Joystiq hands-on: Neves (DS)

The original Japanese Lucky Puzzle is a classic example of a wolf in sheep's clothing. With only seven pieces, players had to construct a variety of shapes and objects. Should be easy, right? No. Traditional puzzles have painted sides that interlock to ultimately form a rectangle. Unfortunately, players of Lucky Puzzle do not have such things to take for granted: pieces don't lock into each other and more terrifyingly, don't have painted sides. This means pieces can be placed in any way: turned upside-down, flipped around, and placed at any angle.

Lucky Puzzle is the inspiration for Yuke's upcoming DS exclusive title, Neves. Their first independently published game in the US, Neves is attempting to capture the brain teasing market that the DS seems to dominate. Like other brain games on the platform, the game is immensely easy to pick up and play. The touch screen is an ideal interface for the game, as it acts as a virtual table for you to move your pieces. Simply drag the seven pieces around, and use your stylus to easily flip them over, turn them around, or change their angle.

Because of the ever-present silhouette in the background, the virtual version of this classic Japanese puzzler is far easier to grasp than the real-life counterpart. However, don't expect things to be easy. These challenges are still notoriously difficult, but immensely satisfying. Each puzzle can take a minute, or ten, or thirty minutes, depending on your creativity. Considering there will be over 500 included in the cartridge, there's an abundance of play to experience.


Multiplayer is also a surprising and fun addition to the game. Using Download Play, players can upload a demo to their friends, and compete wirelessly. The point of multiplayer is to finish three puzzles before your competitor, and like in classic Nintendo 64 fashion, you can look to the other screen to see what your opponents are doing – and quite possibly get a hint on how to progress. It's a subtle but significant addition that makes playing against others so much fun.

Overall, we're excited for Yuke's upcoming DS puzzle game. Honestly, you should be too. It might not have the same big-budget push as Nintendo's other brain training games, but it certainly has just as much depth and gameplay as the other puzzle powerhouses on the platform. Look for it this November.