Edge (Nintendo 3DS) Review

EDGE is a title with a simple premise, in which the core mechanic is to navigate a cube through a variety of different levels, which are also made up of cubes. There are over one hundred levels for players to tackle, with a rank being awarded once the player has reached the end of that level. Performance is ranked from S+ to D -- the former being the best and the latter being the worst -- with factors like speed and number of deaths accumulated playing the predominant roles here. Two other factors are EDGE Time and Prisms.

EDGE Time is awarded to the player by latching on to an object, keeping their cube suspended in mid-air. This will initiate a timer and the longer the player stays suspended, the more EDGE Time they will receive. Once the player reaches the goal, the amount of EDGE Time accumulated over the course of that level will be subtracted from the completion time, making it possible to achieve a higher rank.

However, in order to obtain an S rank or better, players must collect all of the Prisms which are scattered around, including the ones that may seem impossible to get during the initial examination of the level. This in turn adds extra replay value for players who want to achieve S+ ranks across the board and makes it a must-have for skilful players who like to best their own scores.

Of course, as the game progresses, levels get significantly harder and new elements are introduced to the player. For example, switches, moving platforms, cubes which must be latched on to as they move, platforms which fall when "stepped on," and the ability to transform into a smaller cube in order to squeeze through tight gaps and ascend to heights which would be impossible with the larger mass. Perhaps the most interesting and creative element introduced is when cubes come together at the press of a switch and take on the form of other objects -- a prime example is seen early on the game when several cubes take on the form of a mech.

The Wii U introduced controls which were better than any other version of this game and the 3DS counterpart continues that trend, with players having the option of using either the Circle Pad or the D-pad to control the cube. It must be noted that the D-pad offers the most accurate movement, though, especially when it comes to gaining a lot of EDGE Time. Like with the Wii U version, the option to change which direction is up is also included, with the two options being north-west and north-east; this is a nice addition as players may find that the default option is not to their taste.

Everything great about the Wii U version is included; however, there is one problem here. Whilst the game looks fantastic on the 3DS screen, the frame rate suffers from some minor drops, usually when there is a lot going on in a level. The simple visuals mean that these drops in frame rate do not occur that frequently, but it's still quite disappointing.

Overall, this is the same great game that embraced the Wii U eShop a few months ago, only in a portable format. Whilst EGE is also available on other portable devices such as Android and iOS, the 3DS version is the best of the bunch thanks to the accurate physical controls which are absent on those devices.