Atari joins up lines to bag Gunpey

Some games are easier to describe than others. Shooters, racers, action adventures, platformers are all pretty self explanatory. When it comes to puzzle games though, especially those curios turned out by Japanese company Q Entertainment, things get somewhat more complex.

That's certainly the case with Gunpey, the DS and PSP title that publisher Atari will be bringing to Europe in March.

"The gameplay in Gunpey consists of rows of panels climbing upwards from the bottom of the screen, which players must flip and move to connect the lines inside the panels. When a line spans the width of the screen the panels will explode making room for more. Think fast – it's game over if the panels rise all the way to the top of the screen," says the manufacturer.

Functional perhaps, but not the most elegant description of a game that involves manipulating angled, coloured lines and shapes so they stretch from one side of the playing area to the other.

Hmm, that's not so good either. Maybe it's time for a quick video.

So with the basics covered, let's layer on some extras. Most important is Gunpey's musical accompaniment, which is linked to the moves you'll make, enabling you to generate your own soundtrack as you play. This will be extended in the DS version of the game thanks to a Sound Sets and Patterniser feature that will give you more control over your musical compositions.

The PSP version is more focused on graphical effects; there will be 40 skins to collect by playing through the Challenge mode. You'll then be able to mix them together in a DJ mode of play called Double Skin, while there's also a Time Attack included.

Both versions of the game support wireless head-to-head play.