Parent's Guide: Pazuru - Age rating, mature content and difficulty

Pazuru is a simple little game in which players rotate and switch on/off a variety of blocks to guide a little dot through increasingly complex puzzle stages. The trick here is that the dot moves itself, careening forward into whatever lies in its path - and it's up to you to interact with the objects in the level, to ensure the right obstacles are in the right places, so the dot bounces off in the right direction. As an added catch, there's no way to control individual obstacles on their own - instead, pressing the A button will change everything at the same time, so you'll need to plan your route through each level carefully in order to pick up all the stars in as few moves as possible, and get a high score. Do things in the wrong order and you'll miss a star, and won't be able to complete the level.

New block types unlock at a fairly steady place, and are introduced via a short text description of what each does - something the less confident readers may struggle with, although the odds are they can work out what each type does solely through trial and error anyway. For example, wedge-shaped bumpers change the direction your dot is travelling in when it hits one, while cracked blocks can only take a few hits before they disintegrate - and portals add a further layer of complexity, as they warp your dot to a different area of the stage. A fairly logical mind is required for some of the levels too, particularly later in the game - a potential stumbling block for the younger crowd, who may struggle to figure the more complex puzzles out.

It's worth noting too that you can't stop the dot's movement - from the moment you start a level, it's in motion, not really giving you a large amount of time to think about your options. A fairly quick trigger finger is needed at times too, as you'll find yourself needing to rotate bumpers at a fair speed to finish some stages, deflecting your dot away from deadly spikes and the like.

Being a puzzle game, Pazuru has nothing questionable whatsoever - no bad language, sex or violence in sight.

Age Ratings

Format Reviewed: Nintendo 3DS