G4TV

You got shmup in my puzzle game! Based on a PC freeware title, Every Extend Extra bucks video-game conventions like a pissed-off bull with a rope tied securely around its testicles. It's unlike anything you've ever seen or played before, but also unlikely to be something you'd fall in love with.

Suicide Solution

Every Extend Extra is part Geometry Wars, part Lumines (another Q Entertainment project), and part acid flashback. The screen gets cluttered with enemies roaming around vibrant backgrounds, and the only way to kill them is to kill yourself. That's right; the object is to die, but die the right way. In the ensuing self-inflicted explosion, you want to take out as many of those little buggers as possible in massive chain reactions. Some leave power-ups behind that speed up gameplay, others add precious time to your tally, and the rest merely boost your score.

This is a twisted gaming concept, to be sure, and it's even tougher to grasp than it sounds. Every Extend Extra is definitely not of the "easy to learn, tough to master" school of thought that most puzzle games subscribe to. Even the quickie tutorial will leave you scratching your head. You'll be dying early and often -- and not in the way the game intends you to -- as you get acclimated.

In. Out. Boom.

Once you wrap your brain around things (the trippy visuals serve to beautifully distract you), Every Extend Extra does offer a satisfying experience. The game nicely increases the tension and difficulty over time -- getting under your skin in a good way. However, the smoke clears far too quickly. Each stage lasts no more than a few minutes, followed by a minute-long boss confrontation. The branching arcade mode may inspire additional plays, and leaderboard addicts will want to topple score records, but the game still doesn't offer as much explosion for the expense as you'd expect.

Every Extend Extra has a few modes of play, but they're all basically the same thing. You can play the original freeware game -- which just removes the attractive flashiness-- take on one individual level, or battle only the bosses. It doesn't offer the variety of Tetris DS or its sibling Lumines, for example. Playing head-to-head in ad-hoc is the bomb, however, as you're motivated to screw over your opponent with your combo chains.

The Un-Puzzler

In trying to tread the fine line between genres, Every Extend Extra falls off a little bit. It won't necessarily appease fans of either puzzle games or shoot-'em-ups, and even those who bond with it will find it too short. The fact that Buena Vista Games released this and Lumines II out at the same doesn’t bode well for Every Extend Extra, either. It's like Britney and K-Fed putting out albums simultaneously; you know who the fan-favorite of the pair is and who'll get lost in the shuffle. This game is quirky and cool, but just isn't substantial enough to make an explosive impact. For the best of both worlds, buy Lumines II and play the included Every Extend Extra demo.

Article by: Justin Leeper
Video produced by: Jonathan Solin