by Cat Sentz

Created on: May 21, 2008   Last Updated: May 22, 2008

The follow-up to Q-Games' PixelJunk Racers, PixelJunk Monsters now graces your Playstation Store for under $10 of strategic good times. The jist of it? Think Desktop Tower Defense with trees you turn into forts, and then dance in; PixelJunk Monsters is real time strategy with it's fair share of whimsy. You'll feel like a kid again as you convert the local flora into surface to air defense towers all to protect the little creatures of the forest residing in your home base. No word yet on how all those creatures of the forest feel about you destroying their natural cover in favor of an arsenal, but I have to figure they prefer it to death by local monster. Each baddie that slips through your defenses takes down one hopping innocent, and if that isn't enough to get your defensive juices flowing there's always the money.

Every tree you convert to a tower costs you shiny gold ones, from 100 coins upwards. Where's a local mask-wearing tribesman of the woods getting all the cash? From defeating those renegade monsters, where else (haven't we all learned by now that dead bodies turn into money, weapons, or food?). After completion of the tutorial you'll have three different tower types unlocked for battle, and you'll want to be quick about learning their capabilities.

The bottom of the screen indicates which enemy onslaught is expected next so you can choose your weapons accordingly, and as with any strategy game preparation is critical. A lethal variable is what path the fiends will take to get to your base. Quick assessment of key locations and which weapon will work best are essential. Each weapon has a different range, and you'll be dismantling that canon tower lickity split when it's sitting idle as monsters traipse by.

When the cash dries up and you can't purchase towers, it's time to dance. The glorious rump-shaking upgrades your towers, and the colored flags raised indicate each level (black is the max). If time management is an issue and dancing to an upgrade isn't getting the job done, or you're just hurting for more firepower, be sure to collect those blue gems from defeated enemies as they will purchase the upgrades (which include range, power, and speed).

The first few levels are pretty straightforward, but don't let them lull you into a false sense of security. Ultimately, if thinking isn't your game you may as well give up. As you progress through the map take note of the difficulty you are attempting as well as the petals beneath the options. The petals

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