Calling this a "puzzle world" is a bit enthusiastic. Perhaps "puzzle domain" or "puzzle region" would be more appropriate since we only have three games with a few variations. What is here looks and sounds great. Some arcade conversions look poorly fitted to the small screen, but this one retains the quality of the original versions. All those authentic sights and sounds you remember are here including some new features that didn't make their way into the games when they hit US shores. The biggest brand here is Super Puzzle Fighter and Capcom Puzzle World includes two new modes for this great game. They are variations on the theme, but fans will enjoy having some new spins. Another neat feature you'll see when playing the Buster Brothers game included here is the option to use JPG images as custom backgrounds. This ties into a snapshot feature that can be used to take screenshots while playing. Once you've saved one image you'll have access to the custom background mode. As is standard for collections of classic games like this, you'll find unlockable images that go deeper into the creative development process for these games.

The three games included here are variations on Buster Brothers, Super Puzzle Fighter, and Block Block. Each is an oldie but goodie and there is plenty of challenge and variety to keep the retro gamer in the house happy. Better still, each game offers some multiplayer wireless option that keeps things really fresh.

Super Puzzle Fighter wrapped up some Capcom characters and used the formula now familiar from a wide variety of falling-block matching games. The fighting component was a sidebar (or centerbar, really) in the sense that the characters fight along with the moves you make against your opponent. Watching the action is hard since you are focused on perfectly matching those falling blocks. Once you get the block action wired, you'll appreciate the fighting action more. The characters are recognizable but are in a super-deformed style. The new variations on the old game include more block combos and a version where piling blocks up is the way to win.

There are three Buster Brothers games included here. "Super" Buster Brothers and Buster Buddies follow the same formula, but wrap more into the gameplay. This is a pretty unique title - a little guy runs around shooting up into the sky to break bubbles. In "Asteroid" style, the big bubbles break into smaller bubbles... the increased entropy makes things pretty challenging. Power-ups and enemies that can disrupt the action are all part of the formula that stays consistent through the next two games. The option to use a custom background is nice, but the stock backgrounds are very cool, somewhat like the original "Tetris" and its colorful backdrops.

The final installment, Block Block, is somewhat forgettable. A "Breakout" clone if ever there was one, this plays nicely and looks find but doesn't offer a great deal more than some time-wasting. And that may fit your bill perfectly... I was turned off by the control scheme with the analog stick for this one. It would seem like a perfect way of controlling a side-to-side paddle, but there's a twitch factor that makes for some frustrating behavior.

There are many ways to customize each game to meet any player's needs. Much like the behind-the-scenes settings that arcade emulation has exposed for many games, these titles include options to change difficulty and other basic options that affect challenge. Block Block isn't terribly challenging once you've mastered the controls but the other two are somewhat unique. One example is Super Puzzle Fighter. Instead of just matching colors, you have to drop "charged" blocks that break blocks and trigger combos. Matching blocks just creates a "super block" that will explode like any other when you drop the right sequence. Like most puzzle games from this period, increasing difficulty means increasing speed. This device gets a little tedious unless you're a huge fan of the game, which stands true for many folks.

Navigating menus and options through Capcom Puzzle World is easy enough and there are simple controls for all the games. Launching and joining multiplayer is simple enough. You don't come to play a game like this because you want to learn some complicated mechanics. The only thing you'll have to remember is the function of the various enemies, power-ups, and block combos in the games. The simple gameplay didn't limit these classic titles from providing lots of entertainment. Whether you are still the audience for these games depends on your love of the block and bubble popping and bouncing genres. The multiplayer features recreate what we loved about these games in arcades and if you slight Capcom Puzzle World on quantity, you have to recognize the quality.