Pokémon Puzzle Challenge for the GBC

Sheep

So I've been thinking about the gem of a game called Pokémon Puzzle Challenge again lately. Has anyone played it? This is a puzzle-based game where you use Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile, with the ability to get a few more Pokémon to play with over the course of the game. I remember the music being awesome, and it was just a lot of fun in general - even if a little hard for me sometimes! What do you think of this spinoff?

Darren

Sheep I loved it! I was playing it on my 3DS quite a bit during the pandemic, and it was a great escape during lockdown.

I love the music and the animations of the Pokémon. I recall that it was tricky to unlock extra Pokémon, I certainly didn't get them all.

If anyone has an opportunity to play it, I recommend it!

KomodoZero

While I've not played it, I vibe with its aesthetic waaaaay more than the N64 one. I do like the Gen II GBC visuals and tone, it's a very specific time capsule of an era long past that many of us are fond of.
Puzzle League, however... I've never been fond of the overly localised English dub of the OG anime, and the fact it was purely that (it never released in Japan) was just off putting to me. Not to mention that it's just a reskin of a then unreleased Panel de Pon game (I mean, they all are, take Tetris Attack for example).

Darren

KomodoZero Despite this, I have a lot of happy memories of playing Puzzle League. It was a lot of fun to play 😃

Destiny-Smasher

Yeah, it’s a reskin of a game franchise called Panel De Pon! (Tetris Attack was likewise a reskin with a Yoshi’s Island aesthetic coated on)
There’s a version on the N64 that uses the anime specifically, which is kind of interesting as that is rare for the games. Pretty fun gameplay and they often have good music, too.

The N64 game is actually on NSO+! I just checked.

Darren

I don't want to take this conversation away from Puzzle Challenge, however its a good opportunity to share our interview with Lawrence Schwedler, the Audio Director of Pokémon Puzzle League on Nintendo 64.

To get back on track, based on my time with Pokémon Puzzle Challenge I found the game really lived up to its name. I found it extremely challenging at points, and loved the aesthetic, music, animations, and the connection to Gold & Silver. I hope more people get the opportunity to play it someday!