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Treasure Chase - Review

Treasure Chase
Rating: E - Everyone

This is a 'sliding block' puzzle game. Actually, in its full glory it is 376 sliding block puzzles!!

A sliding block puzzle has a rectangular 'board' divided into squares, and starts with a number of 'blocks' already in place. With an exception to be described later, each block covers at least two adjacent squares, and thus can only be moved in its long direction. One or more blocks look like treasure chests, and the object of each puzzle is to move the blocks so that these chests can be slid to exit squares. You slide a block by using your stylus to move it. It will make an appropriate sound when moved.

The Adventure option is the only one available to start with. Each stage shows a trail with 5 puzzles, then two alternate trails with two puzzles each, which then converges back to the final puzzle of that stage.

The puzzles start out pretty simple, but can get rather complex and difficult. In later stages, blocks which are not just solid bricks are introduced; there are 9 kinds of blocks in all:

  • Normal blocks. These are usually two or three squares long.
  • Blocks with gaps (spanned by rigid bands) - these allow other blocks to slide through them, except that the rigid bands interfere with the rigid bands of other similar blocks.
  • Blocks with internal springs. When fully compressed, the block's spring is fully pressed into two adjacent squares. The springs, when extended, can be one or more squares in length.
  • Blocks with glowing red ends - the red ends attract the red ends of other blocks which are in the same row or column.
  • Blocks with glowing blue ends - the blue ends repel the blue ends of other blocks which are in the same row or column.
  • Linked blocks - these blocks will have colored arrows on them, and moving one such block moves all of the blocks with the same colored arrow.
  • Ice stones: When moved, these blocks slide as far as they can go, being stopped by the edge of the board or another block. You cannot position them partway.
  • Snake stones: These are two single blocks connected by (what looks to me like) a rope. Pulling or pushing one end of the snake causes the whole snake to move. Because the snake ends in single blocks, these are the only blocks that can turn corners and move either horizontally or vertically on the board.
Various combinations of block properties will occur, and sometimes the board will have squares filled with stationary objects which cannot be moved.

Once you have completed the first set of 4 stages, the Bonus Puzzles become available. There are 200 of them! As far as I have gotten, I have only run into normal blocks and blocks with gaps. In many, but not all puzzles, a solution is available, and you will be given this option after playing that particular puzzle for 20 minutes. Then, if you wish you can select to have the DS solve the puzzle all at once without showing you how it is done, and let you go on to the next one, or to have the DS advance one move at a time until the puzzle is solved. READ THE INSTRUCTION BOOKLET TO FIND OUT HOW TO CONTROL THIS.

The puzzle difficulty is not uniform - often I couldn't solve one, yet the next one fell into place quickly and easily, and was accomplished in a minute or two. So, if you like this kind of puzzle, a DS in your pocket can keep you amused while waiting for a bus or as a work-avoidance mechanism. As a bonus, if you have a DS with a camera (DSi, 3DS) you can scan the 16 codes in the instruction booklet and get 16 more puzzles.


Fun Factor: Some puzzles are easy, some are hard. Depends on your personality.
Female Factor: None
Player Friendly: READ THE INSTRUCTION BOOKLET! Why no solution is offered for some of the puzzles is puzzling.

Reviewed by: Lou - Oct/11

  • Treasure Chase
  • © Storm City Games
  • Platform(s): DS DSi 3DS
  • To Order: DS http://www.amazon.com/ $19.99
  • Game Site: http://www.stormcitygames.com/?s=treasure+chase/

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