Pokemon Puzzle League

"The Best Parts of Two Favourites"

Tetris Attack was a massively popular puzzle game in the heyday of the SNES, as it was a version of ''Panel de Pon'' with Yoshi and friends attached. It was simple, but very addictive. Meanwhile, Nintendo's latest phenomenom, Pokemon, has entranced fans worldwide, with numerous spinoffs.

It is therefore not surprising that a puzzle game would be made featuring the Pokemon, and Tetris Attack could not have been a better choice, retaining the simple but addictive nature of the original are here with a new set of surface flash.

GAMEPLAY

For those of you who have not played the original (shame on you!), here is the basic purpose. You are given a box of different-coloured game pieces. You have the ability to flip-flop two adjacent blocks. Three like-coloured pieces in a horizontal or vertical row disappear, and combos (lines of more than three) and chains (chain reactions due to gravity causing pieces to fall into place) are worth more points. That's it, but that's all it needs to be. When playing against a friend, combos and chains drop ''garbage blocks'' on him. There are variations, like clearing all blocks above a line, or clearing the screen in a limited set of moves, but the basic principle is the same. This game also adds a 3-D mode in a cylinder for truly mind-boggling possibilities.

GRAPHICS

Let's say the SNES would have little trouble running this game. However, the graphics are still nice. The characters are hand-drawn, large and brightly coloured, and the pieces and cursor are easy to distinguish. Brief FMVs play. Who needs flashy graphics in a puzzle game, anyway?

CONTROL

Controls are limited to moving the cursor and flipping the blocks. Flipping is dead on, but the cursor movement is slightly loose. Good control overall (use the pad, not the stick. Trust me).

SOUND

The music is light and doesn't distract from the game, and each character has his or her own theme song. Trainers and Pokemon alike shout taunts during the battle, which can be annoying, although the voices are mostly well-performed.

OVERALL

If you like Tetris Attack and/or Pokemon, you'll enjoy this game. Other players should not dismiss the game, either. True, the 3-D mode is the only new element, but the fast-paced, fun puzzle action will keep you coming back for more.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/03/00, Updated 10/03/00