Name: D-Cube Planet
Developer: Gameshastra Studios
Publisher: Gameshastra Studios
Genre: Puzzle
Platforms: PSP
Release Date: 12 November 2009
ESRB, PEGI: Everyone, 3+
D-Cube Planet is developed by Indian game developers Gameshastra, it's a puzzle based entry into Sony's new Minis collection of games, primarily for users of the PlayStation Portable Platform but will also be available to play on the PlayStation 3 some time in the future.
D-Cube Planet see's you take control of an unnamed Lilliputian Alien (not to be confused with the small folk Gulliver met on his travels) whose crash landed his space chip on a strange planet known as D-Cube. The Alien (whom I've named Roy in my head) must collect parts for his spaceship before he can continue on his journey, unfortunately life is never that simple, even for Aliens, and he must navigate a series of mazes in order to get the parts for his ship, adding to his misery there are blocks in his way which must be moved before he can reach his goal. Just to make things that little bit more complicated, he can only move the blocks so many times to ensure a route to the parts he needs or he'll be stuck forever needing that part and therefore on the planet. To begin with, the blocks move in four directions, up, down, left and right but as the game progresses certain blocks can only move in less directions which adds to the problem, this starts at all four directions then moves down to three, then two and finally ending where they will only move one way; as you get further into the game then more obstacles are introduced and the mazes get trickier to navigate in short order. You're awarded a gold or a silver trophy (not to be confused with the PSN trophies) depending on your performance, if you manage to complete the maze in as few a moves as possible you'll get the gold, otherwise you'll get the silver.
The controls on the game are simple enough, use the X button to pick which block you want to move, or your little Lilliputian friend (Ray), and then use the D-Pad to navigate where you want to move them to, you've only got so many moves but if there's room you can move more than one block at once which will only count as one move, it gets a little frustrating moving the Alien as you've got to turn him round before you can move him, for example if he's facing left and you want him to go right, he's got to face in another direction first, he won't just move to the right in one fluid movement, only a minor niggle but it seemed to hold up game play a little as the animation passed.
The graphics are passable, your little Lilliputian friend is well rendered, and well animated enough and the backgrounds are reasonably well done, the other graphics don't seem to have had as much love as the Alien though which was a bit odd, but, they serve there purpose well enough, after all, how much detail do you need on a block with arrows?
Likewise, the sound is basic, the sound tracks in the game seem to be based on a fairly short repetitive pattern, but, there not really on long enough for it to be an issue so you don't really notice that apart from while your PSP is idling when not playing. The sound effects are minimal, the noise your alien makes when moving is a little annoying but harmless enough, other than that you just get per functionary clicks and bleeps when you press buttons or move the blocks.
There are 50 levels for you to make your way through before the Alien can rebuild his ship and continue on his journey, you can save your journey at any time so there is no need having to replay the levels each time you switch the game on. For the money you can't really complain, it's only a paltry sum if you enjoy cute little puzzle games that will keep you entertained for a few hours if nothing else.
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