Devil Dice: Information from Answers.com

Release Date: September 24, 1998
Genre: Puzzle
Style: Action Puzzle
Similar Games: Tetris (Game Boy), Tetris (Nintendo Entertainment System), Intelligent Qube (PlayStation), Tetris (Arcade), Tetris (Macintosh), Tetris (Philips CD-i), Tetris (Commodore 64/128), Tetris (Atari ST)

Game Description

In THQ's 3D puzzler Devil Dice, players control a cherubic devil that runs across the tops of fallen dice. Players will then flip each die over to match the adjacent dice numbers; for example, if there's a row of four dice with three showing the number six and one showing the number two, the idea is to flip the number two die to have it match the number six. By doing this, you'll cause the entire row to be eliminated and become one step closer to completing the level.

The crux of all puzzle games is that while the objective sounds simple enough, it never is. Dice are constantly falling down (or rising up) and you'll be racing against the clock to eliminate all the dice on any given level. Not only will it push your twitch reflexes, but it'll also test your ability to stay focused! There are also a variety of special attacks such as pushing dice manually (when the devil falls on the floor), setting up chain combinations, lining up side opposites (six and one, five and two), and flipping ones as other dice sink into the ground.

Devil Dice features a variety of gameplay options including the Trial, Battle, War, and Puzzle modes. The Trial mode involves rising dice and a frantic attempt to remove them all. By removing set number of dice, your level will increase; when all the dice have been removed, the game is over and you've won! There are three different modes of play in Trial including Endless, Time Limited, and Exhibition. Endless lets you play until the entire field is full of dice, Time Limited is a three-minute romp, and Exhibition is a cooperative two-player mode.

The Battle mode is a heated contest against a human or computer-controlled opponent with victory coming in the form of meeting a set pattern requirement. Choosing either three, four, or five required dice patterns, the idea is to line up a series of corresponding dice in ascending fashion; the idea is to match a series of twos, threes, fours, and so on. You can also steal your opponent's carefully arranged dice patterns by lining up a likewise pattern!

Making full use of the Multi-Tap adapter, Wars mode is a chaotic five-man multi-player throw down with one main objective: to be the last man (devil) standing! By eliminating any given number of dice, that number will be subtracted from your opponents' life meters; if you eliminate a series of five dice, they'll lose five points off their overall life. Additionally, you can hurt your opponents by rolling dice over them!

Finally, the Puzzle mode is a step-based elimination process that requires brainpower. Each round has a set number of available moves and it's up to the player to eliminate all dice within the given number; if you fail, you'll have to start the round over again. There are over one hundred different levels found within the Puzzle mode with five unique dice types. While normal dice can be pushed or flipped in any way the player sees fit, the iron die is immovable. There's also a non-pushable stone die (it can be flipped), an ice die that slides until it either hits another die or the playing field, and a wooden die that is easily pushed.

Devil Dice: the week minded need not apply!

~ Matthew House, All Game Guide

Roots & Influences

Devil Dice draws influences from Intelligent Qube in that it features 3D puzzle grids with dimensional cubes (in this case, dice). It is also comparable the most praised puzzle game to ever hit the game market -- Tetris. In order to eliminate the dice, players must arrange them in lines.

At the time of its release, Devil Dice was praised as one of the few games that could match Tetris in enjoyment, intensity, and overall skill.

~ Matthew House, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

By saying the words "addictive puzzle game", everyone instantly assumes you're talking about Tetris or one of its many sequels and/or clones. Resembling Tetris in spirit only, Devil Dice introduces an entirely different, yet equally addictive theme to the puzzle genre; one that puzzle fanatics will jump on like buzzards to a fresh carcass laying on the side of the road. From manipulating the dice to matching them up with corresponding numbers and other sequences, this game is always addicting, sometimes frustrating, usually brain straining, but never dull.

Although the graphics in Devil Dice are simplistic (dice aren't exactly hard to emulate on the PlayStation), puzzle games don't require fancy, top of the line visuals. The addition of needlessly complex graphics might clutter the screen, ruining an otherwise pristine gaming experience. Besides, fans of Tetris and other puzzle titles aren't playing these games for their visual sophistication; they're playing them for the challenge! Much like the graphics, the musical and sound effects in this game are minimal, yet classy and effective.

Even though Devil Dice offers players a Training mode of sorts, some may give up on this game before they master the control scheme. That's unfortunate because this is a truly excellent gaming experience that is relatively easy to learn yet difficult to master. After you've logged several hours on this game, you won't even be conscious of which buttons you're pressing. Your thumbs will simply (and gladly) obey your brain's commands.

A nice change of pace from the typical puzzle videogame, Devil Dice will eat up your time as efficiently as Pac-Man eats energy dots. Though you may find yourself wondering where your time has gone, you'll never feel as if it was wasted.