We don't tend to throw around the term 'masterpiece' around often - after all, how many games can be described this way? Surely, a masterpiece in iPhone gaming is a game that leverages and epitomizes the platform's greatest strengths, whilst being fun, addictive and so on. Eliss is one of these games. Strictly a minimalist, two dimensional affair, it underlines the importance of multitouch in creating unique experiences - indeed, what it offers would be almost impossible to perform any other way.

In a universe populated with blendable planets, you must guard balance and harmony. The ultimate goal is therefore to eliminate orbs from your screen by way of dropping them into squeesars - larger planets won't merge with the squeesar, and so you must cut them down to size by pinching them outwards. Similarly, small orbs won't fill the squeesar either, so in this case you can blend another planet just by dragging it into one of the same hue. Remember that planets do not react well to collisions with each other if they are the same colour - if they do mix, the balance of the universe will start to tumble (indicated by the bar at the top) - let it fall to nil and you'll have to retry the level.

Luckily though, each time you form a supernova, triangles will be scattered around the explosion, offering an opportunity to restore some balance. It's the multitouch that really helps though, with up to five fingers pinning down planets so that they can't budge, you'll become a master in no time. However, there are a few more caveats that come in the form of black holes, which try to suck in unguarded planets, causing unintended collisions - and a slow moving red planet which can't be controlled, yet will also cause disruption if you let it. You do get a cool slow down power up though occasionally, though it would have made more sense to have a slow down that was time limited and user trigged.

The presentation is pure old school in all it's non anti-aliased, pixel perfect glory - from the sparse, black backdrops and monochromatic planets, to the bitmap fonts and simplistic animations. The interface is solid, with slick transitions between modes, and a handful of sonic blips and zaps to keep interest. Musically, the clicky electronica gels perfectly with the onscreen action, and overall the game has a cohesive aesthetic that makes for one stylish package. Nothing feels out of place, or tacked on.

Although it can be difficult and sometimes frustrating, Eliss is one of those games that demonstrates the full potential of the iPhone - we haven't played a game like it.

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