Gaming Trend

Gaming Trend Review

by Keith Schleicher

The original Archer Maclean’s Mercury was a mix of old and new.  Puzzle games using mazes have been around for a while, even going as far back as the arcade games Marble Madness and Pac-Man.  Since then new twists have been introduced to the maze.  Archer Maclean’s Mercury used a blob of mercury to traverse a maze.  They didn’t stop there though instead adding traps, the ability to split into multiple blobs of mercury, and the ability to change colors.

Mercury Meltdown is the sequel to Archer Maclean’s Mercury.  While it takes a lot of the same premise of the original game, it does make some changes.  Are these changes beneficial to the game and do they get rid of some of the frustrations from the original Archer Maclean’s Mercury?

Mercury Meltdown has a new look to it.  Instead of a appearing more realistic, the cel-shaded graphics give everything a more cartoonish sheen.  While this might be considered a bad thing, it makes the game appear all the more playful.  The mercury still has the same fluid feel to it, but the characters on the field have a cartoonish look to them and are not anywhere near as menacing as in the first game.

The text, status graphics, and the numbers in the game have the same kind of look to them.  The test tube indicating the amount of mercury still on the field is curved instead of straight.  The clock on the screen has crooked edges.  All of this adds a lot of personality to game.

The backgrounds do have a bit of a laboratory theme to them.  While some are sparse, they are never so busy that they distract from the gameplay.

The upbeat and playful music has a funky beat to it.  It’s still driven by synthesizer, with some light percussion in the background to keep the beat.  It’s not anything that you are going to remember outside of the game.  The music does change depending on the lab you are in, so the music does feel fresh and doesn’t get too repetitive.

The sound effects are again minimal.  You hear small screams when parts of your mercury blob fall off the stage.  Stomping traps boom when the hammer hits the level.  A little chime rings when you cross the finish.  They aren’t much, but they are good enough to give you an idea of what is going on through the level.

The controls in Mercury Meltdown are the same as the Archer Maclean’s Mercury, so anyone who has played the first one will have no problems getting used to the controls.  Most of the game is controlled using the analog nub.  Moving the analog nub controls the direction the environment tilts.  The L and R buttons zoom in and out on the environment.  Square and Circle rotate the camera left and right.  Triangle and X raise and lower the camera view.  The D-pad also switches between a single and multi-blob focus, and which specific blob it focuses on.

The game controls are tough at times because of how sensitive the analog nub is.  A lot of times it’s not too bad, but it does take some getting used to.  Once you do get the hang of it though, you can move pretty carefully through the environment.  The developers did the best they could with the controls of the PSP.

The object of each level in Mercury Meltdown is to get your blob to the finish line with the right color.  Sometimes your mercury is in one blob at the beginning, but other times it will be split up and be made up of different colors.  It sounds simple, but that’s where the fun begins.

To get to the end of the level, several challenges must be solved.  Filters can only be passed by mercury of a specific color.    Pressure switches can only be activated by a certain amount of mercury of the correct color.  These switches can open doors needed to get through to the finish.  Some switches on the floor can only be activated by Stan, a block that constantly moves and turns right when he runs into an obstacle, or Huebrick, a lazy block that only rolls over when given a push.

Paint shops around the level change the color of the mercury blob under it.  Let’s say that you have a gate that is yellow, but you have a red and green paint shop.  You need to split the blob of mercury into two blobs, color one green and the other red, then combine them to make a single yellow mercury blob.

If that wasn’t enough, there are obstacles that want to prevent you from getting to the finish.  Jacob’s Ladders shoot bolts of lightning to destroy your blob.  Mercoids chase you and eat your mercury.  Spectroids eat mercury.  Schizoids catch you and then explode scattering your blobs.  Pushers move in and out, trying to push your blob off the edge of the level.  Crumble blocks disintegrate shortly after a blob of mercury touches it.  These are just a few of the hazards in the game.

Luckily, the learning curve of Mercury Meltdown ramps up at a good rate.  It starts out with a tutorial you can take if you want to.  It gives you a quick run down of the controls and some of the goals.

At the end of the level, you are awarded points.  The more points you get, the more you unlock in the game.  For every percent of mercury you have left, you get 500 points with a total of 50,000 for 100% mercury.  Every second left on the clock earns 1000 points.  Hitting the bonus markers earns you 2000 points for each.

The biggest issue with the first Mercury game was the fact that you couldn’t progress unless you completed every level in a world.  Mercury Meltdown is a much less frustrating experience.  The game is set up into eight different labs.  Each level in the lab is represented by a test tube.  There are three objectives for each level: To not lose any of the mercury on the level when you finish, complete the level within a specific par time, and to collect all the bonus markers.  A test tube with a gold cap indicates that all of the goals were fulfilled successfully.  The test tube is filled with the amount of mercury you finished the level with.  A sticker indicates if you successfully completed the level in time and collected all the bonus markers.  As long as you reach the finish, the level is considered to be successfully completed.  Some of these levels are tough, but sometimes you’ll want to go back to the ones you’ve already completed to get a better time or to complete with all of the mercury.

Something new to the series is the Playground.  In this area you can move around and figure out how your mercury blob responds to the different traps and obstacles.  It’s a nice diversion and can be useful to practice on some of the harder levels.

The load times for Mercury Meltdown are surprisingly short.  This is one of the quickest loading games I’ve played for the PSP so getting into the action doesn’t require a book next to your PSP while you wait for a level to load.

There are over 160 new levels within the game.  Some of these will only take a couple of tries to succeed, but others will take a while to complete successfully.  The nice thing is that you can always go to another level if you get stuck on a specific one.  This is particularly helpful in the later stages in a lab.

Mercury Madness includes a multiplayer mode.  This mode only lets you play with people in close proximity with you, unfortunately.  The Battle Mode takes place on the regular levels but have pick-ups that can help you get through the level faster or hinder the progress of your opponent.  The player that completes the level first wins.

The other multiplayer mode includes party games that can be played by yourself or against a friend.  In Rodeo, you try to stay on the platform for as long as you can while a fan switches directions and tries to push you off.  In Paint, your blob leaves a paint trail.  Your goal is to have more of the level painted than your opponent.  Shove is very similar to shuffleboard where you try to push your mercury blob into the center of a target.  Race has you race your mercury blob around a track.  Matrix is a puzzle game where  you drop colored blobs into a level.  Matching three colored blobs in a row causes them to explode.  This fills your mercury gauge and when it fills you go to the next level.  If you run out of time, the game ends.  These provide nice diversions, but it’s doubtful you’ll play these more than a couple of times.

You can also share a couple of levels of Mercury Meltdown through the wireless connection with friends in close proximity of your PSP.  This is a nice way to let your friends get a taste of Mercury Meltdown without letting them borrow your copy.

Mercury Meltdown is a puzzle game that requires a steady thumb and some quick thinking.  It’s taken all of the positive aspects of Archer Maclean’s Mercury and removed all of the negative aspects.  Those who were frustrated with the original game will have a much more enjoyable time with Mercury Meltdown.  While it’s no Lumines or Meteos, the game is more addictive than you might think.  Anyone with a PSP who enjoys a good puzzle game should definitely look into picking this up.

Gaming Trend Score

81

1. Graphics: 82
2. Audio: 80
3. Controls: 82
4. Gameplay: 80
5. Value/Replay: 82
6. OVERALL:81