3DS Review: Crush3D

Is this a case of crush or be crushed?

Crush3D is a puzzle platformer with a difference. It makes good use of the 3D mechanic of Nintendo’s handheld, while adding a new dimension to puzzle solving. The story is paper-thin and has you go into the players’ mind as a crazy scientist performs an experiment and getting out of the world your mind makes is the objective.

The object is to collect marbles around the stages and make it to the exit, while switching between 2D and 3D by “Crushing” the level around you. For example, you can stand on a platform and crush it so it becomes 2D for you to pass through it, but the whole stage also becomes 2D. The idea is to switch at the right time so you end up in a different area.

Using the camera also helps, it really depends which direction you are facing as to where platforms go, like if you are using a top-down view then the platform will rise up. There are also other collectables like trophies that only appear when an image of it is displayed in the right dimension, which is tricky when the image is on 2 different platforms, re-arranging it so it fixes and giving you a clear route to the item is far from easy.

As you progress, you come across more obstacles like cockroaches that need to be squashed with platforms or objects like bowling balls or cans, as well as using the objects to make it across higher surfaces. If there’s a problem with Crush3D, it’s that it becomes pretty tedious after a while and it’s hardly the most exciting game out there. Also, the game comes with a hint system that pretty much shows you what to do, at the cost of some of the marbles you collect. You do however; need to collect a minimum of half the marbles in a stage for the exit to open.

Visually, Crush3D is average for a 3DS game. The game looks nice, but it doesn’t exactly set the world alight. The levels are well thought out and there are some real head scratchers in there, although it’s hard to tell if your attention span will last long enough to complete them. Music is basic, but does the job.

The Verdict

Crush3D is a nice puzzle game and is definitely a nice change of pace, but it lacks excitement and becomes repetitive and tedious quite quickly. Switching between the 2D and 3D perspectives is an interesting idea and I hope it’s used in future games for the 3DS, but obviously for something more fun to play. The problem with Crush3D is that it wears thin and you pretty much know what to expect from each level, there’s no element of surprise. Despite that though, it can be enjoyable in short doses.