Puzzled (video game)
A falling-block puzzle game with a hot air balloon objective.
Puzzled is a falling-block puzzle game developed and published by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade hardware in 1990, with subsequent releases on the Neo Geo home console and Neo Geo CD. It was later ported to mobile phones, the Wii Virtual Console, and included as a pre-loaded title on the Neo Geo X console. The game also appeared on modern platforms through Hamster Corporation's ACA Neo Geo series.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- SNK
- Producer
- Eikichi Kawasaki
- Composer
- Yoshihiko Kitamura
- Platforms
- Arcade
- Neo Geo AES
- Neo Geo CD
- Genre
- Puzzle
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Arcade system
- Neo Geo MVS
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The visuals of Puzzled resemble Tetris, and the core gameplay involves controlling tetrominos that fall from the top of the screen; filling a horizontal line clears it. The objective, however, is to clear a vertical path for a hot air balloon initially trapped at the bottom of each level, allowing it to fly off the top of the playing field and advance to the next level of a tower. The tower is divided into multiple floors, with 10 levels per floor, totaling 60 different puzzles. Some levels include obstacles such as robots that attack the balloon, regenerating blocks, and gold blocks that require multiple clears. A power-up called an L-Ball fills a meter as lines are cleared; when ready, it triggers a lightning ball that explodes outward from the balloon's location, removing surrounding blocks.
Reception
In December 1990, Game Machine reported that Puzzled was the top-performing table arcade cabinet in Japan for the month, beating Carrier Air Wing and Raiden. Its graphics were called simple and unexceptional, though well-organized and functional. The sound was basic but fittingly pleasant. The two-player mode drew criticism for lacking any direct interaction between players.
More in SNK Games of the 1990s
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced