Drop Cast
From THQ
Get ready for some spell casting mayhem in this wicked fusion of puzzle game and battle mechanics! Ingrid didn’t play nice with the other boys and girls so she decided to make some new friends…from her stuffed animals. Once the toys came to life they needed life skills, and she was happy to teach them 24 devastating spells to use and abuse.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #8549 in Video Games
- Brand: THQ
- Model: 36207
- Published on: 2008-09
- Released on: 2008-09-22
- ESRB Rating: Everyone
- Platform: Nintendo DS
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: .75" h x 5.00" w x 5.50" l, .25 pounds
Classic Puzzling with a Fresh Twist
Dropcast slipped on to shelves recently from Singapore without much fanfare, which is a shame it wasn't better promoted. Its a solid puzzle game with good graphics which presents a great game package.
Dropcast incorporates a basic classical action puzzle style with a fresh twist. It brings in some new elements which make you think about your moves differently, but are still simple enough the game is very addictive. The essence of the game is popping groups of the same color blocks with your stylus, and the rest fall down. The screen rises from the bottom, and your opponent will be dropping more on top, and if your screen touches the top you lose. But depending on the colors of blocks you pop, there are additional effects more than just dropping the blocks on your opponent.
In Battle Royale mode, you pop groups of blocks of the same color, if there are two or more touching, and the rest fall to the bottom. If you have enough touching you create a 'spell' which you cast at your opponent. The effect varies depending on the color of blocks. It ranges from dropping more dead blocks on them to sending fireballs. You can counter an opponent's spell from falling on you by breaking a group of blocks with a '-' on them. Each character also has a special attack that can be obtained by breaking a large group of blocks. These generally tie up the opponent's screen for several seconds. If used wisely these can be a game winner, but are not an automatic win.
One unique feature of the game is where you pop the blocks matters- many games just randomly drop stuff as you clear blocks, but this one drops them based on where you popped the cluster. So if you see your opponent has a couple tall columns close to killing them, you can try to aim for those!
In total there are 4 block colors for each character- a basic attack, 2 spell attacks, and a counter. With a limited number of block colors the game may seem deceptively easy, but it is not. The CPU is good at giving you a run for your money so you will have to play well, since if you don't get big enough block groupings it doesn't drop anything on your opponent.
In Ingrid's Curse mode, it is like a nonstop battle to see how long you can last, but the rules are a bit different. Your goal is to fill up rows on the other side of the screen which will disappear, without letting either screen touch the top. By popping blocks you send Tetris-style shapes over to the other screen based on the number of blocks you popped and their location. So be careful about sending over a tall block or it may kill you!
There are a bunch of characters to unlock which each have their own spells and specials. There is also a bunch of Achievements you can strive for.
You can play up to 4 players on a single cartridge.
The graphics are gothicly cute and gameplay is great. My only nitpick would be that sometimes when you die, it cuts very quickly to the 'You Lose' screen so you miss seeing what killed you (generally it just means your opponent dumped a huge load of blocks on you.)
A great game for addicts of games like Meteos and Planet Puzzle League :D
Agree... its frustrating
A agree with the other reviewer, its addictive but its extremely frustrating. In fact the story line matches its game play... Tormenting
I keep playing it because I can't believe I can't beat the first level, which is why I will eventually get so angry I will trade it in. (Probably for another brainless release of Nancy Drew)
What makes it so difficult is that unless you are playing remotely against other people, you are playing against a CPU that makes flawless and deadly moves. The instructions are vague and their are some key methods of "casting spells" that determine where on the opposing screen they will strike. This isn't explained, so you keep losing until the synapses in your brain figure out this little trick.... and then all this strategy does is to delay your inevitable loss to the CPU.....
This will definately be the next game traded in.. I can't relax to it... but yet, I want to beat that evil little stuffed animal.....
Dropcast Review
This game, while looking fun and challenging has very little for levels. In the review it boasts multiple levels and interesting unlock able characters, but you really don't get past the first level in game play. You play the same level over and over, with very little to no change.
All in all I was very disappointed in this pricey game. I would only recommend if you are under the age of 6, or don't mind repetitive games.
