Game Title: Critter Crunch
Platform: PS3, Downloadable Title (Separate version on iPhone)
Genre: Puzzle
ESRB rating: E
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Capybara Games
Official site URL: http://www.capybaragames.com/
Critter Crunch is one of the many amazing PSN titles that continue to win me over. Critter Crunch is an amazing puzzle game with beautiful visuals and wacky humor that everyone should get a chuckle out of. The objective is simple, feed critters with other critters forcing them to pop and drop yummy gems for you, the oh-so-cuddly Biggs to snatch up and eat. You'll also need to feed your children, Smalls by upchucking bits of rainbow into their mouth allowing you to rack up huge amounts of bonus points!

The game sets you up on the ground floor of Krunchatoa island, allowing you to feed the Critters that hang from vines above you. Critters will continue to get closer and closer to ground in hopes of making you their snack. Lining up critters by type and color and forcing one to explode by over-feeding them will cause a chain reaction and drop an even larger gem for you to gobble up. Another method of over-feeding would be to feed a small Critter to medium that is below a large, the large Critter will snatch the medium into it's mouth and pop a gem onto the ground floor for you.
The game has a few different modes, Adventure, Puzzle, Challenges, and Survival. Adventure puts you on Krunchatoa island where you traverse from level to level filling up your hunger meter. Puzzle mode is quite fun and is extremely thought provoking, you need to cause all the Critters on the screen to explode with only a limited number of moves available. I found this mode to be my favorite as you really need to plan and think your moves out, and it allows you to go at your own pace. Challenge mode is exactly as it sounds, defeat the level by not using certain combos or feeding certain critters. This mode can be downright difficult and will make you want to scream with frustration and has become my least favorite game type because of it's sheer amount difficulty. Survival mode puts you up against the clock in hopes you can keep yourself alive long enough to beat the level.
The music and sound effects go well with the atmosphere that the games art style shows off. As you traverse the levels you'll find yourself noticing fun hidden animations, and staring at the gorgeous backgrounds that change from level to level.
Multiplayer allows you to either go head to head online with the PSN or locally with a friend. Race to fill your stomach faster than your opponent. You'll have the same power-ups and moves found within the single player with the addition of other effects like causing your opponents screen to become hazy and retro when you eat a mushroom. The PSN integration is nothing less than stellar with online leader boards that will push you to get one up on your friends.
For $6.99 Critter Crunch is a great puzzle game with the perfect price point. If you are into puzzle games, enjoy eating gems or are just looking for a fun, cheap PSN title I highly recommend Critter Crunch. You'll laugh at the humor, cry at the hard points and most of have a blast gobbling up gems and barfing up rainbow bits.