Back in '02-'03 my abusive father would take me to the Toys 'R Us a few miles away from us when they had pokemon puzzle league/challenge tournaments. He'd pawn the gift card prize for beer. And id get a 99 cent pack of planters honey roasted peanuts for my troubles. If I didnt perform. We'd have a very -Constructive- discussion about my performance on the way home. Needless to say. I grinded this game a lot as a 7 year old. Recently picked it back up as a big boy. And oh my stars and garters. Its still just as fun. Pretty much the only "matching blocks" puzzle game ive ever liked. Especially to this degree.
Im nowhere close to as good as I used to be, due to a certain lack of ~Motivation~ but I've really been enjoying going through the Super Hard/Insane modes, and unlocking all the characters. [Even though if we're being realistic, all you really need is pichu]
But wow. The dopamine hit of pulling off a x10 – x11 combo chain in a flurry of frantic inputs while trying to keep the garbage blocks on top from ending your run is something candy crush only WISHSES it could pull off.
Anyway thanks for reading my brief childhood snippet. This game is a gem, and absolutely the only block puzzle game that ive ever liked [regular tetris is like kind of ok too but eh.] If you're looking for a fun retro game to play every so often. See if you can find a used copy or a ROM of Pokémon Puzzle challenge for the GBC or Pokémon Puzzle League for the N64. Play a couple of the puzzle clear stages to get a feel for how to set up combos and whatnot. Then hop into challenge mode and have some fun.
Have a lovely rest of you days everyone. I have a sudden craving for honey roasted peanuts.
by KingSerenade