Is the Nintendo DS the best thing that’s ever happened to puzzle games? Some would argue it’s the first Game Boy, a handheld that put Tetris in the hands of more than 30 million gamers worldwide. But as important as it was for people to play Tetris and make the genre a viable platform for developers, it is more important that the genre continues to evolve. Meteos, Tetris DS, and Kirby: Canvas Curse are three of the best puzzle (or puzzle-oriented) games released in the last two years. And they were all made, from the ground up, for Nintendo DS.

Now Konami and Hudson have a game they hope will earn just as much acclaim: Honeycomb Beat. It sounds like a music game and doesn’t look like much of anything. The linked, six-sided objects (honeycombs) and basic color display are nothing out of the ordinary. Where could this game possibly take us that we haven’t visited before?

That’s the easy assumption. It’d be easy to say that about Othello as well. But if you give that game a shot, you’ll find that while it’s one of the easiest games to learn, it is impossible to master. Honeycomb Beat is not a game with that much riding on its shoulders. You will learn to play in minutes (the tutorial is extremely short) and be overcome with the depth that goes into each puzzle. But you will not be overwhelmed by its difficulty, which is perfectly balanced, or become infuriated by a situation that shows no sign of hope. In this game, all puzzles were designed with logical solutions.

A Touch of Color

Honeycomb Beat offers two different puzzle games within the same concept. The two are separated by game modes, the first being Puzzle Mode.

The fish-shaped pattern is much more demanding than it looks. Your mission: to remove all yellow pieces (and turn the fish white) in eight moves or less. You can go over eight – the game is somewhat forgiving. But you won’t fully complete the level unless the move objective has been met.

Like the circular objects in Othello, all connecting honeycombs can influence each other. If you touch the yellow honeycomb in the center of the screen – the one with six yellow honeycombs surrounding it – all seven honeycombs will change to white. However, if one of those honeycombs had already been white, then one of them would be turned to yellow. This is where your thinking cap is most needed. It is also needed to consider: what happens if the colors are scattered? How do I manipulate the honeycombs without damaging the puzzle?

The idea of solving a puzzle within a certain number of moves is as old as Tetris Attack. But the way it’s done here, with an Othello-style setup, is very unique. There are 20 areas within Puzzle Mode, and each area has 10 possible paths to explore. Each path is equal to one puzzle, for a total of 200 different puzzles in this mode alone.

Puzzles are reached through a branching point map that works like the puzzles themselves, as illustrated in the next image:

If you look at the blue honeycomb on the top left corner of the screen (in area 3), you’ll notice that there are three honeycombs attached to it – one on the right side in area 3, and two just below it in area 4. The latter three puzzles become available as soon as the first one (the honeycomb in the top left corner) is completed. If it’s completed within the given number of moves, the honeycomb will turn solid blue. If it’s completed in excess of the given number, the honeycomb turns light blue. All incomplete honeycombs are white.

Besides unusual shapes and patterns, the game stays challenging with the addition of arrows and numbers.

Arrowed honeycombs will, once activated, send a color-changing stream in the arrow’s pointed direction. Numbered honeycombs must be touched the specified number of times before they’ll become fully active. The two examples in the above image say “3.” If I touch it once, nothing happens. I touch it again – still nothing. Only after the third touch will it and all adjacent honeycombs changes color.

What’s the point of this? To further challenge and boggle our minds! One helpful hint is that, while numbered honeycombs will not change by being touched, you may touch an adjacent honeycomb to alter its color. Consider that and you should be able to come up with an interesting solution.

Endlessly Evolving

Honeycomb Beat’s 200-strong puzzle collection was all it needed to ensure this game will not leave my DS for the next several weeks. But there’s icing on the cake: a mode called Evolution. Rather than a series of pre-made puzzles, Evolution is a mode where rows of honeycombs are constantly moving toward the top of the screen.

Instead of turning every honeycomb from yellow to white, the goal here is to eliminate rows by making the entire row the same color. There are several tricks to doing that, a few of which can get you through most situations.

One of the hardest-looking scenarios is actually the easiest. Suppose you have one white honeycomb and five yellow honeycombs. Let’s say that the white honeycomb is close to the middle, with two yellow honeycombs on its left side and three on its right side. This puzzle looks hard and can be difficult if you don’t think it through. But there’s a simple solution: touch the last yellow honeycomb on the far left. That honeycomb, along with the one next to it, will turn white. Now you have three white honeycombs in a row. Tap the centermost white honeycomb and all three will turn yellow, creating a line of six yellow honeycombs. The line, now all one color, disappears.

Needless to say, Honeycomb Beat is not a game you should resist. Add it to your games-to-get list at once.

Gameplay: 8.5
A puzzle-ful classic that marches to its own beat. Honeycomb Beat’s color replacement strategy gives the game amazing flexibility. Anyone can learn to play it. But to master the game will take much more than quick reflexes. This is a game of thought, a game of depth, and a game deception. When a puzzle looks simple, chances are you aren’t looking close enough. The truth is revealed the minute you start touching the honeycombs.

Graphics: 4.0
Honeycomb Beat’s graphics could have come from any generation past the NES. They’re appropriate for this title, but they’re far from being a tasty treat for those seeking eye candy.

Sound: 7.9
There’s only one word needed to describe Honeycomb Beat’s sound and music – catchy.

Difficulty: Medium
The upward-scrolling Evolution Mode isn’t too heartbreaking, but you’ll be thinking hard and run the risk of going crazy from the stationary puzzles. They are a mind-boggling challenge that, upon completion, will fill your brain with satisfaction.

Concept: 8.5
Two great puzzlers in one.

Overall: 8.5
A lot of DS games have attempted originality – Honeycomb Beat actually accomplishes something. It’s an incredibly fun, obsession-producing puzzler that runs on brainpower. This game is not about being the fastest player to knock shapes into place – it’s about coming up with a solution to a very original puzzle set. You’ll stare at the screen and think, “I’m never going to solve this.” When you finally do, when it all finally clicks – that’s when this game is most beautiful. That moment is when Honeycomb Beat becomes the most satisfying puzzle game since Tetris DS.