Ever since Eric Caoili posted PiCOPiCT (the PiCTOBiTS name in Japan) tunes created by YMCK on Tiny Cartridge, I have lusted after this game. It was kinda my excuse for upgrading to the DSi. It’s been out in North America for a few weeks, I’ve played the ever-loving pixels out of it, and I’m here today to profess my love for this simple little game.
For the uninitiated, PiCTOBiTS is, in addition to being a royal pain to type, a falling blocks puzzle game created by Skip Ltd. for the Nintendo DSi download service. The tiny title features a pile of blocks at the bottom of the screen (“bits”) with various colored shapes descending from above. Using the stylus, grab resting bits and set them anywhere to create matches of four or more. You can create lines vertically, horizontally, or in squares/rectangles, but the catch is you have to do it in the air, otherwise the shapes become stagnant and can only be used for matching airborne shapes. A POW block shakes things up when you need a hand, and you earn coins for completing levels like the awesome puzzle player you know you are.
The fun part is creating classic 8-bit Nintendo images from the bits you match. Every time you make a line, those blocks are sent to the top of the screen where they gradually assemble into images from Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Excitebike and more. It makes you want to giggle and clap your hands together every time you complete a stage. Seriously, it does. The chiptune music also “assembles” itself while you play, which is a very neat touch.
AND… there’s more! Earning coins as you complete levels isn’t just for bragging rights. Use these coins to unlock crazy-difficult levels to play (Dark World versions of each stage) as well as songs from the game’s soundtrack. Kind of a simple (and rather cheap) cop-out when it comes to unlockables, but because it’s chip music, I’m very much motivated to participate.
It’s retro gaming, it’s chiptunes, it’s a simple puzzle game. I love it!
