
Ever since wandering the caves of Pokémon Red and Blue I’ve had a fascination with solving puzzles by navigating an avatar across grid-like spaces. Basic as the puzzles may have been, just sliding on ice and pushing boulders about made my younger self giddy. Though several games preceding and succeeding Pokémon utilised similar mechanics (namely Chip's Challenge, an old Atari game on which this one is loosely based), the developers of Chuck’s Challenge wisely chose to revive a formula far more varied and exciting than another uninspired “match three” affair.
So while not entirely inventive decades after the original concept came to be, Chuck’s Challenge had me feeling nostalgic while still remaining firmly in the present with its own quirks.
Most of that can be attributed to level designs that manage to be ridiculously elaborate while still enjoyable to navigate. Virtually every action can be performed by simply tapping a directional button, be it moving your protagonist, activating switches, or shoving blocks. Later levels might have you playing with the camera to get a better grasp of your surroundings or rewinding individual moves to reduce the monotony inherent in prolonged puzzles, but all of it operates smoothly and with noteworthy swiftness.
The ease of control also makes Chuck’s Challenge rather
deceptive. Unlike many other titles in the genre, the sheer volume of items,
obstacles, environments, and enemies means that a certain novelty is present in
each stage. Rather than rely on more taxing iterations of established concepts,
you’re continually seeing new elements introduced. Everything from conveyor belts to directional gates and mirrors show up in just the initial batch of levels. Impressively, gimmickry is
kept to a minimum even in the more thematic ones. Stages are carefully
crafted to take advantage of multiple concepts, though they certainly become
progressively more convoluted.

Given that much of the ingenuity in Chuck’s Challenge relies
on variety, the ability to craft your own levels becomes less of a bullet point
but a genuine game-seller. Granted, it’s also something you’ll want to attempt
after a decent time sink in the single player mode to get a feel for how everything works and what good puzzles look like. Thankfully, the level
creator works well when you get around to it. I’m not typically interested in
developing my own puzzles, but I did find the creative process to be intuitive
enough that I found myself tinkering quite a bit.
Beyond the wide scope of puzzle-related features, perhaps
the most distinctive aspect of Chuck’s Challenge is its use of timing to solve
puzzles. Regrettably, I’d also have to say this is the weakest portion of the
game. Whereas block puzzles and the like allow time for contemplation, the
levels that rely on timing tend to favour trial and error in a clumsier manner.
It also feels somewhat out of place as the type of enemy dodging here often
strikes me as being more appropriate in an action game. At least these are hardly
the focus of the game and the occasion timing-reliant puzzle becomes more palatable
as a result.

Chuck’s Challenge functions adequately as both a time waster
and a basic creative outlet. Would-be notable details like character designs and the soundtrack
were lost on me, but I suspect this is the last game where you’ll find yourself
concerned about such anyway. As far as puzzle games go, Chuck has genuine ambition
and far more depth than its mechanics initially let on.
- Clark A
Technical Editor
Technical Editor
Miiverse: Midori
Email me at: clarka@digitallydownloaded.net
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