Author Topic: Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (Read 8670 times)

NWR_insanolord · « **on:** February 22, 2009, 08:23:55 AM »

It's shipping Tuesday, is anyone else picking it up? I lost a lot of time to the original game, first on the DS and then again recently on the iPhone, and based on my time with the flash demo of Galactrix's battle system I'm going to like this one even more.

Jonnyboy117 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 22, 2009, 04:00:02 PM »

I'll be there with bells on. The Flash demo is pretty hard, eh? I'm a little worried that I'll never completely figure out the battle system, but I'm at least glad there will be more depth and challenge this time. It's really a shame they didn't put in online battles for DS...

NWR_insanolord · « **Reply #2 on:** February 22, 2009, 04:21:41 PM »

The only part of it I had a hard time understanding was the gravity system, the way the tiles fill in from the edge. Most of it is similar to the original with a few tweaks. I'm not sure yet whether or not I like that it's a lot harder to get an extra turn than it was in the original, but from my time with the flash game it seems less cheap and the computer gets fewer lucky breaks than it used to.

vudu · « **Reply #3 on:** February 23, 2009, 02:41:29 PM »

I played the flash demo and felt like an idiot. I didn't understand the battle system at all. To make things worse, I never could figure out any rhyme or reason as to how the how the pieces would move after clearing tiles so I couldn't setup any combos except by mistake.

UltimatePartyBear · « **Reply #4 on:** February 23, 2009, 02:48:08 PM »

I've preordered it, and I never preorder. I never finished the first one, though I still plan to, so I feel a little guilty about it. Still, how could I pass this up?

Jonnyboy117 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 25, 2009, 03:48:55 PM »

Quote from: vudu on February 23, 2009, 02:41:29 PM

I didn't understand the battle system at all.

Well, it isn't really explained. Since the demo has no RPG elements, you should ignore the silver (money) and purple (experience) tiles, unless you can make 5-of-a-kind with them for an extra turn. The key to Puzzle Quest is developing a strategic tier in your mind that guides your eyes over the board. Here's what I look for (in order of priority):

1. 5-of-a-kind, any color
2. Any combination of bombs
3. Use an attack "spell" (if available)
4. Red (to charge attacks)
5. Blue (to charge shields, if needed)
6. Use a defensive "spell" (if available)
7. Green or yellow (as needed to help shortages)
8. Silver or purple (maybe you'll get lucky with a combo)

Pale · « **Reply #6 on:** February 26, 2009, 10:21:21 AM »

I just picked up the original Puzzle Quest for PSP and started it last night. It is definitely cool in the beginning, but I can't help but worry that it is going to get old.

Flames_of_chaos · « **Reply #7 on:** February 26, 2009, 02:17:51 PM »

Quote from: Pale on February 26, 2009, 10:21:21 AM

I just picked up the original Puzzle Quest for PSP and started it last night. It is definitely cool in the beginning, but I can't help but worry that it is going to get old.

You should of got the PSN edition for 14.99 I heard it's the least glitchy version and it has the 360 expansion pack built into it.

Pale · « **Reply #8 on:** February 26, 2009, 02:29:47 PM »

Oh, well i wanted to play portably. I did buy it for 14.99 over PSN, but it was the PSP version.

NWR_insanolord · « **Reply #9 on:** February 27, 2009, 03:43:46 PM »

This may be my new favorite DS game. People who remember things that they have absolutely no reason to remember (like me) might remember that I used to beg for a DS version of Escape Velocity in my signature. Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is Escape Velocity mixed with Puzzle Quest. It can be frustrating at times, but I'm loving this game. It's the best game since Super Mario Galaxy.

Flames_of_chaos · « **Reply #10 on:** February 27, 2009, 05:37:48 PM »

I heard that the DS version sucks especially in the frame rate department and the touch controls department and that the PC version is better.

UltimatePartyBear · « **Reply #11 on:** February 27, 2009, 06:20:00 PM »

The touch controls were wonky in the original, so that's no surprise. You can adapt easily enough. As for frame rate, what frames are there to worry about, anyway?

My copy just shipped today.

NWR_insanolord · « **Reply #12 on:** February 27, 2009, 06:50:36 PM »

I haven't had any problems with the controls. The loading times are annoying, but the slowdown isn't an issue, even in the timed parts.

Flames_of_chaos · « **Reply #13 on:** February 28, 2009, 02:04:08 PM »

Wow there's actually load times on a cartridge the last time I saw those was on a game I received as a bad birthday present, chessmaster for the GBA.

Jonnyboy117 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 02, 2009, 02:20:23 PM »

There are many DS games with load times. The 3D memory technology used in DS cards is somewhat slower than EEPROM cartridges, though definitely faster than disc-based media.

I've been playing the original Puzzle Quest while waiting for Galactrix to arrive. It really is quite janky -- the music skips sometimes, the graphics are kinda laggy, etc. I played wireless versus with a friend, and we discovered that the Help function describes the flip-side of whichever spell you tap on. So if I tap Help and then my first spell, it will show the description for my opponent's first spell. If I tap View Enemy, Help, then the last spell on his list, it will explain the last spell on my list instead. This only happens in multiplayer, not the main quest mode.

Pale · « **Reply #15 on:** March 02, 2009, 02:46:08 PM »

I've been playing a ton of the original on PSP over the last few days and while I was enjoying it, it's getting kind of old now...

I have to say, the random beasts that show up on the paths are pretty damn annoying.

Flames_of_chaos · « **Reply #16 on:** March 02, 2009, 04:00:09 PM »

Quote from: Pale on March 02, 2009, 02:46:08 PM

I've been playing a ton of the original on PSP over the last few days and while I was enjoying it, it's getting kind of old now...

I have to say, the random beasts that show up on the paths are pretty damn annoying.

Yeah I started to play it again on XBLA and the game does get tiring along with the random battles that show up at the worst time. I think these games are great to play in short bursts.

NWR_insanolord · « **Reply #17 on:** March 02, 2009, 04:51:31 PM »

Hacking warp gates is the only part of this game that I don't love, and only because it happens too often. Losing a timed puzzle because your combo won't end soon enough to let you make the last match isn't fun.

Halbred · « **Reply #18 on:** March 03, 2009, 03:36:31 PM »

I just sent in my review of the game.

Don't like it.

The touch controls are wonky, too wonky for a game like this. There were many times where jewels switched in the wrong direction than I'd tapped, thus costing me a turn in the Vs. matches. I also really didn't like the Vs. matches. Let me play Bejeweled, don't make me manage resources! There's way too much meta-crap.

Pale · « **Reply #19 on:** March 03, 2009, 04:59:14 PM »

So much for getting someone who "understood" the original to review this.

NWR_insanolord · « **Reply #20 on:** March 04, 2009, 09:24:52 AM »

A review from someone who hates the basic concept that the game is based on. When does Ian Sane's Wii Fit review go up?

Pale · « **Reply #21 on:** March 04, 2009, 09:36:09 AM »

Well to be fair, he had no idea what it was when he started his review.

NWR_insanolord · « **Reply #22 on:** March 04, 2009, 09:46:30 AM »

Quote from: Halbred on March 03, 2009, 03:36:31 PM

I just sent in my review of the game.

Don't like it.

The touch controls are wonky, too wonky for a game like this. There were many times where jewels switched in the wrong direction than I'd tapped, thus costing me a turn in the Vs. matches. I also really didn't like the Vs. matches. Let me play Bejeweled, don't make me manage resources! There's way too much meta-crap.

That may not have been a control problem, your opponent may have used an ability that changed the gravity which can make things move in different directions than the way you choose. Those abilities are specifically designed to prevent the opponent from executing combos.

Halbred · « **Reply #23 on:** March 04, 2009, 02:53:01 PM »

Brother, if that's true, I hate it MORE.

It's bad enough that I can't shuffle jewels around like Tetris Attack to construct a combo. No, screw, that, I'm only allowed to shuffle two jewels around that results in a clear. Combos are ACCIDENTS.

NWR_insanolord · « **Reply #24 on:** March 04, 2009, 04:15:58 PM »

Combos can be executed deliberately but the turn-based nature of the puzzle prevents any real planning. You just hate the core idea of the game, which is fine except it makes your review completely uselsess.

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Author Topic: Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (Read 8670 times)