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Puzzle & Dragons Z / Super Mario Edition
While many of us diligently play games on PC and console, an enormous portion of the worldwide population gravitates toward mobile and social gaming. Sitting on the top of a mountain of money is Gung Ho's Puzzle & Dragons, the first mobile title to cross the $1 billion revenue mark.
The title has crossed over with a number of other games and even licensed properties, but the next one might be the most ambitious. Gung Ho is teaming with Nintendo to bring a two-pack of standalone, premium Puzzle & Dragons games to 3DS.
Launching in May, Puzzle & Dragons Z and Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Edition are two different takes on the formula. I had a chance to play the Super Mario version, and was pleasantly surprised at the mash-up.
For those that haven't played any games in the series, Puzzle & Dragons isn't your average match-3 game. Instead of being limited to a single move, players have a limited amount of time to slide one orb around the board. This bumps others out of the way and hopefully outs them in a position to make even more matches.
You go into battle with a leader, a support character, and a number of other minions. Each offers a different skill that can be used to affect the orb board. In one course (a set of RPG-style fights), Mario led my team as Luigi provided back up and a number of colored Yoshis filled out the roster. In the other, it was Boo Mario with Boo Luigi (note: This is absolutely a missed opportunity, as he should be called Boo-igi).
In each fight, you'll have a turn to move orbs around. When finished, your opponents have a chance to attack. I fought against goombas, koopa troopas, and the winged variety of both. Boss battles await at the end of the course, giving you a reason to use those powered up skills. These skills offer effects similar to the Puzzle Quest series, allowing you to manipulate orb position or colors.
On the surface this sounds very rudimentary, especially if you've played the Puzzle Quest series. In truth, sliding orbs around can be quite frantic. You don't have much time, and understanding how the orbs shift as you slide over them is crucial to surviving.
I'm a novice, but one of Gung Ho's representatives showed me how it's done. In his hands, it looked like magic (and I suspect that kind of skill takes practice). If you've played Terra Battle, you'll have an idea of how the sliding mechanic impacts the board.
If you looked past Puzzle & Dragons because you thought it was just a match-3, take a look at some play of the other versions online. There's a surprising amount of skill that doesn't become apparent until you try it for yourself.
And for those who are interested, know that when the title launches in May, you're also getting a second game. Puzzle & Dragons Z has a classic RPG vibe, with an overworld to roam and NPCs with whom you can interact.
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