Chad from Daily Joystick writes: "With so many games in the puzzle genre simply aping each other, it is refreshing when you find one that takes a truly unique turn. The just released WiiWare title, Bittos+ may use the familiar Tetris-shaped blocks, but what the game does with them is like no puzzle game you have played before."
Game Revolution writes: "I'm a sucker for addictive puzzle games. Throw me a controller and fire up Puzzle Fighter, and four hours later you'll have to drag me away from the TV. It's always refreshing to see a puzzle game try to do something new, even if it doesn't really work out. Especially in this genre where it's almost too easy to make a clone of something popular (i.e. Tetris) rather than something innovative."
If Tetris had a mentally challenged step-son that didn't provide as much of a challenge, had a lame soundtrack, tedious rather than fun gameplay, and generally drooled all over itself, it would be Bittos+. The puzzler from Unconditional Studios uses the same seven core pieces as the classic game, but instead of dropping from up top, gamers place them at will on a grid. The goal? To start, simply making 2×2 blocks that will eventually explode. The appeal is that gamers get to play at their own pace, either trying to build chains quickly before the explosions, or simply plug away, racking up points with smaller ones. Despite an increase in the box size in later levels, a few different modes and a challenge in the form of loose blocks turning red and spreading, the game always feels more tedious than anything else. When the intro level has nine stages that never seem to change, it's hard to want to play anymore.
The Wii library continues to grow. With so many unique design opportunities afforded by its motion-capable controllers, the ridiculous sales success that's put a system in millions upon millions of homes across the world and the the fact that new, young studios can break into the action more easily now than ever before, it's easy to understand why that software total keeps on climbing.
Nintendo's digital download destination, the Wii Shop, is expanding particularly quickly -- thanks to it serving as a virtual sandbox for game creators to incorporate the Wii's capabilities into downloadable titles. Or maybe it's just an easy way to get simple Wii ideas into gamers' hands without going the much more expensive retail route.
