Pixie

Sometimes the simplest games are the best. The majority of titles these days seem to need stunning graphics and that's fine, but sometimes you want something you can just jump into and have fun with straight away, knowing that it will keep you occupied for a good while. Pixie is the perfect example of this kind of gameplay, being easy to pick up but having enough depth and challenge to sustain your interest.

The titular Pixie has been exploring a magic forest and has lost track of time watching butterflies frolic and sniffing all the pretty flowers it has to offer. Before she knows it, dusk has fallen, which just happens to be the time that big nasty bugs and spiders emerge from the darkness! It's up to the player to help Pixie escape the forest and get back to the safety of her home.

The title borrows the gameplay mechanics of Qix, with Pixie firing magical vines to block off and fill areas of a maze to progress. Easy enough, but then there are the numerous insects that are harmful to little fairies lurking in the deep dark forest. A whole host of creepy crawlies are intent on not letting Pixie make it home, and while they can be destroyed by capturing them in your areas, they pose a major threat to the player. When you're shooting your vines you're immobilised, and if an enemy touches you or the vine you're currently using, you'll take damage.

Each level contains these enemies and they're easily manageable in the early stages, but as you progress, things become very hectic indeed. Beetles bounce about the place, worms crawl up and down vines and level boundaries and small flies charge you while massive green flies harm you on contact. Perhaps the most annoying enemy is the spider: get caught in one of his webs and you're stuck, requiring frantic mouse-waggling to escape. The first few times this happens to you you'll smile at the idea, but when you're battling with a tonne of insects and you get entangled again and again it'll really begin to irritate.

It's a good thing then that these enemies can be destroyed, occasionally dropping powerups which can be easily picked up with the responsive mouse control. Enemies drop goodies ranging from bombs to faster growing vines and slower moving enemies to devastating insect-destroying thunderbolts alongside coins that can be used at the shop encountered every five levels. Here, extra lives and special potions can be bought, and these powerups must be utilised effectively in order to rack up a respectable score. The presence of online leaderboards could lead you to revisiting levels time and time again to get the highest one possible, greatly extending the longevity of the title.

Pixie is the perfect little game for people who want a quick blast of fun or something more sustaining to keep them playing for longer. Minor niggles such as slightly iffy checkpoints, occasionally misfills and those bloody spiders don't harm the fact that it's a simple, enjoyable pleasure. The only barrier some might take issue with is the somewhat high price of entry for this type of game, but with 100 levels to complete on offer, you're guaranteed value for money. Charming, challenging and fun, you'll be happy to go for a wander around the forest with your fairy friend.

You can catch Pixie over at Phelios.