Consoleation Impressionism: PSN Puzzle Quest (and more!)

I spent a little bit of time after updating my PS3 firmware last night playing the PSN version of Puzzle Quest. I’ve played the Nintendo DS and PSP versions of the same game and really enjoyed the portable versions. Yes, the DS version was easier, but combining puzzle and RPG elements is really a genius move. When I found out that it was coming to PSN, it was a no-brainer for me to want it… after all, we’re talking cleaner (and bigger) visuals, among other possible improvements.

Now that I’ve spent some time with the game, I’m not quite as thrilled as I’d hoped I would be. Sure, the game looks great… and the new content (by way of the included expansion) is solid… but there are bugs and minor issues here that makes me shake my head. For starters, the music incessantly loops. Since the game doesn’t support custom soundtracks, you get the stock music and that’s it. The stock music isn’t bad, but the tracks don’t rotate on their own; you have to prompt a chance by going into the Options menu and toggling the music off and then on again. How was this bug not picked up? I also have a small issue with the controls, as they’re not quite as responsive as they should be. Button presses don’t seem to be registered all the time, so you wind up having to press the X button a few times to get the desired response. Thankfully, Puzzle Quest isn’t a time-based game, so you can take all the time you need to select your grid and make your move.

The last issue is more of a gripe, and that’s one that’s been echoed by at least one review so far: Why aren’t Trophies supported? Come on now… we’ve had Trophies supported by PS3 firmware for months. There simply isn’t an excuse for any developer not to include Trophy support in a game that’s coming out now (and beyond) for the PS3. I don’t want to hear that development tools weren’t available… or any other excuses. At this point in the PS3’s lifecycle, if a publisher needs to delay a title in order to implement Trophy support, then make it so.

Having said all of this, Puzzle Quest is still as good– if not better– on the PS3 as it’s ever been. It’s funny to me how I can have as much fun with this game the third time around.

A few other observations:

• Linger in Shadows was a pretty cool ride for only $3. I still haven’t unlocked all of the Trophies, but I have played through it more than once. It’s very stylish; the music is arguably as awesome as the visuals are. There are worse things that you could spend $3 on, and, at the very least, it’s good for several Trophies after your very first playthrough.
• Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket Powered Battle Cars may be fun online (if I could find more opponents), but the offline modes grow old quickly. I’m really not overly impressed with the game, despite some pretty cool replays after goals are scored… soccer with cars just doesn’t work all that well.
• I don’t know why I can’t get into Rogue Galaxy. I tried playing it for a couple of hours last night, and I’m just not a fan of the combat system. It feels like some strange variation of Tri-Ace’s combat system from Star Ocean: ‘Til The End Of Time. Also, Will Friedle (of Boy Meets World fame) as the protagonist? Really? This one’s trade bait later today, I think.
• NFL Blitz update: I’m 8-0 now. The 7th win was the toughest as it took 3 OT periods for me to come out on top. Late hits are awesome, and I don’t know how I remembered the code for Big Heads. I’m still averaging over 30 points per game, while allowing a shade under 26 points per game. The inevitable spike in opponent difficulty likely isn’t too far behind.
• Why not check out my latest columns over at Games Are Evil? Hey… you’re already checking out my blog, right? It’s the same kind of thing.