0-D Beat Drop (that reads “Zero-D”), is a falling block puzzle game with a music and rhythm twist. Rotate and match blocks of the same color in threes, but they won’t disappear if you just set them down. The trick is to press a button in time to the beat of the music. This will set the block down to the bottom immediately, and that’s when shapes of the same color disappear.

To help you keep with the beat of the music, a meter goes up and down on the right side of your play area. When it rises to the red is when it’s OK to press the Beat Drop button. Each time you press in time with the music, the red in the meter gets smaller, making it harder to stay in the beat unless you’re very precise. But you get more bonus points that way. The Xbox 360 control also vibrates to the beat of the music, but you can turn that off if you want. Sometimes it’s good to set blocks down without making them disappear, though, because then you can set up some major chain reactions!

0-D Beat Drop has no shortage of gameplay modes. You can play against the computer or another player one on one, or with up to four players or in teams of two. Making chain reactions will send blocks over to the other side, but they can counter with chains of their own. Any of the multiplayer modes can be played on Xbox LIVE as well, and you can even see your avatar in the background.

There are also comprehensive tutorials and even a mode called the Beat-O-Matic where you can import your own music from your Xbox 360 hard drive. But some of the gameplay rules explained in the tutorial, like Hyper Mode, are a bit confusing. And the Beat-O-Matic controls are also daunting. The added music element may turn off puzzle fans who want a less complicated experience. But fans of Tetris-styled games AND music-based challenges like Rez or Audiosurf should enjoy this. And it’s not a bad deal at only 800 MS Points, considering all the modes and options you get in this puzzler.

Hey BlazBlue fans! Now you can download skins and music from your favorite fighter onto 0-D Beat Drop for only 320 points extra. This extra download also adds a new one player mode as well.

Kid Factor:

Most puzzle games are simple enough for the youngest of gamers. But the music component of the gameplay, challenging CPU opponents (even on Easy Mode), and the confusing Beat-O-Matic might frustrate and discourage younger gamers and they may need some help from an older player. The many multiplayer modes for up to four players are great for families, though. 0-D Beat Drop is rated E for Everyone.

Tags: Game Reviews