Apart from a love for karaoke, gadgets and schoolgirls in miniskirts, our Japanese stereotype is incomplete without a penchant for wacky, Western world-baffling games that seem to take several incompatible genres and throw them into one manic melting pot.

Puyo Pop Fever is one such game. So, does it bear all the hallmarks of a Japanese puzzle game, like retina-scorching graphics? Check. Manga-style characters? Check. Infuriatingly plinky-pop soundtrack? Check. Most importantly, furiously addictive gameplay? Double check.

The customary derivative (and unnecessary) storyline involves our heroine Amitie as an apprentice sorceress trying to improve her magical skills, through the somewhat inexplicable method of playing Puyo Pop. A basic puzzle game at heart, Puyo Pop Fever, like all great puzzlers, draws its inspiration from the simplest of premises.

E-number-coloured blobs of jelly fall in ones, twos and threes down the screen and, much like the classic Columns, players must move/rotate the blobs so four or more matching colours are linked either horizontally or vertically, creating a chain. Because they have a viscous nature, the blobs act like a liquid, and will drop into all the vacant spaces, eliminating any Tetris-like gaps. By positioning colours so that once one chain is formed, the jellies above will fall to form another chain underneath, a 'chain reaction' is formed, and this is where the real key of the gameplay is.

Large numbers of chain reactions will offset the amount of jellies cleared from your own screen and onto your opponent's. Taking the form of transparent bubbles, they confuse your foe and can't be incorporated into normal play, so must be cleared by forming chains above them. Once enough chains have been amassed, players enter the Fever stage. After the whirling, crazy disco screen has calmed down, Amitie is presented with several predetermined blob scenarios, and just one falling group of jellies to use per screen. Correct positioning will cause up to five chain reactions at once, depositing large amounts on your opponent. Make the most of the Fever stage and you can finish your adversary in a couple of goes, adding further incentive to amass chains throughout the game.

This innovation really adds to the gameplay experience, and means there is considerably more depth than the normal 'match the colours as quickly as possible to win'. A strategic element is introduced, and requires a good mix of forward planning, coupled with quick thinking because, naturally, the blobs fall faster and your opponents get a lot smarter in a well-measured difficulty curve as the game progresses.

Single-player, admittedly, isn't much cop, as Amitie battles against a CPU opponent round after round. But as a multiplayer party game, this is top notch. Even the most sceptical puzzler purist will find something to love here, and although the lack of Xbox Live playability does it no favours, it's still entertaining enough for a casual game or two.

Power
Not exactly taxing graphics, but during later levels there's no slowdown of the frantic pace.

Style
Garish colours, risible dialogue between characters and lame storyline are unnecessary.

Immersion
Like all good puzzlers, it's simple to get into, yet furiously, almost incomprehensively addictive.

Lifespan
The novelty of single-player mode will wear off quickly; multiplayer mode can be enjoyed indefinitely.

Summary
A fun and frantic puzzler, curiously addictive yet bizarrely themed, with an entertaining multiplayer mode.

1. Thought-provoking gameplay
2. Very addictive!
3. Satisfying feeling pulling off large multiple chains

1. Lame storyline
2. Appalling sound