ULTA Beauty Logo grey on white background. Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy.

Surge Deluxe (PSV) – well, certainly pretty good anywayThe creators of PS Vita classic Velocity try to reinvent the match-3 puzzler, but does Surge Deluxe play better than it looks?Given the lethargic start to the release schedules this year no one format has really had a chance to shine yet. Given its advantage in indie support most of the more interesting games have been on the PC, but the console with the best track record so far in 2014 is the PS Vita. Admittedly that’s only really because of two games, but between this and maybe Sony’s portable doesn’t have to rely on Remote Play after all.The only problem with these two games is they do very little to sell the PS Vita as the ultimate in portable gaming technology. OlliOlli at least makes good use of the physical controls, but neither game looks impressive in screenshots.

In Surge Deluxe’s case that’s because it’s a match-three puzzler and if there’s a way to make them exciting in a static image science hasn’t yet discovered it. AdvertisementSurge Deluxe is by Brighton team FuturLab, who will be well known to PS Vita owners for the excellent Velocity series (which is still ongoing, with Velocity 2X due later this year). As with that game Surge Deluxe is an update of an earlier title, in this case an old PlayStation Mobile puzzler.Although the genre is dominated by the likes of Candy Crush Saga and Bejeweled not all match-three games follow exactly the same template, and thankfully Surge Deluxe is not just the same game with something else instead of jewels or sweets.

In actual fact you’re just matching different coloured tiles, not by moving them next to each other but by drawing an electric charge between them.Naturally this is perfect for the Vita’s touchscreen and equally naturally it’s not quite as simple as it sounds. The game starts with tiles sat on either side of the screen and you can only connect together similarly coloured tiles with an exposed edge, and not one that’s completely surrounded by others. You also can’t touch another tile while making a connection or the whole thing fuses out.Those are the basics but once you get the hang of things you’ve also got to keep your eye on two gauges on either side of the screen. These indicate ‘pressure’ which you have to relieve by removing multiple tiles at once or revealing vents underneath some of them.

What logical sense this is supposed to make we’re not sure but it’s a clever way of ensuring that the tension is maintained throughout, as you move from simply clearing tiles as quickly as possible to lowering the pressure. Surge Deluxe (PSV) – looks aren’t everythingThere’s also a puzzle mode, which is completely new for this Deluxe version. Instead of simply trying to last as long as you can you’re trying to clear pre-set stages in as efficient a way as possible, and aiming for a high score target that always looks impossible at first and then gradually begins to drift towards the realms of possibility.

Tempest arcade game parts. This enjoyed a lot of success in his arcade, but was unofficial until Atari included it as the 'Enhanced Mode' of 'Tempest' in its 'Arcade Games Pack #1' for PC.An official port has been released for the Atari ST.Prototypes exist for the Atari 2600. Tempest Tubes'.

Unfortunately though there are only 15 of these stages, which is a shame as it’s easily as much fun as the main mode.Surge Deluxe is a great puzzler but it does have its problems, and they’re all disappointingly mundane ones. The most obvious is that, even by the standard of other puzzlers, the game is painfully generic to look at.

The touchscreen stuff with the sparks of electricity is neat but everything else is pretty banal, and almost looks like placeholder visuals.The music is equally unremarkable, with some low rent electroncia that does nothing to help the mood or make the presentation seem any more distinctive. Oddly though the sound effects are excellent, so at least one side of the equation is working.The other issue is that it can take quite a while for Surge Deluxe to get going in terms of difficulty and, much like Lumines, this takes the edge off any desire to immediately start again when you lose – because you know that’ll involve several tedious minutes of overly easy gameplay. That’s a problem Tetris on the Game Boy knew how to deal with, so why there’s no way to skip ahead here is a mystery. AdvertisementDespite these flaws though Surge Deluxe is easily one of the most entertaining puzzlers of the last few years, with a lightning pace and old school arcade style sensibilities. And all without a microtransaction in sight.In Short: A great alternative to Candy Crush and its clones, that’s just a few tweaks – and a visual makeover – away from being a classic puzzler.Pros: A great premise that works very well on the touchscreen. Nuanced combo system rewards forward planning and clever use of the in-game items. Great sound effects.Cons: Generic visuals and music are off-puttingly dull.

Difficultly curve takes too long to ramp up and there aren’t enough stages in puzzle mode.Score: 7/10Formats: PS VitaPrice: £3.99Publisher: FuturLabDeveloper: FuturLabRelease Date: 5th February 2014Age Rating: 3Thoughts? Email or leave a comment below.