Kitteh Face has released a new matching game for the XBox One called Anode. This new take on the puzzle genre will have you questioning the days you have spent matching colors and lines in classic games like Tetris. If you are expecting another Tetris or Candy Crush clone you will be greatly disappointed and probably hate this game immediately. What you will find is a game with more depth and challenge than most of the matching games that have come out in a long time. Random shapes will drop and need to be placed, and these shapes will contain different colors, but that is about as far as the similarities to other matching games go. The colors will connect to matching ones horizontally, vertically, and even diagonally as long as they are next to each other. But the only way to clear any blocks is to match them with a flashing detonator of the same color, or a neutral one. This will cause the matched colors to disappear and blocks to drop. Some blocks even contain connectors that will allow you to attach 2 different colors, as long as the connectors match up. This can lead to chains of 2 or 3 dozen on a regular basis. There are 5 different game modes to play - 4 single player and 1 local multiplayer game. Each one will allow you to change a few of the game rules - time, use of times, etc. The multiplayer is a simple head to head battle. As you create chains it will add to your opponents stack. Single player allows you to play Time Attack, Race, Endless or Mission Mode. In Time Mode you try to stay alive till the timer runs out. Race, you are trying to reach the goal score in the fastest time. Endless is pretty self explanatory. Mission Mode tests your nerve and skill. You will have to complete chains, destroy certain colors, use connectors and more to complete missions that the game sets forth for you and get your next mission. Keep solving the missions until you fill your work space. As I said, this is not your average puzzle game and unfortunately it is not very intuitive when you first start playing. One major issue is that even though there is a 6 page How to Play basic tutorial, it never actually tells you what the controls are. So instead of rotating pieces you end up dropping them or vice versa while you are trying to figure things out. You will eventually figure out what rotates things which direction, how to use items, and just drop your blocks quickly, but it would be nice to have not wasted the first 10 minutes sorting things out. The graphics in the game are electric. When you make connections the lines crackle and pop like lightening. The colors are different enough that you won't easily confuse them. The music is alive and fits the game well. The tempo speeds up with the falling bloacks as you get deeper into the levels. There are 33 achievements for you to try and connect with in the game. You will have to create long chains, using each of the items,creating high multipliers and play each of the game modes. This means grabbing a friend and spending some time in multi-player mode. Just a heads up - there is a 21 point achievement in single player that can only be rounded out by playing the 2 player mode. You can grab Anode for $3.99 in the Xbox store and will be treated to a smart, fresh take on the matching game genre.

So many variations on the Tetris formula. This is not one of the better ones. It reminds me of that Sega Genesis game Columns. I think if the controls worked like those, the game would be better. You can only rotate the falling groups as a whole instead of being able to rotate the colors within the group. Some frustration. The controls are a bit sensitive.. For the price its an interesting diversion but cannot hold your interest for an extended period.