Puzzle & Dragons Z / Super Mario Bros. Edition - Video Review (3DS)

http://www.GameXplain.com
With 2 games in one, is Puzzle & Dragons twice the fun? Find out in our in-depth review!

• Follow GameXplain on...
...Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gamexplain
...Twitter: http://twitter.com/GameXplain
...Google+: https://plus.google.com/108004348435696627453
...and GameXplain.com of course: http://www.GameXplain.com

---

Closed Caption:

It’s difficult to stand out as a puzzler
anymore. There are just tons of puzzle games
out there from the classics like Tetris and
Puyo Pop to more modern examples like Bejeweled
and Candy Crush. But Puzzle & Dragons has
found a small but important way to change
things up. And I believe it’s worth taking
notice especially since it’s been packaged
in two unique ways, doubling its value for
puzzle fanatics out there.
So what is it that makes Puzzle & Dragons
different? It’s still a Match-3 type of
puzzler where different orbs need to be lined
up either vertically or horizontally in order
to clear them. But while many of these types
of puzzles merely switch the icons, moving
them in Puzzle & Dragons actually shifts the
orbs along the way. This one simple mechanic
changes all strategies and creates a great
sense of control in how you set up combo chains.
Players only have a short amount of time to
move around their chosen piece. It often becomes
a question of whether you should do the easiest
maneuver or attempt to set up a massive combo.
So often in puzzle games, I’ve felt like
the bigger combos are just a matter of luck
as more icons fall in to fill the empty spaces.
It’s exciting to see it all happen, but
I never felt like it was entirely my doing.
While there’s still a sense of that here,
the chains I was able to set up on the board
always felt like part of my plan. The time
limit only starts when you actually touch
an orb so the game encourages a thoughtful
approach in order to pull off the best possible
move.
It’s been widely advertised that Puzzle
& Dragons would come with two versions, Z
and the Super Mario Bros. Edition. Despite
the different branding, both pretty much play
the same with only a few differences. But
these do make the two versions distinct. Z
is more like a typical RPG with side-quests,
a hub to explore, and a slightly more involved
story about saving the world. Super Mario
Bros. puts more of the focus on the puzzles
and keeping everything streamlined as Mario
sets out across eight worlds to rescue Peach
from Bowser.
Like Puzzle Quest, Puzzle & Dragons is a puzzle
RPG. The actual puzzles are meant to simulate
battles. Winning grants your team experience
and they gradually become stronger. But while
Puzzle Quest took inspiration from traditional
RPGs, Puzzle & Dragons is more like Pokémon.
In both versions, you create a team of creatures
that are aligned with one of five elements:
Fire, Wood, Water, Light, and Dark. These
elements are represented by the orbs on the
board. A sixth orb is the heart, which heals
your party. Lining up three or more will have
any monster of that type attack the creature
you’re battling. If five are lined up in
a row then the attack will hit every enemy
that you’re facing. Of course, combos will
strengthen the attack and make it that much
deadlier.
And just like Pokémon, each element is weak
to and strong against another. Fire beats
Wood, Wood beats Water, and Water beats Fire.
Dark and Light are separate though and are
weak to one another. Fortunately, each dungeon
or level you enter clearly states which elements
will be available and what kind of monsters
you’ll be facing. From there you can customize
your team to best handle the threat.
Best of all, there are loads of strategies
that can be used. If you want to only use
monsters that are effective against the shown
type, you can. You’ll be piling on the damage,
but any matches you make with other elements
are wasted. On the hand, balanced teams can
always be attacking, but those attacks are
not nearly as strong. It becomes a question
of what style works best for you. Personally,
since you can have up to six creatures on
a team, I found myself doubling up on the
primary element but having the others around
as back-up.
There are also a ton of different monsters
to use, and it’s here that the two versions
differ slightly once again. Both feature monsters
that have unique Leader Abilities and Skills.
The Leader creates a passive effect on your
team that could boost a number of different
attributes. In Z, the leader could be any
one of your monsters as long they have a Leader
Ability, but in Mario, only Mario or Luigi
can be the leader. However, the Mario edition
brings variety by unlocking the different
power-ups that Mario and Luigi can access
all with their own abilities and skills.
Every monster has a skill that can be activated
to either do direct damage, healing, or manipulating
the board in some way. In Z, a meter is filled
which can be used to activate any monster’s
skill. Multiple skills can even be activated
in a single turn provided you have enough
of the meter filled. However, the Mario edition
has a countdown for each monster. After a
certain amount of turns, the skill will be
able to be used.
Finally, in both versions, every monster can
be transformed into more powerful forms. The
process requires items that are dropped during
fights, but they will power your team up.
Though there is a catch, their level will
be returned to one though they do keep the
stat boosts from their previous form. They
are lessened slightly, but the new version
will overtake the previous one soon enough.
It becomes a question of whether you transform
your team right away or let them reach their
max level before a transformation in order
to get the best possible stats.
It all comes together to make an incredibly
addictive game if you love puzzlers. I wanted
to catch every type of monster and found myself
growing attached to certain creatures, specifically
a Goomba who was incredibly powerful. There’s
much more to discover in the game, but even
at its most basic, I had a lot of fun.
Puzzle & Dragons is a pretty good looking
game. The bottom screen is focused on the
puzzle action and is smartly laid out. Nothing
is cluttered, and everything is clear immediately.
The top screen shows the monsters you’re
facing and a bit of the dungeon you’re in.
It’s simple, but it gets the idea across
that you are exploring. And it is kind of
amusing seeing a first person perspective
as you go through traditional Mario levels.
While there is 3D implemented, I never saw
the use since of most of my focus was on the
bottom screen. The original music in the Z
version is good, but not exactly memorable.
Nothing really stuck with me. Conversely,
the tracks in the Mario edition are classic
though there doesn’t seem to be any remixes.
They mainly seem pulled from the New Super
Mario Bros. series.
The presentation is fine, but the focus is
on the gameplay. And it’s there that Puzzle
& Dragons, both the Z and Mario Bros. editions
shine. And each offers something similar yet
different. If you want more of an RPG experience,
Z is the way to go. If you want more of a
focus on puzzles, then Mario is your man.
Either way you get both, and I liked them
both a lot. It’s a great choice for anyone
looking for a new puzzle game with a definite
challenge and a lot of value. Thanks for watching
and be sure to stay tuned to GameXplain for
more on Puzzle & Dragons and other things
gaming.