Imported Puzzles
Problem is, once they're solved, they're solved. Spend a couple days with puzzle mode, and you'll be done with it. To help alleviate this, there is a create-a-puzzle mode where you can make your own tile arrangements and trade them wirelessly with friends. To do a little long-distance puzzle trading, each custom puzzle generates a 30 digit password, which you can then post on the Internet for all to enjoy. Nintendo will surely play host to many puzzles on its official site, and you can already snag several off of the company's Japanese site (and yes, these passwords work with the U.S. version of the game).
Once you stack goes past that red line, it's over.
In addition to the puzzle trading, there's a full-on multiplayer mode. It's basically a vs. version of the challenge mode, where cleared tiles get sent over to your opponent's screen. There are also power-ups that add a little spice. As in the challenge mode, new tiles start falling from the top screen, and the winner is the person who sends all this tiles to the opponent's screen first. I've had matches last for minutes on end to a few mere seconds, so it definitely leads to some exciting matches. As an added bonus, only one cart is needed for the vs. mode, so you can get in on the action with anyone who has a DS.
If you into logic puzzles, chances are you'll love Polarium. Granted, the concept of staring at a screen full of black and white squares for minutes on end looking for the correct line to draw may not sound like the most exciting game out there, but for those who appreciate a good mental challenge, it's a treat. Hopefully, you'll have a like-minded friend to trade puzzles with, so the party never ends. This certainly isn't the portable killer app that Tetris was back with the original Game Boy, but it's still fun. And it's further proof that Nintendo needs to get a Picross game out for the DS. STAT! Mario's Picross DS? I'd buy it.
