Pokémon Puzzle Challenge

About This Game

Gameplay

Main article: Puzzle League § Gameplay Pokémon Puzzle Challenge features gameplay similar to other games in the Puzzle League series; players control a two square long cursor that can swap or move blocks around the field. The objective is to remove blocks from the player's puzzle grid as new ones appear from the bottom. Placing three or more blocks of the same color in a horizontal or vertical line will cause them to disappear. Players can also perform combos by clearing more than three blocks at once, as well as chains when falling blocks from one clear cause another set of blocks to clear. A game typically ends when the blocks reach the top of the grid, at which point the player loses. In competitive modes, players can perform combos and/or chain clears to cause objects called garbage blocks to fall on their opponent's grid, further filling it in an attempt to cause them to lose. Concessions are made due to the game's limited screen size: Puzzle Challenge features a puzzle grid size of only 6x9 blocks, compared to the 6x12 grids of other Puzzle League games, and the opponent's grid is not visible, with a small meter instead indicating how close they are to losing.

History

Pokémon Puzzle Challenge was developed by Intelligent Systems. It was first announced in Nintendo employee Peter Main's "Industry Review" webcast on January 13, 2000, under the name Pokémon Attack, similar to prior Puzzle League game Tetris Attack. The title was later changed to Pokémon Puzzle League like its Nintendo 64 counterpart before finally settling on Pokémon Puzzle Challenge. Nintendo briefly planned to delay the release to 2001, until the delay of Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble provided an available window in which to release the game. It was released in Japan on September 21, 2000, December 4, 2000, in North America, and June 15, 2001, in PAL regions. A screensaver was released by Nintendo to promote the game.