Oh meaningless, meaningless puns… you make my posts get done, my paycheck arrive, my world go round. If only BandaiNamco Games hadn’t called their DS puzzler something as techno-babble as Trioncube, I would have to practice a little something called legitimate journalism. No matter–a game that animates an inter-dimensional rocket penguin as a progress marker doesn’t take itself that seriously, anyway. It’s the amusing barrage of space-nursery imagery on the top screen that gives Trioncube its winsome cuteness factor; the falling space matter on the bottom gives it the quality, not-a-Tetris-clone factor.

The object here is to place each falling piece such that it forms a 3×3 square with existing pieces. A single square’s difference will do. But it’s not that simple–the object also must be observed for as many drops as possible to build a sufficient chain, turning your stack into rocket-bird feed. One false move, and your would-be gold octane might become bronze.

Gravity is at work here, but so is time–until atmospheric pressure (or whatever that shaking is) becomes too great and spoils your chain, you can finalize the placement of a piece, flipping and all. That’s a new one for me.

Finally, Trioncube balances easy-fun, appealing-cute, and fierce-competitive in multiplayer, so you don’t even mind terribly if you lose. Everyone’s a winner with a game like Trioncube.