The PSP has, ever since its original release, been a beehive of activity for puzzle fans. The Lumines and Mercury series, LocoRoco, Lemmings, Puyo Pop Fever and more have graced the sleek and sexy screen of the handheld, granting many hours of frustrated attempts at beating high scores. I mean, honestly - isn't the puzzle genre one of the most addictive and time consuming ones around? I certainly know I've spent several hours frantically trying to unlock bonus levels by completing the game with insane high scores, knowing all too well that I'd never be anywhere near the top. As it turned out, Every Extend Extra was much the same experience.

The premise of the game is - as all great puzzlers must be - quite simple. You have a certain amount of bombs at your disposal that you must manoeuvre around the screen, exploding them where they blow up as much as possible. It's also important that you avoid contact with pretty much everything, as your bombs are pretty sensitive. Your targets are small thingy-bobs floating around the screen, each carrying a couple of stars that explode. The blast must explode as many stars in a single chain as possible, as this gives you more points. You collect points to restock your ammunition, as the few bombs you have won't last you very long. Diamonds are left behind after the blast, which you collect for more points or, even better, more of the thingy-bobs on screen. These lilac goodies increase the tempo at which you're fed targets and allow you to create much larger chains. To further increase the tension, you only have a certain amount of time in each level. If you haven't defeated the boss by the countdown then you'll just have to try again. Fortunately, mini-bosses and other helpful creatures tend to spit out time-lengthening yellow diamonds that give you those few extra seconds you need - if you manage to get them, that is!

This might all sound a little complicated and, to be fair, it took me quite some time to learn, due to the tutorial being as carefully hidden as it is. Actually, my first impression of Every Extend was surprisingly negative - I've seen better-looking menus on homebrew releases and the overall introduction to the game is a complete eyesore. Then when I got the first level loaded up, I couldn't figure out what to do, how to do it or the reason why my bombs kept exploding, seemingly at random. Later on though, as the basic control of the game had seeped into my subconscious, my patience was rewarded with an exciting and enthralling experience. The many factors that you must keep in mind during play just come together in glorious unity, stretching you to keep a tactical overview at all times. I must admit, I'd have been crestfallen without the "pause" function, as you just need to sometimes stop in the middle of a level and take a moment to calm yourself down before returning to the exploding chaos on the screen.

Visually, Every Extend takes you on a trippy and colourful road of bright colours and erratically moving backgrounds. This, coupled with the mix of techno and disco music you're being fed, completes the effect and you begin to feel like you're actually playing the game in a very odd disco under the influence of one ale too many. Unfortunately for the graphical department, once the music settles down and you're somewhat sober again following the intoxicating effect of the music and visual oddness, you realise that it's not all that good. It's not hideous, but it's just not as beautiful as initial impressions lead you to believe. Luckily, the stress of the gameplay accentuates your intoxication, leaving you blissfully unaware of any faults in the graphical engine; you're just too preoccupied to notice.

Following true to the puzzle game tradition of imitating Seventies disco music, Every Extend features a soundtrack full of monotonous tracks seemingly repeating themselves eternally. None of the music is worth listening to and you won't miss out on much if you mute your PSP. The sound effects are slightly better - odd explosion-like sounds blast from the speakers while male and female voices inform you of a few of the on.-screen events. It's a bland experience to listen to, but it fits the mood of the game surprisingly well, actually making the audio a positive addition to the overall experience.

Every Extend features about twelve levels, each challenging you with new bosses and increasingly difficult chains that you must explode. The traditional arcade mode includes nine levels, as well as two more for you to unlock. Then there are two extra levels for the 'quick match' feature, one easy and one slightly harder. Finally, there's a game share mode, allowing you to spread the highly infectious gameplay to your friends. Each level sports a completely new design, but apart from that the gameplay is much the same (with the exception of the bosses), making the experience a drag at times, when you're chronically stuck in the first couple of levels in the arcade mode and utterly unable to venture on. Still, the gameplay being as good as it is, the repetitive levels are easily forgiven; just don't expect the software to endlessly entertain you - it's only fresh for so long.

Every Extend Extra is the kind of game you rent if you're going away one weekend, or the perfect game for playing on public transport when you've had quite enough of the scenery. The disco theme sets the mood and the gameplay and design follows it through to create a very unique experience. The fact that it's relatively short and complimented by weak visuals and mixed audio detracts from the experience, sure, but the gameplay manages to prevail nonetheless, eventually offering you one of the most stressful, tactical and overall entertaining experiences on the PSP at the moment. You could try before you buy, but if you become hooked I've no doubt you'll happily load this up for a quick fix for months to come.

Reviewed by Niels Jakob Kyhl Jørgensen for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).