Soul Bubbles is a DS puzzle-platformer by French developer Mekensleep. Take a dash of Lost Winds, a pinch of Loco Roco, and a helluva lot of awesome, and what you end up with is Soul Bubbles. This game is absolutely fantastic. It’s one of those games that when you hear about it at first, it sounds too simple. Once you get into the meat of the game however, you end up finding that beneath it’s simple appearance, fantastic level design and playability await.

If I were to write a review of Soul Bubbles in two words, it would simply read “Freaking awesome.” The premise is simple: guide a group of spirits from the start of the level to the end. You trap the spirits in a bubble and blow them to the Gateway Cube at the end. For those of you that worry about blowing on your DS in public, be happy. You don’t actually have to blow into the DS microphone, you just draw on the touch screen in the direction you want the bubble to go. Sounds simple, but it’s anything but.

After the short tutorial stages, you are granted three masks. The Tiger mask (activated by holding Right on the d-pad) allows you to split your bubbles in two, join split bubbles that are touching back together, or cut through other objects around the levels. The Elephant mask (activated by holding Left) deflates bubbles you touch, and the Bird mask (activated by holding up) lets you draw new bubbles, which can be used for anything from trapping spirits to pressing switches to carrying water, and more. With such a simple control scheme, it is amazing just how much you can do.

Traversing the levels can be quite challenging. You have to make use of all three masks, plus your breath, if you want to get all the spirits to the end. Avoid hazards like spikes, birds, insects, frogs, and more. Attack your enemies with the Tiger mask or just by tapping on them or other methods, depending on which enemy you are facing. Be careful, or they may run off with your spirits. Luckily with all the action going on on-screen, the simple controls keep you from getting too overwhelmed.

As for the graphics, that’s where Mekensleep really delivered. Everything is gorgeous. The smooth, almost watercolor-like colors really make the game a feast for the eyes. Throughout the game, you will come across quite a variety of different locales, all absolutely gorgeous. Really, the game is almost worth playing just for the fantastic art direction.

Now I’ll be honest, I have not completed the game yet, so I am not 100% sure of what surprises await me. This is one of those games where it’s hard to rush through. It’s not about just getting to the end of the levels, it’s about the journey there. I am personally making sure I get every level 100% complete before I move on to the next. That being said however, I can’t seem to put this game down. The beautiful graphics, soothing sound, and fantastic level design leave me constantly wanting more. I can’t wait to jump back into the Soul Bubbles world. Mekensleep is certainly a developer to keep your eyes on.

For more information, visit the official Soul Bubbles website at http://www.soulbubblesgame.com where you can find artwork, videos, and more. And if you like what you see, the game is available in the United States exclusively at Toys R Us. To put it simply, get this game. You won’t regret it.