Full Review

23 June 2006 - The PlayStation Portable is great for quick fire puzzle games, and so with that in mind, the creators of Sonic the Hedgehog have created Puyo Pop Fever a sort of Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine for a new audience.

The game, which plays out like Tetris involves you having to stack a series of jelly beans or "Puyo" on top of each other. Four or more connected in a row and they disappear and reappear on your opponents side.

All sounds easy, and in reality it is. The game is very approachable and there are three levels of difficult and a training level to master.

Aside from the difficulty levels, there are also different game modes, either versus the computer or one long level where you try and build your score to an unimaginable number.

To do this you've got to connect those Puyo and connecting enough fills up your fever gauge which in turn is like berserker in Doom - the screen changes colour lots of random stuff happens really quickly and if you are lucky you'll only be left feeling slightly dizzy.

Where this game comes into its own is the ability to play with other people.

Double Puyo Pop Mode allows you to use the same PSP console and splits the screen in half, while the wireless option means you can play others in the playground or office who've also got the game and of course a PSP.

VERDICT
While Puyo Pop Fever is good fun, the excitement soon wears off and for us it doesn't match the excitement of Ubisoft's Lumines - also available on the PSP.

For some reason, even on the hardest setting the nerves and tension never quite build up enough.