Pokemon Puzzle League

"Only hard core Pokémon fans would be willing to buy this Tetris Attack upgrade"

There are some things that I can honestly say I can never credit Nintendo for releasing the N64 in the first place. For every title that's top-qulaity from the big N, we receive about two or three crap titles from them. Puzzle games are no excpetion to that rule-- ESPECIALLY Nintendo's few first-party puzzle game releases. I'll be real, folks-- Nintendo has not released one high-grade puzzle game for the N64: Tetrisphere was slow and uninvolving with its point-&-click gameplay, while The New Tetris was poor because of its God-awful music.

Pokémon Puzzle League is Nintendo's third entry into the N64 puzzle game market. The real question is this: Has Nintendo finally released a quality N64 puzzle game, or is it just here to fill in the void of quality N64 puzzlers even more? Like the show, the game has spirit and spunk, but ultimately lacks the show's soul. Sure, this is another way for Nintendo to ilk the Pokémon license one more step (even though you'd consider it to be), but there could have been a better use of the name.

For starters, PPL's visuals recreate the show well. After the obligatory PRESS START message, a short piece of animation features our hero Ash Ketchum (how original-- yeah, right) receiving a call from Professor (Samuel) Oak talking about the up-&-coming puzzle league. Of course, Ash accepts, and he and Pikachu move toward the (oy) Pokémon Puzzle League Village (can't these guys come up with anything less generic?). Thus, the Puzzle League begins for our young heroes.

For those who care for a history lesson, here's the beef: Puzzle League is essentially 1996's Tetris Attack which was released for both the Super NES and Game Boy (I have the latter version). Gameplay, thus, is next to completely similar to prior witnesses, give or take the Pokémon-themed tiles. Moving a cursor, swapping twin tiles, and attempting to match up sets of three or more, scoring multiple hits in the process, and preventing the pile from reaching the top of the playing field-- that's the basic idea behind it. (If any tile bangs its head on the ceiling, it's game over time, pal.)

Multiple forms of play are available. Puzzles tease the mind by requiring field clearance of a small number of tiles within a preset number of moves. Time trials and marathons are basic high-score fests. No matter the poison you pick, each can be played in offerings of 2D and 3D fields. While the 2D fields are easily accessible, playable, and enjoyable, I can say quite the opposite of the 3D game.

The 3D game is set within a cylindrical play field. But that's not to say you can worry about the immediate view. Heck, no! Worrying about tiles on the other hemisphere reaching the top is an even bigger dilemma. In short, odds are heavily favored that if you were to notice a block on the far end about to hit the head on the ceiling, swapping the blocks would easily be a split-second too late. Yet again, puzzle games and 3D settings rarely make good couples in marriage. (Wetrix is one exception.)

Of course, there is the story mode, involving Ash moving up the ranks of the Puzzle League. Both our hero and his competition are required to choose a single pokémon, but they have little effect over being wallpaper, albeit nice-looking wallpaper, but static. (That Lorelei babe is a doll! When I first saw her on the show, I got... aroused.) It sure would've been nice, or more interesting, if the chosen monsters made any difference in how much garbage sent over to the other side. The same goes for the vs. game-- regardless of the chosen pokémon, attack effects never deviate.

Audio, considering the show, is also disappointing. The show's main North American cast is here (including such persona as Veronica Taylor as Ash, Eric Stuart as Brock and Team Rocket's James, and Rachel Lillis as Misty and Jesse, along with the rest of the cast), and I like that. Even Ikue Ôtani, a name whom every true-blue Pokémon fan should recognize by now, portrays that annoying (to some), yet somewhat lovable Pikachu. (If those li'l ones really want to prove their devotion to Pokémon, they'd fly to Japan and meet her personally.)

Qualms about the voice actors aren't present, because that simply is not the problem. It's what they say that's such a disappointment. Or the lack of what they say, rather. The thing I want to know is why there were so few clips per character. Hearing Ash saying ''Way to go!'' and ''I'm gonna win!'' every few seconds (and I do mean ''every FEW seconds'') is really a mite less than acceptable, especially considering a two-year-old game based on another (yet R-rated) cartoon managed to squeeze onto one cart (achem-- South Park, anyone?).

Plaguing the game's audio content further is what sounds are used. Here are the perfect examples: Team Rocket and Ash's main enemy, er, rival, Gary: After losing in the story mode, thet yell out ''Congratulations!'' What the Hell? Considering that Gary and Team Rocket are virtual enemies of Ash, a congratulatory message is just plain wrong. Having them quip, ''Aw, you just got lucky, you little twerp!'' would have sounded far more fitting.

The music is easily comparable to the show's, but it lacks bounce and feels too dry. Considering the mimicry involved, it's sad. Worse, I can't sing along to it! Not that I'd want to, but the fans will be distraught over the lack of lyrics and possibly sing the words by heart. (The greatest of Pokémon devotees won't give a damn-- they're so in-tune with the franchise, they'll know the words down pat without need for prompting. No need to follow that bouncing ball!)

Unfortunately, PPL is not the N64's first must-have puzzle game. Heck, the closest thing that comes to must-have is the simplistic Bust-A-Move '99. Fans of Pokémon will undobtably go ga-ga for this title, if only for the name, but are just as well playing Tetris Attack (if they already have it) and leaving this alone. I am not saying exactly that it's an inferior product to the 16-bit title, but if that title is already in your library of games, there's really no need to buy this one. (Besides, twenty years from know, you'll be scratching your head as to what Pokémon was all about to begin with. And who wants a game based on a has-been franchise?) If you don't have the prior Tetris Attack, then this might make a good addition to your N64 stash, but better puzzlers are available.

MY SCORE: 6.5

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 02/21/01, Updated 10/26/01