either creating your own puzzles or inputting ready-made codes to get new ones.
Challenge is brutal. It's not like it's anywhere near as complicated as Meteos or Lumines look either. You just draw a line, reverse the polarity of tiles, and try to create full lines... the tutorial makes it very simple, but thats not to say it's easy. After around the 3rd level or so, it becomes very unforgiving, and your mistakes mount up to a frustrating "game over" very quickly. Learn to master it though, and you could have a very good time with it.
It's a little bland looking, but it's quite ingenius in its simplicity.
I haven't played Zoo Keeper, but it looks a little like Bejeweled, which I like. If it's better than Polarium I'll definately give it a look.
It's at £20 in the UK, and I think that's about the right price.
Try lik-sang or other online stores and see if they're more generous. If it means waiting for the free 7-14 day shipping, I'd do it.
The game is really good: addictive but equally frustrating.
The main modes are challenge and puzzle. Puzzle mode is fiendish, and you'll have a hard time getting above "D-" on the Challenge mode. You can send a demo / 2 player mode to other DS' with the wireless function... It's not something you'll play all the time per se, but instead is something you'll be picking up off and on for a good few months inbetween games of Mario 64, Wario Ware or whatever else you pick up. The reason for that is because after the stock 100 puzzles (which will take a bit of time/effort to do), you're only left with the challenge mode, multiplayer and either creating your own puzzles or inputting ready-made codes to get new ones.
Challenge is brutal. It's not like it's anywhere near as complicated as Meteos or Lumines look either. You just draw a line, reverse the polarity of tiles, and try to create full lines... the tutorial makes it very simple, but thats not to say it's easy. After around the 3rd level or so, it becomes very unforgiving, and your mistakes mount up to a frustrating "game over" very quickly. Learn to master it though, and you could have a very good time with it.
It's a little bland looking, but it's quite ingenius in its simplicity.
I haven't played Zoo Keeper, but it looks a little like Bejeweled, which I like. If it's better than Polarium I'll definately give it a look.
Thanks for the comments, guys.
Sounds ok - if I CAN master it (not sure if that is a big IF or not), it would be good. I've been playing the flash version of Zookeeper, and it's fun, but I'm not a big fan ofthe level system, in that it starts of easy and gets hard (or atleast the way ZK does it). It menas you have to plug away at a basic level just toget to a challenging part, where you die way too easy. My fave puzzler has got to be Tetris (DX) - Tetris just seems perfect, like the way the laws of nature and mathematics have come together to make the variety of four-block pieces the perfect number and the way they fit together just sublime.
Too many puzzlers to me seem too 'random', in that you feel ripped-off when you lose, not becasue you weren't good enough - which is what I lie...to know I lost because my skill wasn't good enough. Also, I liek the difficulty to go way beyond my power, so there's also room to improve - i hate nothing more than a game to plateau before I'm ready. No challenge = no fun (like when you reach a point in a wario game where you can just go forever, and it becomes a test of patience rather than skill).
Sounds ok - if I CAN master it (not sure if that is a big IF or not), it would be good. I've been playing the flash version of Zookeeper, and it's fun, but I'm not a big fan ofthe level system, in that it starts of easy and gets hard (or atleast the way ZK does it). It menas you have to plug away at a basic level just toget to a challenging part, where you die way too easy. My fave puzzler has got to be Tetris (DX) - Tetris just seems perfect, like the way the laws of nature and mathematics have come together to make the variety of four-block pieces the perfect number and the way they fit together just sublime.
Too many puzzlers to me seem too 'random', in that you feel ripped-off when you lose, not becasue you weren't good enough - which is what I lie...to know I lost because my skill wasn't good enough. Also, I liek the difficulty to go way beyond my power, so there's also room to improve - i hate nothing more than a game to plateau before I'm ready. No challenge = no fun (like when you reach a point in a wario game where you can just go forever, and it becomes a test of patience rather than skill).
mrkgoo said:
Zoo Keeper is an OK puzzle game. The flash version isn't exactly like the DS version though...in the DS version, you can move blocks while other blocks are disappearing to create more combos. Although combos feel kind of useless in the game since you get loads more points for catching the correct animals. Also...I can't shake the feeling that Zoo Keeper is like a poor man's Tetris Attack. I feel limited playing it, even though it's kinda fun.
And even though Zoo Keeper IS a puzzle game...its presentation is too cheap. The music is ass...I rarely, if ever, turn off music in games but in Zoo Keeper I just had to. It's the worst game music I've heard in a long time. And menus and graphics in general just screams "flash game". The different game modes feel too similar to me, I'm sure they could've added more variation to the basic gameplay concept had they only tried.
And the game works great with touchscreen controls. Now I REALLY want a Tetris Attack (or whatever they call it nowadays) for DS.
Kiriku said:
Pokemon Puzzle League was the most recent name, but yeah, I really want that on DS. I'll wait on a price drop for Zoo Keeper, though $35/$40 is asking a bit much for a Bejeweled knockoff. Mr. Driller DS is a nice enough puzzle fix til Polarium, Puyo Pop, Pac Pix and Meteos hit.
Might as well snag a copy of Lumines to get started on PSP puzzlers while I'm at it, even though it'll be a while before I get a PSP.
Alcibiades
Member
dude, $56 is crazy, you can probably import it for cheaper...
don't you guys have coupons or sales or something?
You should not pay more than $40 US for Polarium, I know I pretty much refuse to spend more than $30 for it, I'm waiting till I can catch it for $20.
don't you guys have coupons or sales or something?
You should not pay more than $40 US for Polarium, I know I pretty much refuse to spend more than $30 for it, I'm waiting till I can catch it for $20.
F
Folder
Unconfirmed Member
Polarium is amazing.
http://www.dvdboxoffice.com/descrip...me&wh=MAIN&rate=CAD++-1.000+++++&pid=90085814
45.95 CAD = 53.3930 NZD
DVDBoxoffice is great or decent prices DS games. Almost all of them are around $50AU. Free Worldwide Shipping too
45.95 CAD = 53.3930 NZD
DVDBoxoffice is great or decent prices DS games. Almost all of them are around $50AU. Free Worldwide Shipping too
It's kinda hard to tell if it's off in the game, but when I press down during the write your own sig (cool feature), it's nearly a whole box off. I feel the game it self needs a calibration mode for the stylus (I don't want to do it in the system and stuff up my other games).
Anyway, I can only get like a D- in challenge mode - this game is hard! Which is a good thing, becuase it will take a while to master - unless it's unfairly difficult. I like room for improvement, but strangely enough...I am dying about 253 lines in...consistently. This is a worry, because it's like I may just die there every single time. Still trying to figure out the strategy for point -do I clear each set of patterns as they come? You get bonus points for clearing the screen completely before the nest set falls. OR do I go for higher lines cleared at once? It seems the former gives more points.
I can't help but feel that the my limitation in using the stylus is going to hinder my high score abilities. I wonder if future touch games will also have such an issue? Polarium just doesn't seem to be as responsive as I'd like for a game this fast. I get issues with accidentally tapping the square and the line goes off when I don't want it to. I'd also like it better if you could finsih a line, and then start another one and clear that, instead of waiting for the game - i'd just like ti to be much faster.
I've finished the first 50 levels or so in puzzle mode. I really wish this game had more puzzles though. It makes me think of the puzzle mode in CHu Chu Rocket Advance: it had like 2600 puzzles. I can barely even imagine finishing that! and the puzzle is much more thinking oriented. In Polarium, you can sort of just have a guess, and then correct yourself.
Other annoying things about polarium is the lack of a retry on gameover- it boots you to the high score table and then the title screen. Yeah, it's only one screen away, but it's not like there are loads of ways to play the game.
Which brings me to another point - I wish there were more modes. The concept is really simple, but it's open to many interpretations, of which the puzzle mode is only one. How about puzzles that need two strokes to finish? or modes like the Yoshi mini games in Mario DS. There are heaps you could do with the same system, yet they only make one bloody hard challenge mode, and a measley 100 puzzles.
To me, Chu chu rocket is the ultimate puzzle package: Portable -quick, deep, awesome multiplayer, lots of modes, edit mode, multiplay single cart...the list goes on. Problem is, the control interface leaves a lot to be desired, even in its DC form. It REALLY needs a mouse...or a touch screen...*hint, hint* (just imagine D-pad for direction, and touch for target - it's like it was designed for the DS!)
Anyway, I can only get like a D- in challenge mode - this game is hard! Which is a good thing, becuase it will take a while to master - unless it's unfairly difficult. I like room for improvement, but strangely enough...I am dying about 253 lines in...consistently. This is a worry, because it's like I may just die there every single time. Still trying to figure out the strategy for point -do I clear each set of patterns as they come? You get bonus points for clearing the screen completely before the nest set falls. OR do I go for higher lines cleared at once? It seems the former gives more points.
I can't help but feel that the my limitation in using the stylus is going to hinder my high score abilities. I wonder if future touch games will also have such an issue? Polarium just doesn't seem to be as responsive as I'd like for a game this fast. I get issues with accidentally tapping the square and the line goes off when I don't want it to. I'd also like it better if you could finsih a line, and then start another one and clear that, instead of waiting for the game - i'd just like ti to be much faster.
I've finished the first 50 levels or so in puzzle mode. I really wish this game had more puzzles though. It makes me think of the puzzle mode in CHu Chu Rocket Advance: it had like 2600 puzzles. I can barely even imagine finishing that! and the puzzle is much more thinking oriented. In Polarium, you can sort of just have a guess, and then correct yourself.
Other annoying things about polarium is the lack of a retry on gameover- it boots you to the high score table and then the title screen. Yeah, it's only one screen away, but it's not like there are loads of ways to play the game.
Which brings me to another point - I wish there were more modes. The concept is really simple, but it's open to many interpretations, of which the puzzle mode is only one. How about puzzles that need two strokes to finish? or modes like the Yoshi mini games in Mario DS. There are heaps you could do with the same system, yet they only make one bloody hard challenge mode, and a measley 100 puzzles.
To me, Chu chu rocket is the ultimate puzzle package: Portable -quick, deep, awesome multiplayer, lots of modes, edit mode, multiplay single cart...the list goes on. Problem is, the control interface leaves a lot to be desired, even in its DC form. It REALLY needs a mouse...or a touch screen...*hint, hint* (just imagine D-pad for direction, and touch for target - it's like it was designed for the DS!)
D
Deleted member 1235
Unconfirmed Member
mrkgoo said:
Do what I started doing, import your games from http://www.videogamesplus.ca/
I got yoshi touch and go sent to Wellington and it cost me 65. Thats 15 bucks cheaper and I don't think Yoshi is even out here yet. can also get from dvdboxoffice.com which does free shipping (so 60 bucks delivered to you) but I had a game sit there for a week doing nothing before I cancelled and switched to videogamesplus.ca I think I ordered on a wednesday and got it the following wednesday.
Do any game stores let you try out handheld games in store? Just go in and ask the guy. It sounds like a good game though. Something puzlley to play until meteos gets here anyway. you can always sell it on trademe later (to me for half price
)