I know what you're doing here. You clicked this review because you had no idea what this mysterious little DS title called NEVES was. With a name like NEVES you'd likely suspect a sci-fi action game maybe? Some sort of shooter, or perhaps an RPG? Well, if so, you'd be wrong on all counts, as NEVES is actually a very simple puzzle game that you will be familiar with from some point in your life I'm sure. Oh, and the name? It's just 'seven' backwards.

You see, in NEVES you're presented with a bizarre silhouette that kind of, sort of resembles something like maybe a rocket, a cat, the number 3, or a helicopter. The screen is then littered with seven geometric shapes - always the same ones - two small triangles, a long edged rectangle, three variations of that and a larger piece that starts as a rectangle but ends with an angled tip. Using these seven pieces you'll need to fit them into the silhouette with no overlapping pieces, or any spilling out over the edge. It sounds simple enough and sometimes it is, while other times it becomes a task that at times seems near impossible. And that's about all there is to NEVES!

The pieces have some nice texture to them, with varied colors throughout the game (which includes over 500 different silhouettes to play). Some secondary modes have been thrown in, but all they do is restrict the gameplay through either time or the amount of moves you can make. A single cart multiplayer mode has been included as well for good measure. NEVES isn't an entirely original idea, though it hasn't been seen in videogames for some time and the overall execution of the concept has been well implemented on the DS. You can drag and drop any piece you want and touching the corner allows you to rotate it. Double tapping any shape causes it to flip around, giving complete freedom over where the pieces go and in which direction with ease.

The various colored backgrounds, shapes and presentation themes between the three main modes create a bit of diversity for NEVES, but overall it's a very familiar experience the whole way through, which is fine, as it's a title that's aimed at the casual gaming market, and for those casual players this is a great purchase, because that's exactly what you can do with it. Swap out that Sudoku and boot up NEVES when you're sitting in the waiting room, take it with you to those long sessions on the toilet, or just lay in bed and do a few puzzles before you fall asleep, which is how I like to play it. It's a nice problem solving exercise for your mind that is easy to control, without completely shoving the "make yourself smarter with our game!" gimmick down our throats.

The very nature of a game like NEVES makes it a little hard to score. To a big DS gamer the title might feel a bit empty the whole way through, but for the casual market it's aimed at, it really is exactly what they need and want. It looks slick, with easy to navigate menus, and the music is more ambitious than you would expect, with some really neat instrumental pieces - think elevator music, but not so brain-numbing. With 500 puzzles, it's also a game that will last a good while, depending on how much you play it, and if you become incredibly skilled at the game then you can challenge yourself with the more difficult variations. All in all, NEVES is a neat little puzzler from an unlikely developer (the guys behind a game I'm a little too familiar with: WWE Smackdown!) that won't blow away the genre, but will definitely be a great gift for the casual gamer in the family or circle of friends who isn't looking for the next Lumines.

Reviewed by Christopher Martin for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).