Poker Smash is one of the best puzzle games for Xbox Live Arcade. Every aspect of it oozes awesomeness, from its quirky design to its fun soundtrack to its multiple single-player and multiplayer options. For 800 points (the equivalent of US$10), it's a hand you should go all in with.

Gameplay resembles the old Tetris Attack/Puzzle de Pon games – to a certain degree. You must line up certain items to eliminate them from the playfield. However, rather than just stick with routinely colored gems, developer Void Star shakes up the formula by substituting them with poker cards. This works brilliantly, as you remove them from the play area by setting up hands, such as four-of-a-kind or a full house. With each hand completed, you earn chips that rack up on the sidelines. To help, you can also drop a limited number of bombs, removing troublesome cards that keep you from nailing that "perfect play." You can also slow down time with the right trigger, if you need a second to see what's happening.

Poker Smash has many opportunities to nail a high chip count. Along with being able to build higher hands (such as five-of-a-kind and a royal flush), you can also set up combos, which in turn activates a multiplier system. During the course of the action, random challenges also pop up on the right side of the screen. Complete these before time runs out and you'll earn a large reward.

The game features a stunning amount of single-player action, with an in-depth Puzzle Mode, a straight-up one-player Action Mode and a Practice Mode, in case you need to work on your poker skills. Puzzle Mode is incredible, with over fifty stages and multiple ways to solve each one. If you're really stuck, however, you can purchase "solution videos" in the online store. Action and Practice are what you'd expect, but still fun to play.

Where the game really picks up is multiplayer. You can take on a friend through local or Xbox Live-supported split-screen play, completing hands and throwing blocks their way. What's even better is Tournament Mode, a full-blown five-player standoff where you create the best poker hands possible to stay alive. Each player gets a certain amount of chips in the round, earning opponents' funds by getting the best hands. The last one remaining wins the match. It's simply insane, even if you're on the losing end of the stick. Finally, you can save gameplay videos, if you feel like showing off your card-playing prowess to others.

The backgrounds change constantly, from the innards of a crypt to a lush tropical jungle to a dungy coalmine. The on-screen action is a delight to watch, with an abundance of colors and lightning bolts firing across the screen once you nail a combo. As for the music, it's the best we've heard in an XBLA game since Rez HD. The announcer has a perfect tone, not overstaying his welcome but keeping you informed of the hands you just made. Smash also lets you purchase your own custom play lists through an online store, just in case any particular settings or tunes stick with you.

All we can really say is "Wow." Poker Smash came out of left field and blew us away with its wildly addictive gameplay, its marvelous presentation and its stacked single-player and multiplayer options. For $10, you shouldn't fold on this incredible hand.

Related Links

Poker Smash Game Guide

Microsoft