Here are five of the puzzlers I turn to whenever I *do* have some time on my hands. They're all a bit on the cute side (hence the use of "cutie patootie" in the headline above), but don't let that keep you from giving them a spin.
1. Guru Logi Champ (GameBoy Advance)--Now-defunct Japanese developer/publisher Compile's main claim to fame may have been its uber-popular (and uber-playable) Puyo Puyo titles, but I prefer Guru Logi Champ thanks to its Magical-Drop-meets-Picross gameplay. 2. Magical Puzzle Popils (GameGear)--All you really need to know about this title is that it was designed by the legendary Fukio Mitsuji--aka the brainchild behind Bubble Bobble. Both games are maddeningly addictive, but Magical Puzzle Popils ups the ante by making your brain hurt, too.
3. Motteke Tamago (PC-Engine)--Don't worry if the name doesn't ring a bell--it probably doesn't ring a bell for many Japanese gamers either. After all, this Bomberman-esque brain twister wasn't released until 1997--and even then it was just a pack-in with Super PC-Engine Fan Deluxe magazine.
4. Panel de Pon (Super Famicom)--This game has been released under many different guises in the States--Tetris Attack, Pokemon Puzzle League and Planet Puzzle League among them--but none of them can hold a candle to the charm on display in the Japanese original.
5. Twinbee Taisen Puzzle Dama (PSone)--Many versions of Taisen Puzzle Dama have been released over the years, and although all of them are extremely enjoyable this one takes the proverbial cake (IMHO, of course) thanks to the inclusion of Konami's cute-as-buttons Twinbee characters.
* Please forgive me for using the term "cutie patootie." I couldn't help myself in this instance, but I'll do my best to avoid using it in the future :)
Note to anyone who reads this entry and is interested enough in Magical Puzzle Popils to click on the embedded YouTube video: The person playing Magical Puzzle Popils in the video *sucks*. The game is hard, yes, but it's not as hard as that person is making it seem.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I couldn't find any other videos of the game, so I was forced to post the one above despite the fact that it doesn't provide the best overview of what is, IMO, one of the best puzzlers around.
Fair enough.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I love a good puzzler, and judging by this list, I've never played one.
I was looking or a way to send you a message, but I couldn't find one on your blog (am I blind?).
I am an editor over at www.hardestlevel.com, and I just wanted to let you know that if you were interested in having some more exposure, I'd love to see some of your posts over there! We are always taking submissions from outside ourselves.
I certainly hope you'll consider us.
Thanks!
Justin Difazzio
Hey there Justin!
ReplyDeleteRegarding your first comment: You really should give these titles a try if you like puzzlers. Be warned that most (if not all) of them can be hard to find via eBay or online importers like Play-Asia. Thankfully, all of them can be played via emulation (if you're into that sort of thing).
If I had to pick just one game from the list above to focus on, though, I'd choose Magical Puzzle Popils. Every time I play it a few hours slip by without me even realizing it :)
Regarding your second comment: I think I removed my e-mail address from the blog a few weeks ago when I had a bit of a SPAM problem (I thought it may have originated in some way at this blog). Sorry about that.
Anyway, I'm always up for more exposure. What are you thinking at this point - would you like to post stuff I've written here on your site, or would you like me to write original content for your site? Honestly, I'm more open to the former, as I don't have a ton of time these days. Let me know what you think.