Pokemon Puzzle Challenge

by Game Boy Color

Product Features

• 6 play modes, characters from the popular television show
• two-player Link Cable support
• a Training mode for extra practice
• music and sound effects straight from the original Pokemon games

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004U5IF
• Item Weight: 5 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: December 4, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,666 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

From the second you plug this game into your Game Boy Color, it's apparent that Pokémon Puzzle Challenge is essentially the Tetris Attack that was released some time ago for the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy systems.

Pokémon characters abound; your young cousin or little sister should be able to rattle off many of their names effortlessly. The game is designed for young gamers, and encourages problem solving--something that all parents should want their children to learn while playing a game. Thankfully, the game controls are easy to pick up, and the tasks are easy to execute.

For a puzzle game, this one has a good number of gameplay options and modes. Puzzle University looks simple, at first, but it proves to be a real brainteaser. In this mode, you must clear the entire screen in a limited number of moves--a twist that makes the game surprisingly addictive. It's good to see that Pokémon Puzzle Challenge has made some minor improvements on the now-classic game of Tetris.

Naturally, the graphics are better on the Nintendo 64 version; but, if you've got a long ride planned, or that plane's been delayed, this game will turn hours into minutes. If you're looking for a family-friendly title for all of the Game Boy Color users in your family, look no further than Pokémon Puzzle Challenge. --Todd Mowatt

Pros:

• Challenging and extremely addictive Tetris variant
• Fun for just about anyone

Cons:

• Repetitive voice samples quickly become annoying

Product Description

In a rising pit of colored blocks, it's your task to continuously eliminate these tiles by switching two tiles' positions on the horizontal row. When three or more tiles link up in a up/down or left/right fashion, they disappear. Gravity kicks in and settles the rest of the tiles into the bin ? this can cause a chain reaction to occur since other blocks of the same color can fall into place next to each other. It's up to you to continuously work the bin to wipe out tiles by making combination connections and chain reactions. That's the game in a nutshell, but there are several modes of play that'll keep your fingers busy. In the game's Challenge mode, for example, you're up against a computer opponent and you'll have to make combos and chain reactions to send garbage blocks to his unseen screen -- but keep in mind your opponent's doing the same to you.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A portable Tetris Attack, November 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Pokemon Puzzle Challenge (Video Game)

This game hasn't come out yet, but I'm already anticipating it. The little-known Tetris Attack, an addictive puzzle game which came out on the Super Nintendo and Gameboy, is redone in this version with a Pokemon theme (the original reflected the style of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island). Tetris Attack's rerelease and restyling is wonderful; now, a great, cherished game is finally available again in stores and, because of its pocket monster franchise appeal, will finally sell a lot of copies and be appreciated by a wider audience. Not to mention that the colorization will provide more easy viewing of pieces on the tiny Gameboy screen, which will quicken your reaction time--no more wondering if the block has a star or a triangle on it. This will be great when the blocks start coming faster and faster--and you need all the time you can get.

To roughly describe the game, you try to arrange 3 blocks of the same color vertically or horizontally. Once you do, they disappear. There is an onscreen cursor which can switch two blocks that are next to each other--but only horizontally. By clever positioning, you can even create chains (having one set of similar blocks disappear, causing another set to disappear) or a combo (having more than 3 blocks disappear at a single time, the maximum being 10). As you are doing this the stack of blocks will slowly rise from the bottom and the speed of the stack's rising steadily increases. If your block stack touches the top of the screen, your game is over. There's also more fun if you play the game with a friend (if this game is link-compatible, as it most likely will be) because the more chains or combos you get, the more "garbage" or stacks of blocks you can send over to your friend.

Last but not least, is the Pokemon theme. Though it doesn't affect gameplay, if you have and enjoy any of the Pokemon RPGs for Gameboy, it will be nice to see such Pokecuties like Chikorita and Pichu festooning the screen. And, even if you don't like Pokemon (gasp) there's enough addictive puzzle fun for everybody.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Positively-Pokemon Puzzler!, May 27, 2001

By 

"dabid" (Rocky River, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pokemon Puzzle Challenge (Video Game)

Hey, it's Tetris Attack, the greatest puzzle game of all time--in Pokemon wallpaper! A treat for Pokemon fans, a treat for puzzle game funs--one of the best games on the GameBoy color. The colors are brilliant, the control is tight, and there are many modes of play. Nearly infinite hours of gameplay and replay. I love this version more than my N64 version because it includes Gold/Siver Pokemon like Pichu and Togepi and I can take it with me anywhere. A must-buy for Pokemon fans and Puzzle game fans.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This game ROCKS the WORLD of pokemon!!!, March 14, 2001

By 

Pikachu Ketchum (Ottawa, ONT, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pokemon Puzzle Challenge (Video Game)

This game rocks! I play it all the time. You start the game with three pokemon,Chikorita,Totodile and Cyndaquil.You can "earn" other pokemon like Marill and Pikachu by doing special things in the game. There are 5 functions in PPC; Marathon,where you play until your stack reaches the top; Challenge where you battle the Gym Leaders of the Johto; Line Clear where you try to clear all the blocks above a line; Puzzle where you try to clear all the blocks in a certain amount of moves and Garbage which is just like Marathon only garbage falls from the top of the screen. Trust me, buy this game and you won't regret it!!!