PUZZLE QUEST: what you SHOULD be hyped for instead of your loli rape sims

[Drinky Crow]

http://www.infinite-interactive.com/puzzlequest/

Here's some screens so you illiterate tools can have some context. God only knows half of you would shit your pants if Nintendo hadn't shown you what feces looks like.






(The demo is available for PSP at GameCrazy, and possibly some other retailers. The game itself is for PSP, DS, and PC. I think XBL Arcade was mentioned by one of the dev duders at Qt3.)

Anyway, if you've played any of the Warlords games -- and if you haven't, you're barely human -- you'll have some context for this game, because it's set in the Warlords universe and because it's also designed by STEVE FAWKNER. (And if you don't know who he is, you are subhuman -- you're like a Cloudy or an Anihawk or something equally archvirginal.)

So there's this big strategy RPG map, and you make a character -- incidentally, the portraits are drawn by some Japanese or Korean artist so you animu shitheels can make your big titty space lolis -- and pick a class and then roam around it, taking quests. Quests involve puzzle battles, which play like Bejeweled, only with the following rules:

-- matching 3+ of a color nets you that much mana of that color.
-- get enough mana for a skill/spell, and you can use it. Some spells are obvious, like damage your opponents HP; others **** with the puzzle grid in some subtle way
-- match 3+ skulls and you do damage to your opponents HP
-- match 3+ stars and you get that much XP
-- match 3+ gold and you get that much gold

Characters can find and equip items, which allow you to defend against attacks, boost mana gains or attacks, boost HP or max mana, or improve/decrease chances for various effects to take place.

Skills/spells are class dependent (there are four classes that I know of) and there are various masteries to put the points you gain from level up.

You can also find party members to rotate in when battles go south and/or who offer special bonuses (not sure here; they weren't really in the demo), and even get a mount. You can put money into the strongholds you conquer, and develop stores for skills and dungeons for captured foes, plus a whole load of other shit I'm too lazy to type about.

The music is a fuck awesome orchestral affair on the PSP (and on the PC, one assumes), ala all the other Warlords titles you non-PC animu fruitcakes never played. I hope you all die for this sin. The DS version probably has the usual 8-bit beeps and bloops, but you can use a stylus if you're scared of a D-pad and like half the screen obscured by your hammy fingers.

You should pre-order this game NOW NOW NOW and support smart game designers instead of flinging your money at waggle mini-game crap or Metal Snake: Sons of the Mascots or whatever is supposedly cool around here; I don't ****in' know what you guys play any more and I don't care.

It's out on March 20, I think, for PSP and DS. Try the demo. I know you will like it. I am very certain of this, because it has the things most of you flipwrist dorks dig:

1. it's a niche, underdog title
2. it has wacky jappy animu art
3. it's on both the DS and the PSP, so you can purchase it agenda-free
4. it's a puzzle game and a strategy game, and it does both really well
5. it's a good substitute for not having a meaningful social life

BUY. BUY. BUY.

[KTallguy]

2. it has wacky jappy animu art BUY. BUY. BUY.

Not actually drawn by Japanese moe artists = no buy.

[Drinky Crow]

i can't tell the difference. i'm no connoisseur of pedophilia materials; it looks jappy to me, so i assume it must hold some prurient interest for your sort

[Mama Smurf]

Too long, needs more rape sims. Probably.

[Drinky Crow]

now i remember why i don't post here any more; despite the ostensible name of the place, there's not actually a gaming forum

[White Man]

Can you date the girls in the game?

[Mr. Pointy]

This is not a loli rape sim. It is of no use to me.

[Mama Smurf]

It's a related to gaming forum. Did you know the DS sold over 200,000 this week in Japan? :o

[svenuce]

The game is awesome. I've played it tons when the developer was shopping it.

This IS what you should be hyped for.

[Mifune]

Reason number five is the only one that matters. This sounds great.

[jiji]

I saw this in D3 America's upcoming-junk trough and assumed it was farmed-out shovelware, but it actually sounds pretty interesting and addictive. I'll try it out sometime.

[Error]

game seems really cool, I'll probably grab the PSP version.

where can I find the demo?

edit: nevermind... but there is no gamecrazy here :/

[Fragamemnon]

I'll get it for the PC to play on my Thinkpad. Every time I go and buy a handheld system it gets almost as much dust than my Gamecube/N64 did in their heyday, which is quite remarkable.

The rest of you console plebes should give this game a shot for all the reasons the esteemed Mr. Drinky Crow has listed. I'm sure you can scrape up the money by selling back some overrated first party DS software or what not.

[Ghengis Cohen]

Holy shit its been a while since I played a warlord game. Looks like I'll be picking this up.

[Drinky Crow]

I forgot point #6, which will probably sell it to all of this new NeoGAF community:

6) if it does well on PSP/DS, Steve Fawkner has said that they'd consider a Wii version.

[KTallguy]

I forgot point #6, which will probably sell it to all of this new NeoGAF community: 6) if it does well on PSP/DS, Steve Fawkner has said that they'd consider a Wii version.

, man I really thought you were banned! Then I'm like... why does he keep posting?

[Drinky Crow]

even I don't find that joke funny anymore

[Llyranor]

The idea/premise behind the gameplay mechanics sound very solid/appealing. It just remains to be seen whether the execution will deliver, and whether the design itself is solid enough to carry on the whole game.

[Error]

the trailer looks great. Im sold on this game, the music sound great PSP version get.

[White Man]

The idea/premise behind the gameplay mechanics sound very solid/appealing. It just remains to be seen whether the execution will deliver, and whether the design itself is solid enough to carry on the whole game.

I dunno, it basically seems like a much more complicated take on the already insanely awesome Bookworm Adventures, so I think great strat game developers can deliver on an expanded version of the formula. I just need confirmation of dating sim elements and I am in. Can I rub rub their panties in the DS version, Drinky?

[Tobor]

I will preorder the DS version. Looks nice.

[Gattsu25]

Glad to see drinky never taking his tag seriously...this game looks awesome and is just the type of thing I was looking for, personally.

as an aside: are there any other decent puzzle/rpg games out there? it's the one mixed genre I always wanted to see become a reality

[Tobor]

Bookworm Adventures really needs a DS port too.

[White Man]

Bookworm Adventures is the shit. When I was first told about it, I thought it sounded like the worst thing ever, but after playing the demo, I was sold and I plunked down the cash. That game needs more recognition.

[Fragamemnon]

I still need to get a copy of that. The original Bookworm was my favorite airplane game ever.

[krypt0nian]

Bookworm Adventures is the shit. When I was first told about it, I thought it sounded like the worst thing ever, but after playing the demo, I was sold and I plunked down the cash. That game needs more recognition.

Amen. Bookworm Adventures was one of my faves from last year.

On topic: This PUZZLE QUEST is the kind of game I could get lost in. Gotta check the local shops to see if they are stocking the demo as well.

[pancakesandsex]

This looks fun.

Do we get any points for being familiar with warlords but never actually playing them?

I remember pc gamer making a big fuss over III back in the day

[Pope Benedict XVI]

I like the idea of a puzzle game mixed with strategy/rpg stuff

Infinite Interactive, the developers of puzzle quest, also have this other game called "Galactrix" in development for PC, ds, psp, xbla and maybe mac

http://www.infinite-interactive.com/galactrix.php

[Fragamemnon]

That looks like a mix of 4X space empire sim and a puzzle game. Hot.

[Sweedishrodeo]

ive been playing super puzzle fighter all month... might give this a spin.

[krypt0nian]

Drinky, you've done a good thing.

[chun li's thighs]

The game is awesome. I've played it tons when the developer was shopping it. This IS what you should be hyped for.

I played it too. Actually, they sent me a full copy of it when it was being shopped around. The version I have has the old character are, more remincient of the old Warlords art. I got it a few years ago and I still like playing it. My gf will play the game for hours and she's not a gamer, but she loves the whole leveling up. I was playing last night and finally got to lvl 30, which got me a really cool spell. I heard it finally got picked up, I was hoping we would.

[Drinky Crow]

everybody loves leveling up. it's wired in our dna.

[White Man]

Even the DS version doesn't look that bad:

[Brandon F]

Sounds cool. Has this been a known project for awhile, or did you just stumble upon the demo at Gamecrazy one day instantly shatting your pants?

Oh and RE: the puzzle mechanics, are you limited in time per turn in some way? Or can you eke out a move without concern?

[Drinky Crow]

it's been pimped at Qt3 a bit, but until somebody told me STEVE "THE MAN" FAWKNER was behind it, I wasn't paying much attention. Nabbed the demo at GameCrazy when I saw it, and then shat my pants.

[chun li's thighs]

I just told my gf about it, now she's pumped on getting it. She sad about having to start her character all over again though.

[Lazy vs Crazy]

Oh god, DS or PC?

[ToxicAdam]

As an evil, arch-ultra conservative I only read every third line of text then form opinions based on that. So, is this some sort of "single player Puzzle Pirates" in space? Is that what we are talking about here?

[Synthesizer Patel]

disturbingly, I can distinguish the yellow and green much better on the DS :( I may have to get that version :(

re: timed. the moves are intially untimed but you can set a time-limit if you want a more "action puzzle RPG" feel instead of "strategy puzzle RPG" lol

[White Man]

disturbingly, I can distinguish the yellow and green much better on the DS :( I may have to get that version :(

Look at you trying to be a thug, pretending you like the ghetto so much.

[I Push Fat Kids]

I've seen this laying in our store and I thought it was just another jewel-puzzler. Looks pretty interesting, I'll give the demo a shot.

[kaching]

Thanks, Drinky. PSP demo at Gamecrazy only? Anyone seen it anywhere else?

[D2M15]

Something in my pants just levelled up.

[Phthisis]

Insta-purchase.

<3 Drinky Crow

[chun li's thighs]

Maybe I'll post a screen of the one I have home so you can see the old art and see what you prefer.

[Region-FreeWii]

Bookworm Bitches is the shit. When I was first told about it, I thought it sounded like the worst thing ever, but after viewing the demo, I was sold and I plunked down the cash. That porn needs more recognition.

I agree.

[trancejeremy]

D'oh! As a Warlords fan, I've been trying to pimp this as much as possible in every "What game are you looking forward to" or "Best RPGs of 2007" or "Best games on _____" platform. But was largely ignored. Guess I should have used a offense post like this.


Anyway, it's being published by D3, who have no idea how to market stuff. So there haven't been many previews. It's also been in the works for several years (3 I think), so it's been playtested tons.

And it's almost certainly coming to XBLA. But that shouldn't stop you from buying the PSP or DS versions.

[USD]

Adult Yuffie isn't very hot. Bring back the lolis.

[Scott]

I'd really like to check this out, but there's no GameCrazy 'round here. Would anybody be willing to pick up a copy of the demo? I'll cover shipping and throw in a little extra. Please? :)