First impressions of the PC version of N-Gage's Reset Generation

It might not be the most satisfying way for Nokia to soft-launch its much anticipated N-Gage game but at least the release of a single-player version of Reset Generation for IGN/FilePlanet subscribers ($40 per year, $16 per quarter or $7 per month) gets the ball rolling and enables us to start working out the strategies that will make us winners when the game is finally also out for N-Gage handsets (it was always designed to enable dual-platform multiplayer).

The core of the gameplay is much as we've already explained in our initial hands-on - it's a weird mix of Tetris, Backgammon, Pachisi/Sorry!/Trouble but with videogame under- and over-tones.

It can be played by two, three or four players, each of which is defined by a colour - red, green, blue or yellow - and represented by a character; each of which is a bastardised game hero. Examples include: The Plumber - blonde Swedish muscleman whose special move is to charm his princess to fetch him any object on the map; and Hedgehog - a droopy hip-hop version of Sonic, whose special move is a Hog Ride where you can speedily travel direct to the other side of the map. Versions of Lara, Bomberman and Ryu are also thrown into the parody mix.

Each player starts the game with a princess in their castle, which they must protect from the other heroes, while attempting to steal their princesses. A successful capture involves getting your rivals' princess back to your base, at which point that player is eliminated from the game.

Due to Reset Generation's mobile and PC design, it's a turn-based game in which each player takes turns to firstly drop Tetris-style blocks onto the level to create a coloured playing area only they can move quickly over. Creating combos - groups of five or more sequential blocks - enables faster movement, triggers power-ups and is crucial to success. As well as organising your blocks, each turn, you get to fire two cannons at your opponents' blocks - although these won't destroy combo blocks, only ordinary ones - and move your character around the level.

If this sounds complex, that's because Reset Generation has a decent layering of strategies that relies on issues such as the pattern of your block combos, your character's special move and the location of objects such as grenades and batteries in the level, which enable extra tactical options, as well as adding some randomness into the game - as does the drop of Tetris blocks you get each round.

Frankly after a couple of hours of play - even on this limited versus-CPU single-player version - we're pleasantly surprised and looking forward to the full release of the game - due August 4. It could well be the breakout 'launch' game N-Gage has been waiting for.