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### Traffic Jam [MSX]

#### http://www.imanok.cjb.net/

#### http://msxdev.msxblue.com/

#### Reviewed By R. O'Toole

Another puzzle game from the MSXDev '06 contest, Traffic Jam has managed to make the hell of commuting into an enjoyable experience - which in itself deserves praise!

In a similar vein to Daedalian Opus, Traffic Jam sees the player moving blocks around a rather small playing field, but the similarity ends there. The object of the game is to clear a path of trucks and cars to allow your slick little red Ferrari to escape the board and move on to the next level. Levels are represented in chronological order as days of the working week, which is a sweet little flourish - it's always nice to finish a 'Friday' level, even if you know that the next week is going to be tougher.

The two different types of puzzle pieces in the game, two-square cars and three-square trucks, can be moved either horizontally or vertically, depending upon the axis on which they are orientated. This makes for speedy gameplay as you test out different combinations to open an escape route, although those not in the puzzle game mindset may find it a bit infuriating at first.

A time limit and a move counter add both a sense of urgency and an impetus to return to the game in order to complete levels in fewer moves.

The game's rich and colourful graphics are pleasing to the eye, with cars vaguely reminiscent of Miami Chase on the Amiga. The bright colours stand out nicely against the predominant amount of black on the screen, and it has a rather subtle soundtrack which is a nice distraction on later levels, when you may find yourself spending long periods of time staring at the sardine-like mash of cars and trucks with a feeling of extreme frustration.

The password save function is a welcome feature in the game - without it there would be many a bleary-eyed gamer giving up on sleep to just get this bloody truck out of the way, gaaaah! Trust me on this.

There isn't much more I can say about the game, which doesn't mean that it's bad. Quite the opposite. It's just that Traffic Jam is a well put together and elegantly simple game without half a bazillion bells and whistles added to it. However, I can't help but wonder what the little Ferrari does on the weekends. Maybe it's moonlighting as the car from Out Run. We may never know...

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Graphics: | 80%
Sound: | 80%
Game Concept: | 80%
Gameplay: | 75%
Lasting Appeal: | 70%

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