Igor Hands-On

The Nintendo DS version of Igor, though bearing the same name and characters as the upcoming animated film, has very little in common with the big-screen product. The goal is to create the most powerful monster in the world, and you prove your worth by besting other creatures in a puzzle game. We went hands-on with this odd monster-themed puzzler and came away with a feeling of deja vu.

The puzzle component of Igor is eerily reminiscent of the popular Capcom franchise Puzzle Fighter. Gems fall from the sky, and you have to match colors to form cubes of four or more pieces. You use breaker gems to burst your creations, clearing the screen while building energy toward attacks. You see, there is a monster battle taking place on the top screen while you're playing with blocks down below. When you build up enough energy, you tap the screen to command your creature to attack. Matches end when you--or your opponent--lose all of your hit points.

If you are the victor, you gain gold and parts you can use to modify your creature. In our battle, we received a pile of slime as our spoils--slime can be molded into new parts for your monster. You'll be able to fight your friends as well, taking pieces from them until you build an unbeatable abomination. The creation ability adds a twist to the classic gameplay formula.

The story elements are light, but you can travel around a map between battles. You can move straight to your next battle or visit villages to buy more parts for your beast. Igor should be released for the Nintendo DS around the same time the movie hits theaters--sometime later this summer.