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One of the fun things about interactive computer games is that they can provide a new way to enjoy an old pastime. Last fall, I enjoyed SouthPeak's Scooby-Doo and the Mystery of the Fun Park Phantom game, and I admired the way the "board game" concept had so adeptly been ported to the computer format. Wrebbit has done a similar neat feat with its Puzz3D series. It has taken a treasured, age-old activity--the jigsaw puzzle--and reinvented it for the computer. And I'm pleased to report that it has done so with creativity, beauty, and elegance. The first terrific feature about these packages is that you can choose four different difficulty levels, each one featuring a different number of puzzle pieces and help features. For the jigsaw-challenged, like me, there's the bunny-slope 250-piece puzzle with lots of helpful resources, and the other end of the spectrum is an 835-piece "super challenging" puzzle without many hints at all. As the title suggests, the puzzles are all three-dimensional objects--a Victorian Mansion, Bavarian Castle, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Orient Express. I've just completed the first two, and I've got to tell you, these are delightful software packages. How nice to be able to play with a jigsaw puzzle without worrying about lost or missing pieces! Without having to turn every piece face-up manually! Without an easy way to sort and store pieces! Puzz3D wraps up the entire jigsaw experience in a package that oozes elegance and good design from stem to stern. First of all, the pieces are all beautifully laid out on a huge, round table. Movement around the table is as easy as clicking your mouse near screen's edge. You can also look at the pieces in three different degrees of closeup. Whenever you join two pieces, there is a satisfying "click" sound. When you complete an entire section, you can remove it from the table and place it onto the three-dimensional model. With the push of a button you can also get a wealth of statistics on your progress: how long you've been working, how many pieces you've assembled, how many sections you've completed, etc. At various points you can click on a button to get a quick video scene about the puzzle, and these clips are entertaining and informative. A truly terrific feature of these puzzles is that, when you finish the actual puzzle, the fun is only just beginning. At this point, Puzz3D actually becomes a mini-adventure game! The adventure is first introduced when you begin the puzzle, and after placing the last piece, the story continues. In Victorian Mansion, you're unraveling a years-old murder mystery by solving puzzles and gathering clues. In Bavarian Castle, you're helping characters from Wagnerian operas find that elusive happy ending. Each game's adventure sequence consists of three puzzles, one larger overall puzzle, and several video sequences that move the story along. I enjoyed the videos more than I expected, especially in Bavarian Castle, because they actually had a terrific sense of humor. Actors playing characters such as Siegmund and Sieglinde stare balefully into the camera and plead, "You've got to help us! You see, no couple has ever made it out of a Wagner opera alive!" One side note: After Bavarian Castle and The Beast Within, I truly feel like I've actually been to Neuschwanstein Castle. When I actually do visit, I won't need a tour guide! Let's be frank. This review is a no-brainer. Stop reading and order Puzz3D. I'd write more, but I'm eager to get back the brand-new Orient Express. This one I'm doing on the hardest setting. Wish me luck! Final Grade: A If
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