Folk Art - http://maxpages.com/pokemonjohtogs/PPC

OVERALL RATING: 8

Graphics: 8
Sound: 8
Control: 8
Fresh Factor: 7
Gamelife: 7

The Skinny:

It's rare that you don't want to review a game not because it's terrible, but because you know you'll have problems pulling away from it, hence not allowing you the ability to write the review. This is one of those games.

Pokemon Puzzle Challenge is a somewhat re-worked version of the N64 game Pokemon Puzzle League . The main difference being the number of playable modes and that the Gold and Silver Pokemon populate this version. Play wise, this is simply a re-worked Tetris Attacks with new graphical interfaces. You need to line up 3 same-colored blocks to make them disappear.

The six modes of play include the normal game, Versus, Challenge, Puzzle, and others. Puzzle Mode requires you to cancel out all on-screen blocks in a certain amount of moves. Versus is of course you against a friend (or enemy, take your pick). Challenge Mode is the closest thing to playing the normal Pokemon game without actually playing the game itself. Each player or gym trainer you come across must be defeated, and when you succeed on each difficulty you get to collect several Pokemon.

Graphically the game does well on the pocket system. There's actually more animation here then there was on the N64 version, opening animation on the console version not included. Now the pieces themselves have little faces on them when you lose or win. Background graphics now slowly scroll by as well as seeing your Pokemon animate in their own little window. The sound is the usual Game Boy fare, with the usual tinny sounds here and there.

Puzzle League Challenge is a great little addition to the now bloated Game Boy library. It's also one of the only games I'd want to play that's come out this holiday season.

Pokemon Johto GS

kcar@sprint.ca

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Page Updated Thu Mar 1, 2001 3:08pm EST