Hey, you. You like dropping blocks? No, not oncats, on other blocks, thereby eliminating blocks en masse. Yeah, likeTetris, but notquitelikeTetris— this isPlanet Puzzle League, and it’s a damn fine example of what a puzzle game should be. At least, we think so.
If you’re not already aPanel de Ponconvert, you might be wondering exactly what you might be offered by a game likePlanet Puzzle League. In the latestDestructoid review, Chad, Nick and I will do our best to convince you, all without the threat of force! Now hit that jump and read up on what could very well be the best DS title yet in 2007, or I’ll break your Goddamn legs.
Hey, I’mtrying.
Aaron Linde
Updating a classic puzzle game can be a tricky process. Change or overhaul too much and the game evolves into something quite unlike its predecessor, which could potentially scare away faithful audiences (Tetris 2). Release the same ol’ game over and over, on the other hand, and you risk sterilizing your franchise with a series of ho-hum ports. ForPlanet Puzzle League, the latest update of the classicPanel de Ponpuzzle series, Nintendo took the trail blazed by last year’s phenomenalTetris DS, and the result is nothing short of spectacular.
You may have already encounteredPuzzle Leagueonce or twice before in its previous stateside incarnations. If your first experience withLeague(known in mother Japan asPanel de Pon) was on the SNES asTetris Attack, you already know that the game is a far cry from its previously tacked-on namesake;Panel de Ponis a gravity-oriented block puzzler, sharing a few more genes withColumnsandBejeweledthan with the Godfather of puzzle gaming. Blocks rise up from the bottom of the field in five different colors, and must be shifted in pairs and set in horizontally- or vertically-aligned strings of three or more to be cleared. Once the blocks are cleared, the blocks above cascade into their place, creating the opportunity for chain combos. That’s the basic gist of it, but thanks to the magic of player intervention, things can get a lot more complicated.
While the blocks clear inPanel de Pon, the player can switch blocks into place beneath, around, or above them to achieve bigger and longer strings of chain combos. To watch a skilled player go to town with a chain combo is really a thing of beauty — it’s a combination of planning and quick reflexes, and not unlike watching a player really rock, say,Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. It’s– oh, hell, I’ll show you.
The chain combo aspect of gameplay inPlanet Puzzle Leagueis what really sets it apart from most of the other Touch Generations games (Elite Beat Agentsnotwithstanding).Leaguecan be enjoyed by most anybody who can count to three, and can be played simply and slowly — single- or double-clears for the most part. For those gamers looking for a bigger challenge,Panel de Ponoffers fast-paced combo play like the video above, making this a must-have package for casual and hardcore puzzle gamers alike.
New to this latest installment of the series on the DS are a variety of upgrades that markPlanet Puzzle Leagueas the best yet. As you might suspect, internet play over Nintendo WFC is a big plus, though marred by the traditional hangups of Nintendo’s maligned online strategy — oh,friend codes, how I loathe thee. Random matches in the form of Free Play Battle and Birthday Battle always serve up good fun, however, even if it’s served in a weird sort of way. At first glance you might suspect, as I did, that an unusually large number of players share your birthday (mine’s December 10th, send money), but the name’s misleading. Birthday Battle is just a stupid name for a ranked battle, in which players arerankedagainst other players sharing their birthday based on win count. Newbies can test the waters in Novice Battle, which will go dark after winning a handful of rounds — a great way to get a feel for the online game without getting your spirit stomped by any mutant 1000-win players.
Also of note is the inclusion of the vertical/stylus play, in which the player holds the DS in a book orientation (seeHotel Dusk,Brain Age) and shuffles blocks on the touch screen with the stylus. For those players who have been playingPanel de Ponwith the directional pad for the better part of the decade, this can be a little disorienting at first — especially online, where lag can leave you wondering just where your cursor got off to — but once you get used to it, it’s an invaluable way to play. Stylus-based play allows for faster shuffling, which means it’s easier to slide those blocks into tighter spaces on the fly — a must for the big ten-plus chain combos.
Single player retains most of the basic modes you’d expect with a couple of twists. Six modes in total are at your disposal: Endless, Clear (get the blocks beneath a certain line), Garbage Challenge (shoot for high scores while clearing huge, row-spanning block-chunks), Vs. COM, Time Attack, and Puzzle (clearing blocks in a set number of moves). Endless is easily the most hypnotic — one of my Endless rounds lasted 55 minutes — but there’s plenty to do inLeague‘s single player and there’s bound to be something that will hook you. One of the more cerebral modes is Lift Attack, in which you have to see how deep you’re able to go in two minutes — it’s not about score so much as it is about the height of your stack, sort of likeMr. Driller.
Additionally,Leaguetakes a page fromBrain Agewith its Daily Play mode, which allows you to play one of three modes (Score Attack, Garbage Attack, Lift Attack) for two minutes once per day. After each play, your score history is displayed in a graph, giving you an idea of your skill development. It’s a really nice touch, especially for those looking to improve their style of play.
Aesthetically,Planet Puzzle Leaguecan stand on its own two feet, even without the bright-and-shiny rebranding of previous statesidePanel de Ponlocalizations likeTetris AttackandPokémon Puzzle League. Sure, there aren’t any familiar characters bubbling ’round the place to make you forget you’re playing, y’know, apuzzlegame, butPPLis pretty in its own right. In vertical mode, the field of play is displayed at a higher, clearer resolution which really showcases the colorful block skins (7 in all) and stage backdrops (10 total). Some of them are uglier than others — doubly so for one in particular — but it won’t be long before you find your favorite and stick to it. The combination of music, backdrops and block patterns doesn’t quite have the variety that a game likeLuminesbrings to the table, but there’s just enough to keep things from getting stale. A strong effort that could’ve been just a wee bit stronger.
I can’t recommend this game enough to anybody who loves puzzlers — hell, even to those who don’t. For the uninitiated it can be a slow, methodical exercise, and for us veterans it’s like some bizarre hybrid of action and puzzle gaming — the pace is determined by the player. For these reasonsPlanet Puzzle Leagueis a terrific inductee into Nintendo’s Touch Generations series and just a damn fine addition to your DS library. Don’t miss this one for nothin’.
Verdict:Buy it!Score:9.0
Nick Chester
Aaron’s glowing (bordering on psychotic) praise ofPlanet Puzzle Leaguemight seem a bit over-the-top, but let me assure you this: it is entirely warranted. As a huge fan of all thingsPanel de Ponrelated, outside of Nintendo replacing all of the game’s assets with offensive imagery of my mother, there was no way I wasnotgoing to love this game. But I was still floored, because the game’s developer, Intelligent Systems, have created the ultimate version of what was already one of the best games in the genre.
Traditionally played with the d-pad and buttons, the game implements touch screen controls that not only change how the game feels, but how the game is played (note that the game can be played traditionally, as well). The game’s core mechanics will feel familiar to anyone who’s played previous iterations of the title, but the “touch and slide” controls make it feel remarkably similar to another DS puzzler,Meteos. However,Planet Puzzle Leaguefeels less arbitrary and free than that title, with chains and combos that any player with a keen eye and fast reflexes can rock with a little work and patience.
While this DS version does seem to be the definitive version of the title (with Wi-Fi play, as well as a wide variety of modes), I was surprised to find myself missing its tie to a license. WithTetris Attack, Nintendo’s Mario universe was used liberally throughout the presentation, and even the Pokemon franchise gave the game life and character on the Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64.Planet Puzzle League‘s presentation (like all things in the Touch Generations line) is polished and sleek, but at times it tends to feel cold and lifeless. I find it hard to swallow that a game like this has to take itself so seriously, even if it is trying to appeal to a mass audience.
But in the end, the game doesn’t really need a known license to give it legs.Planet Puzzle Leaguehas established itself as one of the best puzzle games in the world of videogames, and it’s one of the best games on the Nintendo DS. Period.
Chad Concelmo
Yay, Nick and Aaron, I want to hop on the “gushing overPlanet Puzzle League” bus as well! Next stop, repetition!
All points made across the board I completely agree with: the new touch screen controls are implemented perfectly (the d-pad is so 2002!), the new gameplay modes are unique takes on old favorites (Daily Play is easily the best new addition), and, unlike Nick, I really feel the game benefits from its clean, polished, mascot-less presentation.
What blew me away the most aboutPlanet Puzzle League, however, was how addictive it turned out to be. I don’t know why I was so surprised by this:Tetris Attackfor the Super Nintendo (another member of the ridiculously giftedPanel de Ponfamily)iswas, hands down, my favorite puzzle game of all time, so, needless to say, I pretty much knew whatPlanet Puzzle Leaguewas going to offer before even turning the game on.
But who knew taking a classic puzzle game formula and combining it with the accessibility and expanded multiplayer base of a Wi-Fi enabled handheld would produce the best version ofPanel de Ponyet? Seriously, I went back to playTetris Attackafter playingPlanet Puzzle Leaguefor hours (upon hours) and there really is almost no comparison; the frantic, combo-heavy action and short burst gameplay just feels so much better (and is infinitely more satisfying) on the Nintendo DS.
Needless to say (and without trying to sound like a broken record)Planet Puzzle Leaguereally raises the bar for the genre by offering a near-perfect puzzle gaming experience (I can’t give a 10 to anything with friend codes – sorry, Nintendo). Everything the game does it does very, very well – a truly fun, rewarding experience that any DS owner should not pass up.
Verdict:Buy it!Score:9.5
