Pokémon Puzzle League is the Pokémon adaptation of the famous Panel de Pon, known in the West as Tetris Attack. Released on 2 March 2001 in Europe on Nintendo 64, and never in Japan, it dresses this formidable puzzler in the world of the animated series: Ash, Pikachu and the Gym Leaders face off in Puzzle Village. Our review from the time gave it 15 out of 20; it deserves a little more.
A formidably effective puzzler
Colored blocks rise from the bottom of the screen. With a two-square cursor, you swap two neighboring blocks horizontally to line up three or more of the same color, which then disappear. Combos, when more than three blocks disappear at once, and chains, when one clear sets off another, send garbage blocks to your opponent. The rules can be learned in a minute, but mastering chains takes hours.
The world of the animated series
It is one of the few Pokémon games entirely inspired by the TV series: Ash, Gary, Brock, Misty, Team Rocket and Giovanni are drawn as in the cartoon, and the music reuses themes and songs from the series. Story Mode has you face Gary, the Gym Leaders, Team Rocket, the Puzzle Elite, then Mewtwo on the highest difficulty.
Plenty of modes
Marathon, Time Attack, Versus for one or two players, a Training Lab to learn combos, a Puzzle Library to solve or create puzzles, and a 3D mode where the stack of blocks forms a rotating cylinder: the content is generous. The two-player game is the best part.
The limits
Playing alone, you get through Story Mode quickly, and the difficulty rises sharply at the higher levels. Pokémon fans who don’t like puzzle games won’t find much to enjoy here.
Should you play it today?
Yes, if you like puzzles. The Wii Virtual Console version, released in Europe on 30 May 2008, has no longer been on sale since the Wii Shop Channel closed in 2019; the Nintendo 64 cartridge remains.
Our verdict
One of the best puzzle games on the Nintendo 64, carefully dressed up in the colors of the animated series.
What we like
- The brilliant Panel de Pon mechanics
- The world and music of the animated series
- Plenty of modes, including the 3D mode
- An excellent two-player game
What we like less
- A Story Mode that is over quickly
- A difficulty that climbs sharply
Our review from the time is still online.
