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### Daedalian Opus [MSX]

#### http://www.karoshicorp.com/

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

#### Reviewed By R. O'Toole

With most of Great Britain having suffered through monsoon conditions and dreary shades of grey being the colours of choice in the heavens for many of us, Daedalian Opus' ultra-bright cartoony graphics and supremely upbeat music are enough to put an instant smile on the face of even the most seasonally-depressed gamer, and the fun and playability of this little puzzler (which was a contender for the MSXdev 2006 programming award) makes it an intriguing and entertaining experience to play.

Daedalian Opus, which is a faithful fan-remake of the Game Boy game of the same name, plays like a cross between a jigsaw puzzle and Tetris. Following on from the first introductory level the difficulty is increased pretty much straight away, although now and then you may find yourself struggling for a good few minutes on one 'island' (as the levels are represented) only to zip through the one following it in a matter of seconds. It's a neat way of making the game more user-friendly, and lets you build up momentum again after having idled for some time on another puzzle.

The inclusion of more pieces than are actually needed for some of the puzzles is a nice touch and adds a little more to the game-play, and also meaning that even the most negative review of the game couldn't accuse it of being "just a jigsaw puzzle".

While the game is clearly light on graphics there are some quirky graphical touches to be seen, like the animation you are rewarded with after completing a level. It sees your character crossing a bridge between islands, having an item dropped onto him and then shimmying his way into the next temple-style building as a flying saucer zips overhead. It's certainly more pleasing to the eye than plain text, that’s for sure.

It's hard to begrudge the game the few pixels of black which sometimes remain at the edge of the puzzle board when a piece has been laid. They do make it look a little less than seamless but as graphical gripes go this is a tiny, tiny one (although it is possible that this is an emulation-only glitch - JM).

For such an unassuming game, this little Opus has the potential to really grip you, and a few minutes play can quickly become an hour. If ported over to a handheld it would be an ideal distraction on gloomy bus journeys, with its relentlessly chirpy nature.

All told, Daedalian Opus is a nice little runner. It's like a well tuned - albeit very small - engine, and as a remake the developers' love of the original game shines through the whole thing.

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Graphics: | 85%
Sound: | 80%
Game Concept: | 80%
Gameplay: | 80%
Lasting Appeal: | 75%

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