by Adam - May 3, 2005

When I bought my PSP it was for very fun portable puzzle games. As an adult gamer I love a new challenge from a game. When I had first heard of this game it reminded me of the classic Marble Madness. The point of the game is to guide a drop of mercury to the end of every level. A really simple idea provides for really complex and innovative game play which is a real joy on the PSP.

A boy and his Blob

Archer Maclean�s Mercury is one of the most novel games I�ve played on the PSP. This game is a real gem to play and it�s a difficult challenge. The objective of the game is to lead your drop of mercury through each level. Players manipulate the mercury by moving the level with the analog stick. This sounds pretty run of the mill and easy at first. With the introduction of different obstacles and a constant countdown this game has a great feel to it. This game can be anywhere from a tough brain teaser to a frantic flurry to get to the finish in time.

What is really great in Archer Maclean�s Mercury is the concept of the mercury drop being able to move so fluidly. The movement to this game is really amazing. If the blob of mercury hits an object too fast it will split into other little balls. This is important because you will automatically fail a level if you run out of your own mercury. Another challenge behind this game is that you must paint yourself different colors in order to activate switches or run through color barrier gates. Mixing colors maintains another difficult challenge.

Flow like water

This game is one of the most visually engaging titles I have ever seen. The liquid movement and texture behind the mercury is amazing. Each part moves very fluidly and very real and reflects light and other surroundings. Great detail is also paid attention to the color aspect of each blob. When two painted blobs blend together they will form a new color. This looks really cool on the PSP. The level backgrounds are really cool and every new level has a really beautiful introduction FMV. This game is really an exquisite treat for your eyes.

The ability to control the camera is extremely important. Levels are 3 dimensional and you must look around in order to miss obstacles. There are two types of setups that you can use to rotate the camera 360 degrees while being able to zoom in and out. Rotating the camera is a snap as well. The controls can be easily manipulated while not losing focus on the game.

plop

The sounds in Archer Maclean�s Mercury are pretty decent. The background music played in each level is quick paced techno which really helps to add to sense of urgency to each game. The music is different in each level and level select. In the game when your mercury hits a wall really hard it will plop on the walls. This game sounds better on the headphones than through the PSP speakers.

It's a gas

This game is a lot of fun to play. With many different challenges to lie ahead of you and a high scores table it is really difficult to put this game down. It requires coordination and planning and thinking in order to reach the goal. The challenges are simple but yet deceptively so, controlling your mercury is the hardest aspect of this game. Tedious movement with the analog stick and careful concentration will keep your blob in one piece. Certain puzzles will force you to reverse the controls and be able to play the game backwards.

This game is really fun to play allowing you to load and run quick challenges in just a few minutes. Difficult thinking puzzles and the constant wanting to get your initials to the top 10 of ever level are great motivators to this game. It will be difficult to play just one game or to put it down. This makes it a perfect portable game bringing challenge and fun with it everywhere it goes. The ability to play this is a linked game is fun and very challenging.

Innovation

The greatest thing about this game is how natural it is. It does a really good job of moving just like a real droplet. It will run, thin out, build up, separate, and mix. In a game where the control is a central issue, the controls are perfect. Movement is made easy with the analog stick and when the player learns to move well they will be able to fly though the levels. The fluid movement is amazing and will set a benchmark for PSP games in the future. The only aspect I wish they would have included was a challenging puzzle mode.

Boliing point

This game was exactly what I was looking for when I wanted a new portable puzzler that could really engage me and eat up a lot of my time. Initially I thought it was just another race around the maze rip clones. I learned that his is a very complex and challenging game that is dynamic for the PSP. The controls are simply put and the graphics look beautiful. The wireless multiplayer adds a new dimension to this game to give it even more appeal. With retro feel and great looks and solid game play this game will be a classic for the PSP.