With a name like Critter Crunch, you already can safely assume two things. The first, is that you're going to be playing some kind of Kirby-esque game, and second, that it will be adorable as hell. And certainly, these two things are true. However, getting beyond the adorable factor of the game, you will find an equally fun, and frustrating experience.
When entering the adventure mode of the game, we're offered a sort of loosely tied story. A man goes on a study trip to record and report any information he can gather on the critters of an unique island. He primarily follows one particular creature, whom is named Biggs. This fluffy and rounded character tosses animals and bugs into one another, to create jewels, which is the Biggs primary food source. As you complete the levels, the guy will chime in with more humorous observations, as well as give huge clues on to how to play the game more efficiently.
At its core, Critter Crunch is a frenetic, fast paced, puzzle game. Gamers will control Biggs, the fluffy goof-ball that has an iron stomach that can match Kirby's. The object of the game is to create color-coordinated chains of bugs and other animals and pop them by feeding them smaller bugs and animals. When the critters pop, they drop gold coins and gems, which Biggs will eat for points. Fill up the points meter, and you win. However, the game tosses in plenty of modes, giving a lot of replay value to the title. There's a wide array of puzzles to complete, all of which require precise, yet quick thinking and acting to solve, a survival mode to test your skills, a co-op mode to team up with friends both online and by your side with, and a VS mode, allowing you to go head to head with a friend both on and offline to see who the true Critter Crunch master is.
The art direction in this game is gorgeous. The environments are colorful and lively, the critters are wonderfully detailed, and the overall game just feels so... alive. You can't help but feel the love that was put into this game, from the corny, yet humorous dialog, the over the top characters, and just the laid back feel of the game. However, the music feels a bit lacking. Sure, it is fitting to the overall theme of the game, being equally cutesy and heartwarming, however it often just peters out in the background, hardly recognizable after only a few minutes of playing.
This is by far one of the best puzzle games on the PSN, and perhaps ever released. It's lighthearted atmosphere and gradually increasing difficulty ensure that people of all ages can enjoy the game, while still retaining several modes to keep the more hardcore and competitive gamers happy. There's very little wrong I can think of when it comes to Critter Crunch, aside from the soundtrack. I suppose if I wanted to nit-pick, there is an extremely minor delay in the controls, that
can screw you over when things really get frantic. Also the online is fairly dead, so unless you luck out and find someone trophy hunting, odds are you will have to organize matches before hand.
I give Critter Crunch on the PSN a 9/10
