Grant Holzhauer of Gamedaily writes: Downstream Panic! is the newest in a long line of puzzle games to hit the PSP. It feels like a conglomeration of LocoRoco and Plinko (a game featured on The Price is Right). In that game, contestants drop chips from the top of a board covered with pegs, hoping that the chips will bounce into the desired location at the bottom. Switch out fish for chips and throw in a variety of items to guide the flow of water, and that's this game in a nutshell.
Aesthetically, the game feels like LocoRoco, with a serenely cheerful ambiance. There is not much visual change from level to level, although you will experience the four seasons, which provides visual differentiation and a few game play nuances. The music and sound effects, too, seem to imitate LocoRoco, with chirpy noises emanating from the fish and a repetitive but youthful soundtrack. Everything animates well and looks incredibly sharp, and there are a few humorous movies scattered throughout that provide a semblance of a story.
