Most western Cave fans will tell you about their Shoot'em'ups like DoDonPachi or Espgaluda, but actually Puzzle Uo Poko, one of their most obscure games done singlehandedly by Toshiaki Tomizawa, was my first exposure to one of their products. Published to the arcades by Jaleco approximately in February 1998, this is obviously sort of a puzzle game that has not much in common with their usual output.
Quite recently I reported about Pachinko Challenger that I have problems familiarizing myself with that Pinball variant, though I had forgotten about Puzzle Uo Poko being one of those japanese oddities I actually enjoy - despite it has all the indicators to call it a stupid program you could have a moderately trained monkey finish at least ten of the thirty stages.
At a time all we could play on our mobiles was Snake, if there ever was a stereotypical japanese salaryman, Puzzle Uo Poko would have been the perfect game to be complemented by a drink and a smoke after a 23 hour work day, before he's got to be back at the job again. Because all you do is pull the lever intuitively.
In my case today, it was after two hours of trying to beat the final boss in Varth and though I might not be in the mood for Puzzle Uo Poko everyday, to get rid of the remaining caffeine and adrenaline in my system, impersonating a cat that's shooting bubbles at the sea, because it wants fish, is absolutely appropriate.
So no cute anime girls here, just you, a cat and a plunger, pulling at various intensities to engage differently coloured balls on a pile of others. Let's just call Puzzle Uo Poko a simplified bastard of said Pachinko, Puzzle Bobble and Puyo Puyo. You're combining at least three bubbles of one color to have them explode and hopefully create a chain reaction.
It's not all that easy, though. Sometimes you've got to crack blocks by placing the falling ball on them. At other occasions the bubbles require having a chain explode next to them to be unlocked. As weird as the synopsis already was, you'll also find a yellow submarine at sea level that will be of assistance if you hit it.
Just having watched a video for co-op mode due to the lack of a gaming partner, I can only assume the two player version being an interesting variation where shots of the other can get in the way if not properly communicated.
Everything is a race against time as well. You've got a few seconds to aim and the bottom will raise constantly. Having the top row touching the surface has to be avoided at all costs. And with the cute meow sounds and a score that partly reminded me of a happy version of the Akira OST it's actually satisfying.
It's probably for the same reasons mobile apps are successful, comforting us with simple tasks of putting random things in order. It's anticipation and reward, dangerously close to gambling maybe, because at the arcade you're losing money for enjoying a flickering display, sounds and minimal participation. Maybe the only difference is there's no chance offered to win your dough back, so the addiction has limits.
Whilst in our day and age, games like Puzzle Uo Poko would be perfect for cashing in on data and advertising via your phone, it would lack one crucial factor that to me means the world. It's so much more satisfying to play on an actual arcade lever than swiping a screen!
Sadly I couldn't verify if Puzzle Uo Poko was really shipped including a cat paw top for the joystick like it's rumored on the internets, because that would have given a nice touch in connection with the protagonist. I've only seen it with a regular ball top though.
For the minimal effort put in a machine like Puzzle Uo Poko it was quite possibly lucrative anyway and for the fun I frequently have with the smooth gameplay, I'll probably have to forgive Cave that they didn't come up with a more elaborate theme and design. Studios need their moneymakers.
I don't know if it would be legit to say the same about the 2005 Puzzle! Mushihimetama, with Tomizawa returning to merge the Mushihimesama franchise with Puzzle Uo Poko routines. But as much as you'd think a more Cave appropriate theme and additional boss and bonus stages would spice things up, here I am, stuck with the boss at stage 5-6 in a game that feels too hectic and too long.
I don't want a forced Bubble Hell Shooter. I would have appreciated just an improved environment, some nicer artworks in particular. More doesn't always equal better, it seems. (Edit: After realizing 5-6 was the final boss and it just required swiftness I wasn't in the condition for, I've made my peace with Mushihimetama.)
At least to me the predecessor is just the right kind of plain relaxation that doesn't overstay its welcome and opposed to Puzzle! Mushihimetama it's Puzzle Uo Poko with its nice flow of some slightly challenging but never unsolvable puzzles that leaves me wanting to play just one or two more stages.
Quite recently I reported about Pachinko Challenger that I have problems familiarizing myself with that Pinball variant, though I had forgotten about Puzzle Uo Poko being one of those japanese oddities I actually enjoy - despite it has all the indicators to call it a stupid program you could have a moderately trained monkey finish at least ten of the thirty stages.
At a time all we could play on our mobiles was Snake, if there ever was a stereotypical japanese salaryman, Puzzle Uo Poko would have been the perfect game to be complemented by a drink and a smoke after a 23 hour work day, before he's got to be back at the job again. Because all you do is pull the lever intuitively.
In my case today, it was after two hours of trying to beat the final boss in Varth and though I might not be in the mood for Puzzle Uo Poko everyday, to get rid of the remaining caffeine and adrenaline in my system, impersonating a cat that's shooting bubbles at the sea, because it wants fish, is absolutely appropriate.
So no cute anime girls here, just you, a cat and a plunger, pulling at various intensities to engage differently coloured balls on a pile of others. Let's just call Puzzle Uo Poko a simplified bastard of said Pachinko, Puzzle Bobble and Puyo Puyo. You're combining at least three bubbles of one color to have them explode and hopefully create a chain reaction.
It's not all that easy, though. Sometimes you've got to crack blocks by placing the falling ball on them. At other occasions the bubbles require having a chain explode next to them to be unlocked. As weird as the synopsis already was, you'll also find a yellow submarine at sea level that will be of assistance if you hit it.
Just having watched a video for co-op mode due to the lack of a gaming partner, I can only assume the two player version being an interesting variation where shots of the other can get in the way if not properly communicated.
Everything is a race against time as well. You've got a few seconds to aim and the bottom will raise constantly. Having the top row touching the surface has to be avoided at all costs. And with the cute meow sounds and a score that partly reminded me of a happy version of the Akira OST it's actually satisfying.
It's probably for the same reasons mobile apps are successful, comforting us with simple tasks of putting random things in order. It's anticipation and reward, dangerously close to gambling maybe, because at the arcade you're losing money for enjoying a flickering display, sounds and minimal participation. Maybe the only difference is there's no chance offered to win your dough back, so the addiction has limits.
Whilst in our day and age, games like Puzzle Uo Poko would be perfect for cashing in on data and advertising via your phone, it would lack one crucial factor that to me means the world. It's so much more satisfying to play on an actual arcade lever than swiping a screen!
Sadly I couldn't verify if Puzzle Uo Poko was really shipped including a cat paw top for the joystick like it's rumored on the internets, because that would have given a nice touch in connection with the protagonist. I've only seen it with a regular ball top though.
For the minimal effort put in a machine like Puzzle Uo Poko it was quite possibly lucrative anyway and for the fun I frequently have with the smooth gameplay, I'll probably have to forgive Cave that they didn't come up with a more elaborate theme and design. Studios need their moneymakers.
I don't know if it would be legit to say the same about the 2005 Puzzle! Mushihimetama, with Tomizawa returning to merge the Mushihimesama franchise with Puzzle Uo Poko routines. But as much as you'd think a more Cave appropriate theme and additional boss and bonus stages would spice things up, here I am, stuck with the boss at stage 5-6 in a game that feels too hectic and too long.
I don't want a forced Bubble Hell Shooter. I would have appreciated just an improved environment, some nicer artworks in particular. More doesn't always equal better, it seems. (Edit: After realizing 5-6 was the final boss and it just required swiftness I wasn't in the condition for, I've made my peace with Mushihimetama.)
At least to me the predecessor is just the right kind of plain relaxation that doesn't overstay its welcome and opposed to Puzzle! Mushihimetama it's Puzzle Uo Poko with its nice flow of some slightly challenging but never unsolvable puzzles that leaves me wanting to play just one or two more stages.