Columns Crown GBA

After impressing mightily with Chu Chu Rocket!, Sega adds to its growing rep for GBA puzzlers with Columns Crown.

The cheerfully improbable backstory tasks Princess Dazzle to find 24 mysterious jewels in order to create a crown and become queen. Princess Dazzle can only win the widely scattered jewels via puzzle contests.

Play mechanics are reminiscent of both Tetris and Pokémon Puzzle Challenge (though long-time Sega fans will recognize the game from its earlier incarnations on Sega's hardware platforms). Groups of three gems fall from the sky. You can re-order them with the A and B buttons. If three or more gems touch each other in any direction, they'll vanish. Earn more points by eliminating masses of gems in linked combos.

Survival mode lets you play as long as you can. In Flash mode, your goal is to eliminate a preset group of gems as quickly as possible. CPU-controlled gem thieves or a real live friend is your rival in Vs. mode. (Two GBAs, a GBA Game Link cable and one or two Game Paks are required for multiplayer action. You can also trade gems from one Game Pak to another.) If you earn a high score, you'll be able to drop a gem on your rival or laser away your own gems.

Last updated on 10 December 2007