It's not so much a bad puzzle game as it is a tedious game, but I guess you could argue those are the same thing.
it took me 8 fucking minutes to pass the first floor
This game is a mix of puzzle with a tiny bit of platforming. This game really reminded me of Wrecking crew while playing it.
The gameplay is simple : grab some L shaped blocs and reach the door. While the concept is simple, they put some obstacle in your track to make things hard. There's some enemies, stuff that you need to collect to unlock that door, moving platforms, etc.
The enemies can be eliminated by crushing them with an L block. This is however not that simple. Crushing them is precise with both placement and timing. Also, if you think you can grab an L block anytime that you want, that's where you are wrong. There's a limit to the number of time you can grab blocks. Depending on the stage, a certain number will be allowed to the player and if you reach 0, you lost the level. You can grab an item in the game that can give one more of those grabs.
During the course of your playthrough, you will get some passwords to get back to the level that you were. This was the old fashioned way to have a save file. It's not in every levels and you have a limited number of lives.
Graphically, this game is kind of plain. Not much to see in this.
While it's clever in the way they bring the puzzle element, it can be frustrating sometimes because it can be timing specific for the level or you don't have enough grabs. Rotating them can also be a pain since you can't rotate them in your hands.
If you like puzzle games, it can be for you. However, I won't recommend someone to do all 64 stages.
Game #37 of my challenge
The gameplay is simple : grab some L shaped blocs and reach the door. While the concept is simple, they put some obstacle in your track to make things hard. There's some enemies, stuff that you need to collect to unlock that door, moving platforms, etc.
The enemies can be eliminated by crushing them with an L block. This is however not that simple. Crushing them is precise with both placement and timing. Also, if you think you can grab an L block anytime that you want, that's where you are wrong. There's a limit to the number of time you can grab blocks. Depending on the stage, a certain number will be allowed to the player and if you reach 0, you lost the level. You can grab an item in the game that can give one more of those grabs.
During the course of your playthrough, you will get some passwords to get back to the level that you were. This was the old fashioned way to have a save file. It's not in every levels and you have a limited number of lives.
Graphically, this game is kind of plain. Not much to see in this.
While it's clever in the way they bring the puzzle element, it can be frustrating sometimes because it can be timing specific for the level or you don't have enough grabs. Rotating them can also be a pain since you can't rotate them in your hands.
If you like puzzle games, it can be for you. However, I won't recommend someone to do all 64 stages.
Game #37 of my challenge
Very early puzzle game on the NES and you can definitely tell it was a very early puzzle game. I did not enjoy this game at all.
[Played through Nintendo Switch Online]
Cute game, but just has a lot of the worst elements from early gaming present in it. Lives are for some reason present in a puzzler where it's possible to screw yourself over very easily and require a restart, and it's clearly padded like a lot of NES games were. Even with save states and rewind through NSO, I didn't enjoy it all that much and didn't get too far. Music was nice though.
Cute game, but just has a lot of the worst elements from early gaming present in it. Lives are for some reason present in a puzzler where it's possible to screw yourself over very easily and require a restart, and it's clearly padded like a lot of NES games were. Even with save states and rewind through NSO, I didn't enjoy it all that much and didn't get too far. Music was nice though.
Way too slow, clunky, and somewhat convoluted for it's own good. The remake included on Namco Anthology Vol. 1 bumps it up to just alright for me, but it's not enough to save it for me.
I think it has good ideas and it's one of those classic Namco games that didn't delivered. The major problem is how punishing it feels and how much easily you can get stuck by your action.
A poorly designed puzzle game overall.
A poorly designed puzzle game overall.
Nintendo Switch Online was a mistake.
who the fuck is namcot
I'm not sure a puzzle game should be as deadly as this one. The somewhat platforming, or even action elements seems like are there because the developers thought those were demanding, but in the end they're out of place. And you even have to manage the number of moves or you die? Not even a careful plan seems enough.
In the NES port of Solomon's Key, at least, you could take advantage of the Pause button to take things into consideration before moving, but it just doesn't work the same way here. And it's a shame, because there are good ideas and a core that could work.
In the NES port of Solomon's Key, at least, you could take advantage of the Pause button to take things into consideration before moving, but it just doesn't work the same way here. And it's a shame, because there are good ideas and a core that could work.
Too slow and boring