Friday Flash: Blocks, Balls, and Gravity

It has been seven days since I provided five "puzzle games" for you to chew on. Seven days make one week, so it must be time again for Friday Flash, the weekly feature in which I provide three games for you to play, all online, and usually requiring the Adobe Flash Player.

Just because last week I gave you five games doesn't mean you'll get five games every week. It's normally three, okay? But just so you're let down easy, I'll give you four today. Sort of. Two are "related" in the sense that one seems to be a ripoff of the other. Maybe they're both ripoffs of something else. Maybe it's the same guy, developing an idea over time. The point is, it's two games, but kind of one.

As always, I check all games on both Mac and Windows, and I'll let you know if there is any sound, in case you're trying to play quietly.

First up, the game with the earlier copyright date, Blox. There is driving, pulsating music as soon as the menu loads, and make a note of it, because you'll hear it again later. You've got ten free levels, and if you decide you can't get enough, you can buy the game to get to the other forty. The idea on all of them is roughly the same: Similar blox remove themselves from the board when they touch, and your goal is to remove them all. You drag pieces left or right, one at a time, and gravity causes them to fall down when dragged off a ledge. When they touch, the disappear. Make sure you remove them so that one blox (blok?) isn't left by itself.

There are, of course, complications: breakaway pieces, magnets, bombs, and more.

Once the game has started, the music stops, but sound effects start. There's no really good reason for either, as far as I can tell.

A year later (apparently), and brightly colored, Nook and Cranny picks up where Blox left off. I told you that music would be familiar, right?

The first Blox levels are now the Nook and Cranny Tutorial, and some of other Blox levels show up here and there, but a few are new. Plus, the colors are bright, so it's like a whole new game, right? The warp gate right off the bat tells you so. Were there warp gates in Blox? I get so confused!

Article Author: Phillip Winn

Phillip Winn was the Chief Geek for Blogcritics, and a blogger since 1995. He may currently be found and followed as @pwinn on Twitter.

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