Smash it Up!

Poker Smash

(360; 800 MS Points- approx. $10; Rated E; xbox.com)



With all of the “Bejeweled” and “Puzzle League” rip-offs clogging up the internet and ho-hum puzzle games available over the Xbox Live Arcade, it’s hard to think that a color-matching puzzle game could come along that would actually be engaging, fun, and dare-I-say-it inventive.

“Poker Smash” accomplishes this, and does so by being developed by only two guys.

In the same vein as “Puzzle League,” rows of colored blocks rise from the bottom to the top, players attempt to eliminate the blocks, and once they reach the top- the game is over. In “Poker Smash,” the colored blocks are also card suits, and so instead of matching colors to eliminate the blocks, players also need to try to make the best poker hand. The better the hand, the bigger the points.

The genius behind “Poker Smash” is that the even the player with the least amount of card-sharkery can still play and have a great time- matching colors to create three, four, or five-of-a-kind will keep the player engaged long enough to feel fulfilled. But when players want to, ahem, up the ante- full houses, flushes, and straights are all there to be made for points. Thinking three steps ahead is what separates the great player from the casual player- if your eliminated blocks cause other blocks to be eliminated, chains build up for massive point multipliers, called “smashes.”

These “poker smashes” are the key to winning multiplayer battles of “Poker Smash,” either online or split screen. Players will battle to take “chips” away from opponents, and the key to doing so is in the “smash.” Even a player who is almost broke in their chips can battle back to victory with a few well-played chains.

Its perpetual single-player mode, brain twisting puzzle mode, and multiplayer modes are all incredibly satisfying for those who are in the mood to have a quick pick-up-and-play. Online and off, “Poker Smash” is one of the best values on the Live Arcade.