Best puzzle games nobody talks about?

[electricmastro]

On 6/8/2022 at 6:00 AM, jgkspsx said:

Hey, they published a lot of good games. *watches video* … that actually looks pretty interesting…

Yeah, Hot Potato! is sort of like Magical Drop if you were moving in various directions while shooting. Could use more refinement, but I think it works well enough.

 

Edited June 11, 2022 by electricmastro

[electricmastro]

Luxor: Pharaoh's Challenge

 

[Cynicaster]

Puzz Loop is one of my favorite action-puzzlers in the MAME catalog.  There is also a Puzz Loop 2 that is basically the same game but with updated visual style.  

 

The configuration menu within the game code itself (i.e., as opposed to MAME/emulator settings) allows you to select either joystick control or dial/spinner control.  It's OK with a joystick but IMO the game really shines with a spinner.     

 

 

This game was ported to various handhelds and consoles under the name "Ballistic" but you don't get the spinner control option, which is a dealbreaker for me.  

 

Later on, Popcap Games also shamelessly ripped off Puzz Loop with their game "Zuma," which I remember playing about 10 years ago on my 1st gen iPad.  

 

 

[electricmastro]

32 minutes ago, Cynicaster said:

Puzz Loop is one of my favorite action-puzzlers in the MAME catalog.  There is also a Puzz Loop 2 that is basically the same game but with updated visual style.  

 

The configuration menu within the game code itself (i.e., as opposed to MAME/emulator settings) allows you to select either joystick control or dial/spinner control.  It's OK with a joystick but IMO the game really shines with a spinner.     

 

 

This game was ported to various handhelds and consoles under the name "Ballistic" but you don't get the spinner control option, which is a dealbreaker for me.  

 

Later on, Popcap Games also shamelessly ripped off Puzz Loop with their game "Zuma," which I remember playing about 10 years ago on my 1st gen iPad.  

 

 

I think the most common way people play ball shooting games like that these days is through the Sparkle games, like on Switch.

[devwebcl]

On 9/7/2021 at 11:50 PM, Tanooki said:

I couldn't agree more, but I still have a love of the original, partly driven by the fact it is but not predictable since there's no branching path, but also that addictive as hell theme played on every stage.  They knew what they were up to, as bad as the crack addict level bubble bobble theme.

Do you mean Puzzle bobble 2 for arcade or snes ?

[Tanooki]

7 hours ago, devwebcl said:

Do you mean Puzzle bobble 2 for arcade or snes ?

PB2 wasn't on SNES, and no I meant the original Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move for NeoGeo and SuperNES.  I have both those (PB1 and 2) for Neo Geo, if I find a cheap copy I'd grab the SNES game again as it's nice.  ...and now I can hear the stage music again now that it has been mentioned.

[electricmastro]

On 7/8/2022 at 1:11 PM, Cynicaster said:

Puzz Loop is one of my favorite action-puzzlers in the MAME catalog.  There is also a Puzz Loop 2 that is basically the same game but with updated visual style.  

 

The configuration menu within the game code itself (i.e., as opposed to MAME/emulator settings) allows you to select either joystick control or dial/spinner control.  It's OK with a joystick but IMO the game really shines with a spinner.     

 

 

This game was ported to various handhelds and consoles under the name "Ballistic" but you don't get the spinner control option, which is a dealbreaker for me.  

 

Later on, Popcap Games also shamelessly ripped off Puzz Loop with their game "Zuma," which I remember playing about 10 years ago on my 1st gen iPad.  

 

 

One of various different versions of Puzz Loop:

 

[+GoldLeader]

On 7/1/2022 at 3:42 PM, electricmastro said:

Luxor: Pharaoh's Challenge

 

 

^ I haven't played it in forever,  but I have this on PSP!

 

 

Personally I am hugely fond of Dr. Mario,  ...Just getting back into it again lately,  but I guess it doesn't really go here,  not being one that "nobody talks about"...

[Cynicaster]

7 hours ago, GoldLeader said:

 

^ I haven't played it in forever,  but I have this on PSP!

 

 

Personally I am hugely fond of Dr. Mario,  ...Just getting back into it again lately,  but I guess it doesn't really go here,  not being one that "nobody talks about"...

 

To me, Dr. Mario is "OK" but I've never really understood the hype relative to other contemporaneous games.  

 

Part of the problem might be that my wife absolutely schools me at it.  In the early days of the pandemic we played a lot of the Dr. Mario / Tetris combo on SNES, which is a very cool way to play these games.  There is a head-to-head mode that combines Tetris and Dr. Mario into a sort of triathlon.  

[electricmastro]

Devil Dice

 

[+GoldLeader]

4 hours ago, Cynicaster said:

 

To me, Dr. Mario is "OK" but I've never really understood the hype relative to other contemporaneous games.  

 

Part of the problem might be that my wife absolutely schools me at it.  In the early days of the pandemic we played a lot of the Dr. Mario / Tetris combo on SNES, which is a very cool way to play these games.  There is a head-to-head mode that combines Tetris and Dr. Mario into a sort of triathlon.  

 

For me,  it's always just fun to pick up and play...Also high in the "Just one more game" category...

 

"Part of the problem might be that my wife absolutely schools me at it. "

 

Now,  that probably would take the fun right out of it. 

 

 

 

[electricmastro]

If older mobile games can be brought up on here, then I’d mention Shadowmatic, where you rotate objects to create certain shadows.

 

[+jgkspsx]

On 7/11/2022 at 9:38 AM, Cynicaster said:

To me, Dr. Mario is "OK" but I've never really understood the hype relative to other contemporaneous games.

For me it’s all about the music.

[roots.genoa]

4 hours ago, jgkspsx said:

For me it’s all about the music.

Damn, I just started hearing it in my head as I read that. ?

[Hwlngmad]

Don't know if this has already been mentioned, but Moai Kun on the Famicom is a pretty good little puzzler.  Played it the other day and had a really good time with it.

[Tanooki]

Agreed Dr Mario has better style games out there like it but that music.  I have it on a CD from Japan one of those Famicom history soundtracks for Mario, the SMB line is there, but also the other Mario NES things which puts Yoshis Cookie, Mario Bros, and Dr Mario and it's a fun listen when it pops up.

[+jgkspsx]

14 hours ago, Hwlngmad said:

Don't know if this has already been mentioned, but Moai Kun on the Famicom is a pretty good little puzzler.  Played it the other day and had a really good time with it.

I really like that one too!

[raskar42]

Dr Mario is my go to puzzle game for turning off the brain for a few minutes. I play it almost daily. 

 

I don't know if breakout/arkanoid games count as puzzle games, but one of favorites varients is called FlipSide on a GBA cart called Ultimate Arcade Games. It's half breakout half shooter and it's fun dispute it's flaws. 

 

Another fun varient is called Flying Hero for the Famicom 

[Hwlngmad]

On 7/23/2022 at 3:05 PM, raskar42 said:

Dr Mario is my go to puzzle game for turning off the brain for a few minutes. I play it almost daily. 

 

I don't know if breakout/arkanoid games count as puzzle games, but one of favorites varients is called FlipSide on a GBA cart called Ultimate Arcade Games. It's half breakout half shooter and it's fun dispute it's flaws. 

 

Another fun varient is called Flying Hero for the Famicom 

Will have to give FlipSide a go.  I appreciate the recommendation as I loved a good Arkanoid style ball and paddle game.

[raskar42]

8 hours ago, Hwlngmad said:

Will have to give FlipSide a go.  I appreciate the recommendation as I loved a good Arkanoid style ball and paddle game.

Let me know what you think of it, I think it's a pretty unique twist on the game 

[+jgkspsx]

On 7/23/2022 at 4:05 PM, raskar42 said:

I don't know if breakout/arkanoid games count as puzzle games, but one of favorites varients is called FlipSide on a GBA cart called Ultimate Arcade Games. It's half breakout half shooter and it's fun dispute it's flaws. 

 

Another fun varient is called Flying Hero for the Famicom 

Ultimate Arcade Games has some great ideas. Some games are just great and others get annoying. The robot walking game starts really fun and gets really frustrating. A little extra time, effort, and experience would have made it a must-own compilation.

 

I love Flying Hero!

[raskar42]

45 minutes ago, jgkspsx said:

Ultimate Arcade Games has some great ideas. Some games are just great and others get annoying.

It was almost a classic compilation, it had some interesting versions of classic games. The standouts to me were FlipSide, the Asteroids style one and the Lunar Lander style one. Especially that one with the added business aspect to it was pretty inspired in my opinion. 

[+jgkspsx]

Yes, that was my favorite!