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Aug 02 2005
Mercury Review
PSP Game Review | Puzzle
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 DiGi iNVaDeRS
| Go on! You know you want it
| Summary: Maddeningly fun!
96
In a stale world of ports and rehashed ideas, Mercury is a breath of fresh air. If you're tired of the same old or simply an innovative puzzle game.
Think Marble Madness, Monkey Ball, take it to outer space, and you've just about got the jist of Mercury. The game is refreshingly easy to pick up and play, but don't expect a walk in the park. Mercury's learning curve is fairly steep, or rather, it's well balanced. If you want a game you can finish in an hour, then look away. You'll get through the first stage without too much work, but then you're in for a hard challenge, tilting and strategizing the game's mechanics to work towards your advantage so you can beat the level. And it's not just about beating a level, if you get good times, you can eventually unlock other levels. Get the best times and you can unlock an entirely new stage. There's well over 72 levels to play.
Mercury's gameplay mechanics aren't too difficult to get a grasp of. You tilt the floor to move your ball of mercury around the map. You can split the blob into two, get it painted into different colors and then merge two colors to make new colors. You'll need to master all of these tactics as you try to progress through specific-colored gates and warps. It's one thing to get a single ball of mercury to the end of a stage, but wait until you've got 3 to four different colored pieces that you have to try and juggle at the same time.
The graphics and music are quite engrossing. Your ball of mercury rolls around and reacts with the environment in a very realistic way. The soundtrack is quite varied and doesn't get old, but rather helps keep your mind focused. It would've been nice if there was some story attached to the game or its graphics. But instead, you're stuck with great looking, but rather generic and meaningless environments. Why is the background in outer space? What is the purpose of rolling ball of mercury to the end? There is no 'purpose' to the game except to have fun. Thus, if you require a story, look elsewhere.
Overall, Mercury is a refreshingly tasty treat of a game. The innovative and challenging gameplay will keep your attention for a long time. It can be maddeningly frustrating at times, but it's very fun to play and chances are you'll find yourself coming back to try again just one more time. This is an essential game.
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Comments
08/02/05
7 
coopermor
| Maine USA | XBC: FranklinMcTankliN!
This game would totally kick ass with a tilt sensor!
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08/02/05
11
0J0
| Indiana USA
tilt sensors....(shudder)
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08/02/05
7
coopermor
| Maine USA | XBC: FranklinMcTankliN!
0J0 said: "tilt sensors....(shudder)"
What?
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08/02/05
5
jcgamer60
|
mecury is a good game but no way it deserves a 96 and personally i think this game would be really hard with a tilt sensor
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08/02/05
4
s0up
| UK
I read about this ages ago in Edge, seems really original.
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08/03/05
6
iLLK
| Australia
it'd wanna be good for 96.
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08/03/05
2
TheBerg
|
we all know capt goes a bit crazy on the overall scores. I don't think a single game has been lower than 95%.........(jk)
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08/03/05
13
captain
| 
| Ontario Canada
08/03/05
2
TheBerg
|
Hey Capt, it was a joke as stated at the end of my comments (jk). In my own opinion though MC3 would have scored a lot higher score if it were not for the rediculous loading times. I have had this game since it's release and still not used to it.
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08/03/05
13
digi
| California USA | XBC: diagram | KAI: diagramOSC | SOCOM: soldit
the reason why game reviewers get jobs in magazines isn't because they give well hyped games high scores because a lot of people like them.. they give honest scores detailing various traits in a game.
I would have given mercury the same score as captain.
Innovation = archer is not only a master at solidobject and liquid physics in games, he pioneered object interactivity, and then brought it even further by using a concept of liquid metal puzzles. 9-10
Gameplay = innovative and rediculously taxing, just the way a GOOD puzzle game should be. There have been absolutely NO flaws in how the game was designed to be used and have the utmost pleasure in attempting to figure out these non-linear abstract boards. 10/10
Sound = Not a hollywood contracted orchestral mind blower, but games aren't supposed to be good just because they paid john williams to write the score... it has fitting sounds that are high quality, and original... not to mention a soothing and catchy soundtrack. 9/10
Graphics = menus aren't what make a game... the game itself is, and the graphics in mercury are breathtaking and beautifully done. In all realms you play in. 9/10
replay = It's an innovative puzzler. with beautiful graphics, addictive gameplay, brain stompingly intuitive and challenging.. 10/10.
so more like a 94 for me.edited: Aug 03 2005
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08/05/05
40
agentk9
| Louisiana USA
Digi, as usual, I agree! This is one of the most original games out there on ANY platform. As the Capt said, it's an essential. We need more thinking man's games!
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08/06/05
8
willdot
| UK
agreed, athough, the first time i ever read a review on this, somewhere else I did hear mention of a usb tilt sensor for it like coppermor mentioned. When did that get left out? Sony musta realised that making the USB actually have any use would mean people not buying duo's... Shame.
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08/06/05
10
narc
| California USA
hey cap, thanks for the review, just bought this game and its an addictive, thinking game. glad i read ur review.
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