Match-three style puzzle games are a dime a dozen these days. Everyone wants to throw their hat in the ring, so you need to a way to differentiate yourself from the crowd. Headcase Games brings their unique twist (pun intended) with 180, a game where flipping pieces to match colors keeps you in the game. And for $0.99 (or free, depending which version you pick up), it’s money well spent.

180 is simple to get into but complex to master. Each coin has two colored sides and can be flipped (both before shooting and those already on the board) to match three or more like-colored pieces to clear rows and set up major combos. More rows of coins keep dropping from top of the screen, so you need to clear a path before coins hit the bottom or time runs out. You can choose either Easy or Hard difficulty with various modes of play: Endless (see how long you can last and how many points you can rack up), Score Attack (90 seconds to rack up the highest score possible), and Drop Attack (add lines to the playing field to score points). There are three characters to choose from, but they have little to no impact on the game other than being an animated icon on the bottom of the screen. OpenFeint integration is there if you’re looking to boost mobile Achievements or compare your scores and times with others.

The gameplay is solid in 180 and the the package is well polished – all you can ask for from a puzzle game. Headcase Games did a good job with their take on the match-three genre and for $0.99, it’s well worth a purchase for puzzle fans. Even if you only grab the free version with Time Attack mode, all iPhone owners should give 180 a try.

[A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.]