A true "brain" game

User Rating: 9.3 | Intelligent License 2 PSP
Will this game make you smarter? Its hard to say any of these brain games do, but if one existed, this may be it.

The beauty of the game is demonstrated by how simple the components are, and the creativity it took to make these puzzles a joy and a challenge to solve.

The reason why this game may improve your IQ, is that it really exercises and maybe strenghtens your ability to sequence and solve complex problems in a physical space. There are not too many components in the game, so the solutions really make you stretch the limits of those components. Any problem in real life (or in the game), can be broken down to basic parts. Being able to solve problems quickly comes from recognizing the roadblocks so you can progress to the next step. This game does a great job making you do just that, and I must applaud the puzzle designers for the elegant design of the puzzles.

Graphics: x/10
The initial reaction toward graphics gave a slight negative impression where it almost made me not want to give this game a fair chance. They could have jazzed it up a bit like Crush. Its hard to say whether it would be of some distraction because of the simple and minimalistic design of the game. Because of that, I won't take the graphics into much consideration for the overall score.

Sound: x/10
The soundtrack is "peculiar" at times. Most of the music is fitting, but it is too repetitive, and will eventually get a little annoying. But its not bad to the point where its distracting. There is "the voice" that seems to mumble something bizarre at you when you start and finish. Its incoherent, but maybe like that on purpose.

Replay Value: 10/10
Some, you'll get stuck on for a while, and you'll want to come back to improve your score. There are the quick tests as well that rely on a different set of puzzles. And there is the online feauture which is robust, but only will work better as more people get addicted to this game. Time will tell. You can also design your own puzzles. For a game with such simple components, they didn't skimp on adding the core additional components people would have liked to see.

Game: 10/10
The design of the puzzles are absolutely brilliant. Some of these puzzles, as they progressively get harder, will challenge you to your limits. You often are scratching your head thinking, "did they goof up and make this puzzle unsolvable?" With persistence, they can all be solved. And as you improve your ability to solve these puzzles, it will keep you at your limits, and keep on challenging you. You are left wondering, if it was that hard to solve that puzzle, imagine the creativity it took to design something like that.

Overall: 10/10
A must own for any puzzle enthusiast.