The puzzle game is something that has always been important in the handheld market. The version of TETRIS for the Game Boy was one of the most popular videogames ever to be released, and quite possibly the best videogame ever made. Thanks to THQ, PUYO POP has come to the U.S. for the Game Boy Advance.

PUYO POP works like this: you have two blobs of a different color connected. You can rotate the blobs around and drop them down into the playing field. By connecting four blobs of the same color, the blobs disappear and blobs above fall down into their place. By setting up a massive chain reaction with dropping blocks, you can drop trash blocks on your opponent (that must be eliminated by completing a string next to the trash block).

It all adds up to being as addictive as its inspiration, TETRIS. With gameplay that is always different, yet always the same, and simple to learn but impossible to master, you'll keep coming back for more and more.

Instead of the game's single player experience having you just playing against yourself, you actually always have an opponent. This makes the game a lot more interesting, as it is a race to dump trash blocks on your computer opponent. You get the same set of blocks to use so it's perfectly fair. First person to let their screen get full of blocks loses.

In the one-player mode, you'll face a series of different characters each with their own AI. The game follows the formula, and the different AI makes each level feel different enough.

Multiplayer is where the game really shines though. PUYO POP supports single-cart link-up so that you and three of your friends can link up with a single cartridge. As you progress further in the game (or with more cartridges) you can access more modes, but the gameplay is very tight and the camera moves according to the action, really giving you a feel for what is going on in the frantic gameplay. It's a ton of fun, and definitely the main reason to own a copy.

The graphics weren't really touched up very much for the transition. The worst thing I had happen was once when I couldn't separate a couple of the different colors. This is a lot more likely to happen if you are playing the game in a low-light condition (stupid GBA).

The sound is also something that isn't really worth your time to listen to. Very quick port job; it's not bad, just lots of Japanese stuff. A portable CD player and music will serve you just as well, if not better. It depends on how much you get into the whole "puzzle game experience."

If nothing else, the four-player mode of the game is worth the entire purchase price. Highly addictive and fun, you'll be playing this for hours. Try it once, and you'll never be able to go back.