Polar Panic is a new downloadable title for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation 3, and Facebook, a puzzle game that mixes Pengo with Bomberman with a heavy dose of environmental preaching. The object of the game is to escape a maze of snow and ice bricks while avoid hunters under the employ of an over-the-top evil corporation Globoco.

Polar, our hero bear, has to navigate these snowy mazes while avoiding hunters. Snow blocks can only be destroyed, while ice blocks can be slid across the level; otherwise, if they can’t move, they too are destroyed. These ice blocks are one of the very few offensive weapons Polar can employ, sliding them to crush hunters. The more hunters with one block, the higher the score. As the single player campaign progresses, new features are introduced, like tents that produce more hunters and must be destroyed, snowmen and family members who add bonus points to level completion, and new enemies such as rocket-toting hunters. Adding to the complication is the level timer.

There are two more game modes. One is a puzzle mode in which you have to complete levels with as few moves as possible, and an endless mode in which Polar is beset by a constant stream of enemies in an attempt to get the highest point total possible.

Despite its heavyhanded ecological messages, the game never feels overbearing, and the graphic look to the game is quite lush, with large cartoonish characters. The core gameplay is challenging, and fun to play; the endless mode is a standout as a pure arcade experience with no timer to worry about. It’s as close to Pengo as there is on Xbox Live Arcade right now.

While the price is a tad steep (800 MSP/$10 USD), the game has an addictive quality, with unlockables such as gamer pics to add to the experience. Overall, a solid, if not standout, arcade title on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Visit the official site here.