As download games go, Polar Panic shows a lot of polish. It is apparent that there was a good deal of storyboarding or at least thought behind the story of these characters. Be sure to check out the game's great looking website for more goodies, including some wallpapers. You play as a polar bear, as might be obvious from the title, but this isn't just the kind of stylized, cuddly caricature that we see sometimes in games featuring animal protagonists. This bear has attitude. Pitted against him are a host of bad guys, led by a head honcho that you love to hate. Each enemy has a unique signature, from the type of attack to his brand of cold-weather garb. When we heard the premise of Polar Panic, we were reminded of the classic Pengo with its icy maze setting, and sliding ice blocks. There may be common ancestry between the two games, but Polar Panic is more like Pengo meets Bomberman meets Pac-Man. Sliding blocks is just a small piece of how you'll make it through the challenges placed in front of you.

The 3D goodness at work here allows for interesting perspectives, such as the level set on board a ship, or a moving truck. Juggling static background and environments with more exciting levels that pit you as much against your surroundings as your enemies is a large part of why Polar Panic becomes addictive. The introduction of new enemies as you move from stage to stage is also a nice change, making each level feel fresh and the game feel more expansive. If there's a critique to be made, it's that the camera is pulled back too far from the action. The need for this probably relates to strategies for keeping one's eye on far-off enemies and planning ahead, but unlike simpler arcade titles that have just a few graphic elements, Polar Panic includes more objects to interact with that sometimes are hard to discern from a distance. Having a smarter camera, an enemy radar, or just more player control over the camera might have improved things here. As it is, you'll just need to sit a bit closer to the tellie...

The two main ways to play Polar Panic are alone and with a friend or three. The Multiplayer Mode is awesome, with the best combination of core gameplay elements and human A.I. Playing in Story Mode is enough of a frenzy, but things get even crazier when you throw a live person into the mix. The premise is the same through each game mode: Rescue other bears, defeat the bad guys, and overturn Mr. Big's attempt to drive you and yours out. Joining Mr. Big are a cast of characters that become increasingly skilled as you progress through the multiple stages in Story Mode. Each stage is comprised of a series of levels that look like snow and ice mazes. Sliding blocks can help you defeat enemies, and they'll even occasionally defeat each other, if you play your cards right. The second layer within each stage is to unlock secret items or rescue members of your family taken hostage by Mr. Big. You'll need a powerful set of twitch reflexes and brainpower to win the day and see the sun rise on an Arctic territory free from Mr. Big and his goons. If the pace gets too extreme, there's always Puzzle Mode. In this setting, you have time to plan your approach, and no enemies to oppose you. But just because there aren't guys with guns around you doesn't mean you've got it easy. Puzzle Mode includes some of the most devious challenges in the game, requiring you to clear in a short amount of time, with the fewest number of moves. Plus, you'll still find that things can get deadly, when you're playing around with TNT. If you can't get enough challenge in any of these modes, there's always Survivor Mode, where you take on wave after wave of bad guys to see how long you can remain in the game.

The best part of this game is its variety and intensity. New enemies and blocks are introduced over several stages, giving you time to build a strategy for success. The last 60% of the game is just a ratcheting up of everything you've learned, both in terms of how many enemies you'll face off against and the size of the playing field. The primary goal in each level is to defeat all enemies and get out before the time elapses. The secondary goals include collecting items, and moving blocks strategically to help your family escape Mr. Big's clutches. The enemies you'll face, apart from the boss battles against Mr. Big, are all specially equipped. Basic enemies like Clobber are just dangerous if you're near them, while the Gunther can take pot shots at you from afar. The introduction of new enemies like Pyro and Iceman require you to change the way you play, since they both can manipulate the ice blocks that would immediately crush other enemies. Dyno Dude rounds out the cast, and we've already mentioned the danger of playing with TNT... The intensity misfired at times, generally so high during each level that the boss battles felt tedious by comparison. Whether you breeze through Story Mode or not, you'll spend quite a while figuring out the 50 levels in Puzzle Mode, and more time than that challenging friends at Multiplayer. Polar Panic feels too retro to be a one-size-fits-all game, but there's no question that you'll get your money's worth.

For a game so otherwise well designed, Polar Panic suffers from some flaws in this category. The most obvious examples are when you meet with some misfortune during a level, only to be respawned in front of an enemy that immediately takes you out. At the very least, you'd expect the clock to reset after you lose a man... or should we say "bear?" Instead, you'll spend a perfectly good life watching the last few seconds on your clock run out, which is annoying. Another strange feature is an occasional respawn that resets all enemies back to their original positions, like what you'd expect from a Continue. You can choose to continue after losing all your bears, but the frustration mounts when you are 90% done with a level and still have one life left, only to see all your progress wiped out. Boss battles, by comparison, are ridiculously easy. It's as if they knew you'd be frothing at the mouth by the end of the stage, and wanted to give you a nice easy win on the boss. Fighting Mr. Big at the end of each stage is always a change in pace, but we could have done for a little more balance. Completing a stage makes it playable and opens up some bonus content; achievements are largely earned through progress in each main mode, and through a few special actions you can complete. The grading is incredibly hard during all modes; thank goodness we weren't graded this tough in school! We're sure it wasn't intentional, but Polar Panic has a knack for making you feel clumsy, stupid, and generally like a n00b. Enough time in the saddle will lead to victory, as it always does, but what these guys call "Casual" difficulty is anything but...

Control with the Analog Stick is an option, but not one we'd recommend. The D-pad is a natural fit for navigating these ice-maze grids, allowing you to make sharp turns and control your motions precisely and efficiently. It can be hard to distinguish between ice blocks and snow blocks in some of the darker levels, and the difference is a big one when you consider the snow blocks are useless for crushing enemies. Certain mechanics, like tapping the (A) button to send blocks flying back at Iceman, are dubious. The enemy A.I. is generally good, but you'll find ways to game the system as you play more and more. Pyro and Iceman enemies are both almost impossible to defeat from the front, so you'll have to slide bocks into them from the back or side. Positioning blocks in sparse levels can be really tricky, especially as you are trying to navigate around enemies and remove snow blocks that get in the way. The notion of having little houses full of enemies that you can destroy by sliding blocks into them is smart enough, and helps you move through the level more quickly. A speedy finish earns you more points, as does rescuing bears. Special items you gather will at times give you extra lives, or freeze enemies into solid blocks of ice. You can use the time during these freeze-ups to destroy houses, enemies, or just position blocks over trigger pads. These trigger pads are a key element in solving the Puzzle Mode levels, as well as strategic use of TNT to break up loose walls and clear the way to rescuing bears or getting out of the level.

Attractive, party-friendly, at times fiendishly difficult... Polar Panic is an interesting game that will mostly appeal to retro gamers in search of creative updates to the old classics. The maze/puzzle gameplay is solid, but the Multiplayer and Story are ultimately the most accessible. Dedicated players will find their reward, but be prepared to play certain levels a few times over until you get it right. The quirky features for respawning and balancing difficulty often feel glitchy, but the overall game is very well designed and thought through. Fans of games like Bomberman will absolutely love Polar Panic, and anyone looking for some unique twitch gameplay on XBLA will likely fall head over polar bear heels for this game.