Game has magnetic qualities

You might recognize "Magnetica" ($29.99, Rated: E) by one of its other names - "Zuma," perhaps, or maybe "Puzz Loop." For the uninitiated, the latest notch in the Nintendo DS' wonderfully studded puzzle game belt is a little like "Bust-A-Move," only with colored jewels (match three to make them disappear, naturally) circling a drain of sorts instead of creeping straight down.

So the question, then, becomes this: Why pay full asking price for a game that can be played for free online and for a few bucks on Xbox Live or elsewhere? And the answer - just as it was for "BAM," "Zoo Keeper" and "Tetris DS" before it - is simple: It's just a whole lot better here.

Never mind the portability factor. The simple employment of the touch screen makes "Magnetica" a faster, more intuitive game than its cheaper cousins.

The game also provides extra depth and creativity than what's found in the cheaper alternatives. And so "Magnetica" has multiple ways to play: a handful of marathon-style challenge modes, multiplayer and a more methodical puzzle mode. Head and shoulders above those, however, is the quest mode, which offers roughly 100 levels, including

bonus stages and even boss fights. - Billy O'Keefe