"It's just another game of multi-colored goo," I told myself. "You'll play it and be done with it. You won't get addicted like in the late 90s when you checked yourself into rehab. Your thumbs won't blister, your eyes won't water. You won't walk around town with a DS attached to your fingers. You will play it and be done with it."

So much for that theory.

Puyo Pop Fever is the latest, feverishly addictive addition to Sega's long-running Puyo Pop series. It's a game of quick strategic planning; a puzzle game with pizzazz. It'll drive you nuts, make you smile, and in the case of this version, it'll bring back fond memories of the nine-year-old Nintendo classic, Tetris Attack.

Many gamers have seen but never played a Puyo Pop game. First impressions tell you it's a Tetris-style puzzler. Another variation of Nintendo's classic, which we already have several of. That's not the case, however. Puyo Pop's gooey puzzle pieces (they look like circular blobs with eyes) love to cling to one another. However, they only have affection for blobs of their own color. Red clings to red; blue clings to blue. They'll stick to almost anything, but it's the clinging that you want. It takes at least four blobs to make a spectacle. And believe me, you're going to want to make a spectacle.

Puyo Pop Fever is not a line game. You don't need to have several blobs in a row to start gaining points. Although it may have come from the same inspiration that led to the births of other classic puzzle games, its intense battles and fast-thinking puzzles have more in common with Tetris Attack than they do the original Tetris. When four blobs of the same color are touching, it's possible to make a spectacle akin to the insane chains and combos introduced in Tetris Attack. Release green, knock blue into place, drop yellow on top and lead the way for a red and purple entry.

Confused? I guess I forgot to clarify that when I said "spectacle" I meant "disappear." These blobs might have big eyes, but it's their destiny to disappear. Don't think of it as their death so much as a way to celebrate life. Every time one of the blobs evaporates, you get to go on living in the game.

Puyo Pop Fever works on a competition system. In other words, with the exception of the new endless modes, you're always in competition with someone. It could be your friend, your next door neighbor - even your dog (why should humans have all the fun when Rufus could hit pause with his paws?). Multiplayer games are NOT restricted those who buy the game. As long as one player has it, simply download the content (wirelessly) from the host DS to your DS and start playing.

Multiplayer madness.

The single-player modes were, as always, designed to give you a competitive multiplayer experience. Computer-controlled characters attempt to play faster and more efficiently than a real person can, but in the end you learn that, once you become a master of the title, there's no replacement for real competition. Nonetheless, this is the best place to get to that point. Some of the computer-controlled opponents are easy; some are pretty tough, but all of them are entertaining, and all of them are worth facing multiple times.

This is primarily due to the inclusion of Tetris Attack-inspired elements. The chains move so much faster, and it seems to take more thought to connect them. Combos are equally challenging.

You'll see even more of the influence Tetris Attack had on this game when you enter Fever Mode. It's a mode within all other modes and lasts for only a few seconds. All existing puzzle pieces disappear (temporarily) are replaced by a pre-made puzzle that can be wiped out entirely in one swift move. This is unbelievably tricky because you have a limited amount of time to think and decide which piece to eliminate (red, green, yellow, etc.).

Your goal is to eliminate the right color. Doing so creates a chain that eliminates all of the blobs and drops a plethora of clear blobs (duds) on top of your opponent. Clear blobs take up space and prevent you or your opponent from getting to the blobs below. There's only one way to eliminate them: by eliminating the solid blobs that are touching them.

If you fail to eliminate the right blob in Fever Mode, at least one blob will be left when the chain is finished. You'll have failed, and your opponent won't be damaged as severely as he would have if you had succeeded.

I take that back. THIS is multiplayer madness!!

Since Puyo Pop Fever came from the Land of the Rising FUN, don't be surprised (or turned off) by the quirky, cutesy characters and the too-annoying-for-words story elements. They weren't necessary, but Japanese game developers disagree. Our only option is to pass on a great game, which is something I'll never do. Besides, the sound can be turned off and the story segments can be skipped very easily. Other developers could learn a lot from this.

Gameplay: 8.6
Puzzle fans can pop puyos with either the directional pad or the Nintendo DS touch screen. Drag the stylus across to line up the blobs. Tap the screen left or right of the blobs to make it spin in that direction. Push on the screen and stroke down (and hold that position) to make the blobs fall down quickly.  It's a fun and unique way to control the game, but it takes a while to get used to it. As of this writing, I still hadn't gotten completely used to it! But I know that, like any new control scheme that works, it all becomes natural in time, and eventually becomes the better way to game.

In the future, we may not use the D-pad at all.

Graphics: 6.9
Simple and blob-filled. They shine, they disappear, and they have colorful effects that are decent for the kind of game this is, but are still 100 times below what the DS is capable of.

Sound: 5.0
The soundtrack would be pretty good if the music wasn't so quirky! It goes to a good place, then jumps back to that kiddie cartoon sound.

Difficulty: Medium
Step right up for a decent challenge. No need to push, there's enough blobs for everyone.

Concept: 8.0
Wonderful additions like faster gameplay and Tetris Attack-inspired gameplay features.

Multiplayer: 8.5
For up to eight players!

Overall: 8.5
A happy-happy joy-joy must-buy for puzzle fans. It's got several challenges, three endless modes, and more speed than any Puyo Pop game before it. And it has touch-screen enabled gameplay, which in time will replace the need for a D-pad (at least with puzzle games).