Ishido: The Way of Stones

The instruction manual traces Ishido's heritage back to ''the people who inhabited the fog-shrouded moors surrounding Stonehenge,'' but you don't have to be Druish — sorry — to enjoy the subtleties of this quick-playing puzzle game. Competing with either the computer or another player (who can use the same Game Boy or a separate one connected via the optional Game Link), you set down geometric shapes of various patterns on an 8-by-12-unit grid. Adjacent ''stones'' have to match in shape, pattern, or both. In the highest-scoring ''four-way,'' for example, the piece set down matches the pattern of two adjacent stones and the shape of two others. Ishido: The Way of Stones can take a while to learn, but once mastered it plays fast — the perfect game to pick up during commercial breaks. B+

Afraid that prolonged exposure to the sun at vacation time might melt your brain? Check out more video puzzle games to help keep your mind (and fingers) active this summer.