Pokémon Trozei!
A puzzle game where matching Pokémon icons clears the board.
Pokémon Trozei! is a puzzle game for the Nintendo DS, released in 2005 by developer Genius Sonority and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. It launched in Japan on October 20, 2005, followed by North America on March 6, 2006, Australia on April 28, 2006, and Europe on May 5, 2006. Critics gave it mostly positive reviews. A sequel, Pokémon Battle Trozei, came out for the Nintendo 3DS in 2014.
The gameplay blends elements of Tetris and Yoshi's Cookie. Blocks shaped like Pokémon icons fall across both screens, but only the bottom screen blocks can be moved. Players shift blocks left or right—those pushed off the edge reappear on the opposite side. Blocks can also be moved downward, causing the bottommost block to rise to the top of its column. Moving a block upward is possible, but it falls back down unless a match is made. Matching four identical Pokémon in a row clears them. After such a match, a Trozei Chance (or Link Chance) icon appears, allowing matches of three for about two seconds. If a three-match is made during that window, matches of two become possible as long as the player keeps linking every two seconds.
Ditto blocks act as wild cards, matching with any Pokémon or multiple types at once. During boss stages, lining up Jammer balls (rocks) with Ditto is the only way to remove them. Ditto appears randomly in levels, and one also drops when the player links more Pokémon than needed, such as five instead of four.
The story pits players against the Phobos Battalion, a new enemy that has stolen Poké Balls to power a secret weapon. The battalion has only generals, no underlings, and operates multiple secret storages and huge storages, plus six Phobos Mobiles—each piloted by a general the player must defeat. The game’s region is unknown, but it features Pokémon from Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. Lucy Fleetfoot works under Professor P, the top agent of SOL (Secret Operation League). SOL is represented by a Solrock, while the Phobos Battalion uses a Lunatone.
Adventure mode has four stage styles: Research, Storage, Phobos Mobiles, and Mr. Who's Den. Research is a training mode teaching basic play and helpful tricks. Players start with partners Aipom and Manectric, using the Trozei Beamer invented by Professor P.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Genius Sonority
- Publisher
- The Pokémon Company (JP); Nintendo (WW)
- Director
- Manabu Yamana
- Producer
- Kunimi Kawamura, Hitoshi Yamagami
- Artist
- James Turner
- Composer
- Tsukasa Tawada
- Series
- Pokémon
- Genre
- Puzzle
Facts from the source article.
Reader's Guide
Pokémon Trozei! received mostly positive reviews. Game Informer gave it an 8.25 out of 10, calling it 'both charming and challenging enough that even those nauseated by the thought of Pokémon should really pick it up anyway.' Nintendo Power awarded it an 8.5 out of 10, stating it is 'a stylish game that's a blast whether or not you're a fan [of Pokémon].' Alex Lucard of Diehard Game Fan gave it a score of 5.5 out of 10, saying that Pokémon Puzzle Challenge is better and cheaper. The game includes an Endless Mode that continues until the play area is filled, divided into many levels with a maximum level greater than 145. Forever Mode is similar but requires the player to Trozei five Pokémon first, then four, etc., with faster falling pieces and the same layout as Mr. Who's Den. The game also features a side mission of completing the National Pokédex by Trozeiing a Pokémon in any mode. A sequel, Pokémon Battle Trozei, was announced during a Nintendo Direct on February 13, 2014, and released in March 2014 for the Nintendo 3DS eShop in Japan, Europe and North America.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed Pokémon Trozei!?
Pokémon Trozei! was directed by Manabu Yamana.
Who composed the music for Pokémon Trozei!?
The music for Pokémon Trozei! was composed by Tsukasa Tawada.
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