Gaming Target - Game Boy: Fortress

Written by Kyle Williams on July 19, 2001

First Impressions: It's like playing with Legos, without having to clean up a giant mess on the floor.

You ask anybody that's serious about gaming what the best puzzle game ever is and you will find only one answer; Tetris. The game has had so many things going for it; it's simple, straightforward, easy to learn, and it goes on forever, if you are good enough. Since it was released, there have been several attempts to recapture that Tetris magic. Games ranging from Bust-a-Move to Tetrisphere have all taken on the champ with varying degrees of success. Next month, Pipe Dream Interactive, along with Majesco Sales, step into the ring with their own contender for the crown, Fortress.

Let's break this down as much as possible. In the game you must use various geometric shapes to build a fortress. Once it's complete, you place weapons on your fortress and then attack your competitor's fortress. During the initial building phase of each level, you use falling geometric shapes to construct your own fortress. Also throughout this phase, constructing certain shape combinations will also allow you to release various monsters that will aid in your quest to rule the land.

Once construction is complete and battle has begun you can unleash your creatures to either destroy your opponent or rebuild your own fortress. The overall goal of each level is to not just collect points, but to completely destroy your opponent's structure, and take control of the land. This addition of strategic gameplay to the puzzle genre should help to broaden the appeal of this game.

Expect that as Fortress takes you through various eras of play, ranging from the prehistoric to the futuristic, you will find yourself constantly trying to outbuild and outmaneuver your opponent. This premise is straightforward enough that it should be perfect for losing hours on end.

The addition of the four player multiplayer option is brilliant and should help this title to gain some exposure. It may not have the same open-ended appeal of classics like Tetris, but it looks like it will be a solid title in it's own right.