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Neves
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Graphics & Sound:
Neves is a new puzzle game for the DS. If you've ever done tangrams before, you already know how to play it. If not, well it's time for you to learn how.
Graphically, Neves is very simple, but then you don't really want something flashy and distracting when you're working with puzzle shapes. The board is plain. The background color is a nice, non-distracting grey. Under the Options, you can choose from 11 different color patterns for the pieces. Only the black is a single solid color. The rest of the options are all gradations of colors. Choose the one that is the most pleasing to you visually. All the pieces, all the graphics actually, are very smooth and well done.
The default background music sounds almost like elevator music to me. It's soothing, but if you listen too long, it might put you to sleep. The good thing is that some parts of the music are faster, so it will wake you back up if you happen to have dozed off. There are 6 total different background music selections to choose from inside the Options Menu, so if you don't like the default, you can change it. I personally play Neves with the sound off. If you do choose to leave the sounds on, you'll also find that you get cute little sounds when you drop the pieces into place also.
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Gameplay:
After starting up Neves (tap the screen to get to the game Menu from the opening credits), you'll find that they've given you several different choices to play. Everything is unlocked from the beginning of the game, so there's no need to play any particular mode to unlock more options.
If you want to just work on the puzzles with no pressure on time, choose Silhouettes?. You'll see four rooms, each with four different levels. Ok, so I guess I lied before, every game mode is unlocked from the beginning, all the levels aren't. You will need to complete level one to unlock level two, complete level two to unlock level three, etc. But given that each level one has over 40 tangrams available, and there are four rooms, you've got at least 160+ tangrams to work on without unlocking the rest of the levels. There are over 500 puzzles in all.
If you think you're really so good that you want to time yourself, choose Time Pressure. You will be given 3 minutes total for each puzzle. It is the same puzzles you are given in Silhouettes? and the same pieces, but they're not necessarily given to you in the same starting places on the board. Actually, every time you restart a level, you'll be given the same pieces in different starting positions.
If you want to see your "achievements" on the puzzles, like how many people-shaped puzzles you have solved, or how many character-shaped puzzles you've completed, you can select The Room from the Main Menu. |
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Difficulty:
Neves is simple, if you're good at tangrams. Tangrams are easy enough that a child can do them, and honestly a lot of times kids are better at them than adults! If you're like me, and not all that great at them instantly, you'll probably find it a difficult game to get the hang of. Fortunately, the more you play, the better you get at moving and flipping shapes to make them fit just right. Keep at it, because it's worth getting right. They're easy puzzles to play where ever you are, and they keep your brain active.
If you really want a difficult game, you can select 7 Steps from the Main Menu. In 7 Steps Mode, you are given exactly seven moves to fit the seven pieces in the puzzle perfectly. Playing 7 Steps, you have to be very careful in your thinking and plan every move in advance. You even be careful when you place the piece so that you get it exactly where it is supposed to go and not a fraction to the left or right.
If you have a companion to play with, you can also increase the difficulty by playing against an opponent over the wireless communication. To do so, choose Bragging Rights from the Main Menu. It only takes one cartridge for both players to play.
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Game Mechanics:
The mechanics in Neves are very easy to learn. In case you haven't figured it out yet, Neves is just seven backwards. In Neves, you are given seven pieces to complete a tangram. A tangram is simply an outline of a picture that can be completely filled with the pieces you are given without any lines of the pieces overlapping or extending outside the drawing. Sounds simple, huh?
It's really amazing how many different designs you can fill in using the same seven pieces. Yes, you really are given the exact same shaped, same sized pieces for every puzzle. To make them fit right, you can rotate them to any degrees that you want. To do so, you tap the piece and then click on one of the circles that appeared on every corner, and drag the corner to where you want it to rotate to. You can also flip them so that they are the mirror image of what they were. To flip a piece, simply double tap on it. When you want to put a piece to where you want it to go, tap the stylus on it and drag it to the destination. That's all there is to playing the game. Mastering it though, that's going to take you some time!
Overall, I enjoyed Neves. I can't see that it would be infinitely replayable because once I figure out how to fit the pieces in right, I usually remember it. But with so many puzzles available, there are hours and hours of entertainment even if I only play each puzzle once. By the last one, I have a feeling I'll forget the trick to the first ones. If you ever enjoyed tangram puzzles, I highly recommend Neves. It's easy to play and simulates the physical puzzles completely. If you've never played tangrams, you might want to rent if first to make sure you like them. |
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-Cyn, GameVortex Communications AKA Sara Earl |
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