Slyder doesn't break any new ground in the puzzle genre, but it does the old ground pretty well. From a top-down view, you maneuver your character in four directions from start to finish by sliding from one wall to another, because once you start going in one direction, you'll keep going until you hit a barrier or fall off the level. Along the way you'll encounter some items that will help you and others that will hurt you, and in the more difficult puzzles, taking into account the location and movement of traps and enemies becomes just as important as the movement of Slyder himself. With gameplay elements that rotate frequently through the game's numerous levels, you'll likely enjoy your time with Slyder, unless you've played many other games like it, in which case you'll find most of the gameplay tricks to be quite familiar.
The two modes in Slyder feature the same type of gameplay even though the objectives are different. In puzzle mode you must complete all 153 levels, effectively unlocking and playing through three difficulty modes. In tilt-a-thon you play through rotated versions of some of those levels, attempting to win with the fewest moves possible, thus earning yourself a spot on the worldwide high-score menu. Both modes feature the same maps, although in puzzle mode, there's an obvious progression of introducing a new gameplay element and then integrating it into increasingly more difficult puzzles, while tilt-a-thon skips around a little bit.
It seems that the puzzles were designed for use in puzzle mode and then randomly rotated for tilt-a-thon. While this works well enough for most maps, even if it is a less-than-effective way of trying to extend gameplay, we noticed at least one puzzle that was impossible to beat when tilted (or to give the game the benefit of the doubt, there was no apparent way to win it after many attempts). Although competing for a high score is a worthwhile endeavor, tilt-a-thon seems noticeably less thoughtful than puzzle mode.
Puzzle mode does have a lot to offer though, especially if you've never played a puzzle game built on this design before. Most of the maps fit onto a single screen, and those that don't are barely larger. On every map, you must either collect all the waypoints or make your way to the exit (or both) before you have successfully completed the level. Along the way, there will be several traps designed to be avoided, such as pits, or water traps that will instantly kill you and force you to restart. There are other characters as well, such as Boffo, who is there to help you by buffering danger or giving you a physical boost to an alternate route. Unger, notably dangerous because he is red in color, can also sometimes be useful, but if you come in direct contact with him, he'll instantly kill you. Additional versions of these two characters that can move in only two directions (either horizontally or vertically) exist as well and are strategically useful in different ways.
All of the game's characters move in the direction that you move (if it's physically possible for them to do so), so you must navigate in such a way that they move in or out of your way when necessary. This becomes the crux of the gameplay, maneuvering both yourself and the other characters safely (or not so safely if that benefits you) through the levels. There are quite a few other traps and tools in the gameplay, such as the vat, which will trap you if you don't fill it with another character first, or the arrow, which will force the direction of your next move for you. Because these change fairly often and really alter the strategy of the gameplay, the game stays pretty fresh through all 153 levels.
The game is cute: Slyder, Buffo, and Unger are all smiley (or frowny) faces, which is funny but not terribly engaging. There are a few moments of humor in the level title names, particularly the one named "Jersey Turnpike," which pokes fun at the notorious motorway, and residents of the Tristate area in particular should get a kick out of it. The graphics serve their purpose well on the LG MM-535, being useful but modest, and the sound is exactly the same, with music rifts and simple jingles that indicate success or failure on each particular level. All of this leads to a game that is entertaining but not exceptional. The gameplay does not surpass others in the same genre but is enjoyable nonetheless. If you like puzzle games particularly, or have never played one like this before, then Slyder will be a good game to add to your collection.
