In a very informal setting, while everyone around me was going nuts about curry, I got to play a few of the introductory levels of the eShop version of NightSky. The game was released months ago for the PC, but I was one of the few people holding out for a Wiiware, and then eShop, version. This was my first experience with the game.

NightSky looks quite sharp on the 3DS screen. Its "silhouette" look is enhanced subtly by the 3D effect, not unlike VVVVVV (but with any potential "ghosting" problems removed given the game's dark palette).

The game rolls out new gameplay mechanics at a steady pace. Initially, you can only roll left and right. Quickly, you gain the ability to boost, allowing you to jump off ramps or roll up curved walls for some fast-paced platforming action. So far, so good.

But surprisingly, it's once I got the braking ability that I found the puzzles to get a bit more interesting. After having to use the ability properly to slow my descent on a series of inclines, I had the ability to move left and right taken away from me and had to rely on the momentum gained on the slope of the level. At the bottom, a trolley. The trick was to break on the trolley to transfer the ball's momentum to it, while still conserving some of it to allow the ball to roll on once it reached the end of the trolley's tracks. It was one of those "this looked so simple, overconfidence made me start over twice" moments I have sometimes. Thankfully, the process of starting over a puzzle is painless: simply press X to instantly reset the level.

Another potentially interesting ability: being able to reverse gravity at the touch of the Y button. There have been a number of fun platformers built on the concept already, and I look forward to seeing what it will do for NightSky's platforming and puzzles.

As short as my time with the game was, I already know I am downloading it as soon as it hits the eShop. It has that addictive quality that will probably have me tear through the game in no time, always teasing me to keep going while I mutter "I know I can do this" after each failed attempt.