RSS
Home
Review - Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure
Yes, on the cover of Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure an old guy is standing above some crazy looking blocks, with a sword in one hand, and a cup of tea in the other. Whatever you're thinking at this point, I thought it too, trust me. But if you haven't played this game yet, let me be the first to tell you that you do not want to miss a great game like this.
Take away the old guy with the sword and tea for a minute. Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure is half platformer and half "match 3" puzzle game. The two genre's by themselves can be pretty addicting, but this game mashes the two genres together to create twice the addiction and twice the fun. Ok, bring back the old guy.
Henry Hatsworth is a British chap (did I use that term right?) who is a member of the Pompous Adventurer's Club, where his hobby is searching for treasures. The latest treasure hunt Henry sets off for is in search of a legendary golden suit that grants the wearer special powers, but the pieces of the suit are spread over five different locations. So let the treasure hunting begin!
While you take Henry on his adventure to find this mysterious golden suit, you'll quickly notice that that your two DS screens serve different purposes. The top screen is where all of your 2D platforming action takes place (along with the story progression), and the bottom screen is where the "match 3" puzzle game comes into play. Just like any true platformer, you progress vertically/horizontally through each level, hacking and slashing enemies, dodging ranged attacks, and maneuvering obstacles and hazardous traps.
As you play through each level, you have to switch down bottom screen to play in the Puzzle Realm, and you do this pretty frequently. You move and switch blocks horizontally trying to make a match of at least 3 colored blocks vertically or horizontally, but most importantly you need to keep an eye out for both monster blocks and power-up blocks. Monster blocks actually appear in the puzzle on the bottom screen as you defeat enemies on the top screen during your platforming adventures. If you do not eliminate these monster blocks before they reach the very top, they will come back on the top screen to take their painful revenge on you. Power-up blocks appear randomly, and timing on using them is really key. You don't want to lose them by having them move out of the puzzle, but at the same time you want to save them for those crazy "oh crap" moments that you may run into.
And you'll definitely run into many of those "oh crap" moments. As easy as the platforming action in Henry Hatsworth starts out, it quickly cranks up the intensity, which is kind of a love hate thing. Hard core gamers that love platforming will be thankful that things get challenging pretty quickly, and will like having to micromanage the action on both screens. At the same time, casual gamers might get easily intimidated on how quickly and challenging the action gets and might find that the casual aspect of this game was short lived.
To add to the challenge of balancing between the two screens, there is a puzzle meter that allows you to stay in the Puzzle Realm for a short period of time. It might not sound like a big deal at first, but if you run out of juice in your puzzle meter, you might run into some sticky situations where you find enemy blocks getting ready to pop out of the Puzzle Realm and back on the top screen. So instead of just micromanaging your platforming adventure and the puzzle action in the Puzzle Realm, you also have to manage the time you can spend in the Puzzle Realm. Luckily you will get to add more time to your puzzle meter as you kill enemies on the top screen, just remember to finish them off in the Puzzle Realm and not give them the chance to come back!
On top of all of that, there is one more meter that you will want to keep an eye on, and that's your super meter. As you clear puzzle pieces, energy in your super meter will increase, and you will get ammunition for special attacks and ranged attacks. If you fill the super meter once, you will transform into a younger chap, granting extra health and a shiny gold outfit. Fill it again and you can activate "Tea Time", which allows Henry Hatsworth to dawn the mighty robot suit. In this mighty, not so Gundam-like, robot suit, Henry can unleash some devastating attacks, but also lose energy in his super meter.
Mixing all of these elements together adds up for some great fun, with a very colorful and charming presentation. You'll get around 30 levels of platforming and puzzle gaming action as well as an entertaining cast of characters. Henry will also be able to upgrade his weapons and buy additional items with the loot he finds along the way, which you will definitely need to get you through the latter stages of the game.
Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure takes a Bejeweled-style puzzle game, mixes in some classic platforming action, and blends the two together to create a refreshingly fantastic experience. The crazy concoction created by the two different styles of gameplay offered some enjoyably addicting gaming that surprised many DS gamers, including myself. It's hard to say if this will be right for all casual gamers or puzzle fans, because they might not be expecting the level of difficulty that this game can offer in the mid to later stages. But for those who stick with it will truly see what an amazing game is offered up by combining two separate gaming genres. And on top of that, who knew that sipping a cup of tea would give you a pretty awesome golden robot suit!
Overall Score: 9/10
Related Articles:
- Review - Gardening Mama
- Review - Puzzle Quest Galactrix
- Review - Boing! Docomodake
- Review - Rhythm Heaven
- More DS news and articles
Related Articles:
Comments
