While there's certainly no shortage of puzzle games to choose from on the iPhone OS, but finding just the right one can be an arduous task when there's just so much virtual garbage to wade through.  It helps to have a certain heritage to fall back on, and its been fun to watch the re-emergence of classic developers on the platform to add some sorely-needed credibility to our instant-purchasing decisions.  Mark Stephen Pierce, one half of the dynamic programming duo that brought us the classic multi-console puzzle sensation Klax, has teamed up with Super Happy Fun Fun to bring what could rightfully be called its spiritual successor to Apple's portable.  To borrow a phrase, it's the 21st century and there is time for Star*Burst!

The basic gameplay is essentially Klax turned upside-down, as Star*Burst employs the same conveyer belt-style gameplay, with the player moving a paddle launcher left and right to collect and launch colored gems into rows of similarly-colored rows of three gems or more.  The paddle can collect and hold up to five different gems at once, and gem rows can be matched horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.  Touching the paddle will launch the top gem into one of the five fixed spots on the top of the screen, while swiping down will launch it back onto the conveyer belt.

To help keep things interesting are two accelerator buttons on the left and right side of the screen, which when pressed (and held) speed up the conveyer belt to load gems onto the paddle launcher.  This becomes a vital strategy in later levels when the top screen is filled with rows of gems ready to burst into psychedelic explosions of color.

This seems simple enough, and would be for most puzzle games looking to capitalize on such a familiar gimmick.  But the real joy of Star*Burst is how the gameplay adjusts to the player's expectations, rewarding those looking for a challenge by constantly mixing things up.  The real joys of the game lay in combining multiple rows for explosive combos, which can be chained together for maximum points and even higher scores.  Later levels introduce new mechanics that add to the basic strategy, like new gameplay items and increasingly difficult level objectives.

Controls on Apple's portable are often - quite literally - touch and go, but thankfully that isn't the case here.  Navigating the paddle launcher and shooting gems is fast and responsive, and simple touch and swipe-gestures to launch gems was easy enough.  Although some may find the placement of the  two accelerator buttons a bit awkward at first, I found myself right at home after a few sessions and scoring big.

The visuals aren’t the main draw here, but the atmosphere and vibe are appropriately techno-cool, with great use of color that help make the various blocks easy to see amidst the trippy backgrounds and particle effects.  The soundtrack is also well done, although the game allows you to listen to music that's on your iPhone.

With over 100 different levels and endless combos to master, fans will probably find plenty of reason to keep playing, and the ability to share (boast?) your unlocked achievements and Fantasy Cards with your Facebook friends adds some nice social networking to the experience.  Super Happy Fun Fun promises to keep the game fresh with updates and additions, all standard stuff with finer iPhone games these days, but welcome nonetheless.

Those looking for the successor to his classic puzzle smash Klax will find much to love with Mark Stephen Pierce's Star*Burst for the iPhone/iPod Touch.  It succeeds by retaining the immediately accessible gameplay of its predecessor, adding several welcome strategic twists to keep players on their toes (or is that fingertips?).  It also looks great on the small screen, and the touch controls are silky smooth and responsive.  Chaining massive combos for the highest-score is essential, and there's unlockable goodies and Facebook leaderboards for the most obsessive fans.  Yes, there certainly is time for Star*Burst!