For all of the iPhone’s slick style, you’d have thought Playscreen would come up with a snappier name than ‘Match 3D Flick Puzzle’. As a puzzler that evolves Popcap’s tried and tested Bejeweled formula, you’d be forgiven for stumbling over the title’s frankness now and again. Despite its over-extended title, Match 3D Flick Puzzle is an adept creation that manages to capitalise on the success of previous brainteasers with a very special method. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the ’supercube’.

Essentially, the supercube is what sets Match 3D apart from the rest. With an overcrowded puzzle market well and truly booming on a wealth of formats at the current time, this new structure is a breath of fresh air. Playscreen haven’t stumbled too far away from the aforementioned formula that we already know and love, but have created a set-up that could inspire a wealth of original puzzle games in the near future.

Made up of five hundred and twelve small cubes, the supercube is a 3D grid that’s full of opportunity for huge scores and combos. Players have got to match patterns of similar cubes in threes or more, meaning there is a sense of familiarity as soon as you start playing. Getting round your puzzle area is simple, as you can rotate the cube by flicking or shaking the screen. You can even zoom in and out by pinching the iPhone as with other applications, which means you can get as close as you want to the action. If all of this seems a little too taxing, there’s a small diagram at the bottom of the screen that allows you to traverse the cube via a number of individual planes.

Luckily, the supercube is full of space-themed images that work successfully alongside the psychedelic trance music (that often pumps away at the height of tension). If you’ve ever wanted to match up scores of alien faces, rockets, UFOs and meteors, then this is going to delight. All vibrantly coloured and full of charm, it’s good to see that the effort to come up with this concept has been followed through with stellar design.

If you’ve never worked through a puzzle game in the style of Match 3D before, then fear not, as this game caters to all levels of player. You’ll have the chance to play through a classic or survival mode, with the latter being a huge challenge even for the most seasoned of gamers. In survival, the cubes you match do not respawn, meaning you slowly eat away at the core and subsequently, your options. With a timer ticking down alongside, this is the toughest test that Match 3D has to offer. For those who want a slightly easier challenge, the classic mode has a number of options that allow for play that suits your style. Wanting a slow-paced, casual affair? Turn the timer off. Need a boost as often as possible? Make sure the special cubes are on. There’s enough here to keep just about everyone busy, and certainly a great enough task to challenge most.

Possibly the most satisfying aspect of Match 3D’s cubic grid is when you kick start a chain reaction combo. Every time you match three icons you’ll receive a vibration through the handset, something that is pleasing enough on its own. However, blow up a bomb square (which eliminates all cubes round one area) or accidentally get a fortunate combination, and you’ll receive an injection of vibrations one after another, just as you watch the cube tremble with your accuracy (or luck, rather). Bonus moves can be earned if you score well enough, all of which provide another substantial boost to your score. Whether it’s turning a selected group of icons all yellow, or wiping out an entire colour completely, utilising these moves provides the key to the highest scores.

Although it might seem there isn’t much to Match 3D Flick Puzzle, the simple formula and endless amount of levels will be a delight amongst hardcore puzzle fans. The only piece of innovation comes from the supercube; something I expect to be fully explored and probably worn out in the coming years. For now, it’s superb fun, and should be looked at as a minor milestone for the iPhone and a genre that has begun to match itself up with predictability over the past few years.

Grade: B+