The core of Neopets Puzzle Adventure is a simple one: the game of Othello, also known as Reversi. Players take turns placing pieces of their color on a board using the stylus. Pieces are captured when one player's pieces surround each end of a row of their opponents pieces horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
While Othello has been done a million times over, Infinite Interactive has added their trademark puzzle battle mechanics to the game, which should be familiar to Puzzle Quest fans. Experience points are gained for flipping over pieces as well as placing pieces on certain marked squares on the board.
Petpets (which are pets of your Neopet) can be used as attacks within the game; much like magic spells in Puzzle Quest. Petpets can be collected, and each one has a unique attack. Some might flip over pieces to your benefit, while others can create a locked piece on the board that must be worked around.
The game's art is colorful and the character designs are smooth and intricate, based directly on the designs of the Neopets website. The game includes several different locales through the land of Neopia, with different missions on each. Winning matches unlock codes that can be used on the Neopets website to gain unique merchandise.
I achieved a perfect game in the match I played. It's unclear how difficulties ramp up later in the game, but it's likely that the use of various Petpets will push strategy beyond the standard “claim the corners and edges” gameplay. Additionally, later puzzles include irregular board shapes, which should spice things up. A local wireless mode is also included so friends can join in.
Neopets Puzzle Adventure takes two ideas, Neopets and Othello, and turns them into an interesting game. The only question that remains is whether the gameplay will hold up as well as Puzzle Quest's.
