There are an absolutely uncanny number of mobile puzzlers in which the goal is to eliminate colored blocks through matching. Stack'um, which is a less well-designed version of Puyo Puyo, is one such game. Unlike most of Namco's mobile offerings, Stack'um isn't a port of some highly revered arcade hit, so it could have benefited from the advancements set forth by its predecessors. Stack'um, unfortunately, is supremely mediocre.
In the game, shapes gradually descend from the firmament in sets of three. Within these groups, it's possible to have up to three different shapes. These shapes must be placed adjacent to other shapes of the same type, causing them to disappear if a critical mass is reached. This formula is so absolutely hackneyed at this point, one wonders if Tetris-style gameplay is innately wired into the human brain.
Stack'um's only notable feature is its use of bombs, which can be detonated to destroy all similarly colored objects onscreen. These come pretty infrequently and should be saved to get you out of a jam. Bombs have been used to better effect in Puyo Puyo, where the competitive element makes them--and, indeed, the gameplay at large--much more exciting.
Audiovisually, Stack'um is as unremarkable as its gameplay. Your pieces come in shapes like cherries and stars and are all recognizable as such. Their movement down the screen could hardly be called animation. The pieces simply shift between the 12 points of longitude from the top of the screen to the bottom. There are only a few sounds present in Stack'um, and they're of the generic type that could be used in any mobile game. This is nothing taxing for the LG PM-325.
Stack'um isn't the worst game on Sprint, but it's certainly not the best, either. It's highly derivative and doesn't execute nearly as well as the games that inspired it. Stack'um won't challenge your spatial skills like Tetris, nor will it instill you with competitive vigor like Puyo Puyo (although there is rudimentary Game Lobby high-score support). Suffice it to say, there are better options out there.
