Nintendo DS

QuickSpot

This is a great game for anyone and any age. Quickspot should be in pretty much any game library right next to Brain Age because its another one of those titles that isn't regulated to kids or teenagers. Anyone can play it and anyone can benefit from it. Its fun and simple structure, not to mention affordable price tag, makes it an easy grab for anyone, both gameplay and monetarily speaking.

I really enjoyed playing QuickSpot and think anyone that likes games like Brain Age and Big Brain Academy will enjoy it. It is not the longest game and I easily beat the main part of the game in a few days only playing an hour or two per day. QuickSpot is also like the other brain games that are designed to be played in small increments. I am also not sure about the replayability, since there are only so many images and variations of the images, but until you learn them all and you know every place to look for differences the game should be entertaining. You can also try to get medals, by completing the levels as fast as possible, which should add some replay value. If you have been looking for a new brain game to exercise you cerebral cortex then you can't go wrong with QuickSpot.

QuickSpot was a fantastic surprise. I hadn’t even heard of the game until the day it showed up for review, and it only took me ten minutes before I was hopelessly hooked. As a big Namco fan, I was delighted with the artwork and “inside” references for those like myself, and the gameplay was as challenging as it was fun.

While QuickSpot isn't for everyone, it's still a game that has a universal appeal and while it isn't deep, it's still a lot of fun. The single player doesn't last forever and the multiplayer modes are fleeting, but for $19.99, this is a great title and a puzzler that shouldn't be missed!

If you're up for a little fast and furious multiplayer action, there's a couple of modes, the most enjoyable being "Time Bomb," which has you passing the DS to the next player after you solve a puzzle. All in all, QuickSpot's not a bad bit of entertainment, especially for the recommended retail price of $19.99. With the variety of gameplay modes, multiplayer options and creative artwork, you'll get your money's worth.

QuickSpot’s only flaw is its own unique concept. Like it or love it, there isn’t as much of a “game” in QuickSpot as you might find in other puzzlers. If you can cope with that, love picture puzzles or both, this is a fun title that’s ready to satisfy those looking for something simple and different.

Last year I scoffed at the idea of a touch-screen version of Point Blank on the Nintendo DS, and Namco proved that the idea could work on the system. That same mindset went into this review of QuickSpot. There's not much to the game other than glancing at the top screen and circling portions of the image on the touch screen. But Namco did a really good job injecting variety into this simple, easy to grasp concept that still might not be enough for the hardcore gamer...but for those who love the occasional "casual game" experience, Namco's design turned out surprisingly decent.

Overall, QuickSpot is an interesting game to play. It's something that I really didn't expect to see make an American release, but with the DS anymore I expect the unexpected. The game will clock you in at no more than five hours with the single-player. There is single card DS multi-player offline with up to eight friends, but unless you have friends that own DS', you're out of luck. Like I said at the beginning, QuickSpot really isn't so much a video game as it is a casual “book game”. This is the type of game that you would have expected on paper just a few years ago. Now, with the dual and touch-screened Nintendo DS, that casual entertainment has gone digital.

Given its simple, repetitive nature, QuickSpot is definitely not for everyone. (Namco fans will want to check it out for cameos from Namco's "cuter" franchises, including Katamari Damacy, Mr. Driller, Klonoa, and Taiko Drum Master.) Despite the lack of variety, I found the game to be very addicting, and since most of the puzzles can be finished rather quickly, I found myself falling into the "one more puzzle" trap a lot. Considering its $20 price tag, it's also a pretty cheap investment. If you're a sucker for Brain Age and its ilk, you can do a lot worse than QuickSpot.

Quickspot is bound to surprise any gamer who lingers long enough to play a few rounds. At $20, this delightful match game might not be the next Tetris, or Brain Age, but for what it accomplishes, its spot on. I’d recommend any Nintendo DS owner to give Quickspot a once over, you might be pleasantly surprised.

QuickSpot is charming, short, simple, and – best of all – affordable. At $20, expectations are just a bit lower, which is not a bad attitude to have going into the game. While not the most thrilling experience, QuickSpot is sure to ensnare the casual crowd, while giving more active gamers something to play between extended sessions of Final Fantasy III and Hotel Dusk: Room 215. Sure, it may be a game that can be largely supplanted by a newspaper and Highlights for Children magazine, but why go physical when you can stay digital?

That aside, QuickSpot is a decent game for novice gamers that are looking for something to introduce them to the wonderful world of hand-held gaming. The game's Time Bomb mode and Rapid Play is very appealing as well, though more seasoned puzzle fans will blow through these modes very quickly. If you're looking for something for your kids, wife or mom to play, QuickSpot is a good starting point.

At $20, QuickSpot isn't a terrible investment for those in need of some kind of new, simplistic distraction to go with their DSs. Just be aware going in that the novelty of the concept and the game's execution of it won't last beyond a few reasonably enjoyable hours.

At $20, you really shouldn't expect an incredible game. If you're looking for something which will keep you entertained until Pokemon Diamond and Pearl come out, QuickSpot isn't that title. It's a briefly entertaining and unique casual game which will certainly find a niche market -- especially with the younger and much older crowd -- but it's nothing to write home about. The gameplay gets repetitive after the first hour or so, and if you don't have a group of friends to play multiplayer with chances are you're not going to want to play the same puzzles again and again by yourself.

This is more in the line of a free Flash game on the web, or something Namco could have pitched at DS download kiosks. At a reasonable price, it would have been a charming little novelty. It’s not 20 bucks worth of boxed retail product, though. Sadly, Namco can’t seem to tell the difference.