Puzzle Master

Puzzle Master is a 1999 video game developed by Metropolis Digital and published by Metro3D. It is a puzzle video game in which players must arrange falling blocks in a row to clear levels with fantasy elements. Upon release, the game received average reviews.

Puzzle Master
Developer	Metropolis Digital
Publisher	Metro3D
Platform	Game Boy Color
Release	11 November 1999[1]
Genre	Puzzle
Mode	Single-player

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot

Puzzle Master is a in which players must align groups of one to five falling blocks that represent various elements, including fire, water, wood and stone.^[2] Arranging three of the same element in row clear them from the play field, and increase a meter that, when filled, completes the level.^[3] Players collect power-ups in a queue that, when used, assist the completion of segments: knives take out a column of pieces, keys and bombs remove parts of a level, and hearts complete a group.^[2] Levels also include items that interact with falling pieces, such as items that provide players with power-ups, or remove pieces.^[2] There are several game modes, including Quest, Time Challenge and Training.^[3] In Quest mode, there are monsters and fantastical creatures in levels that cause tiles to fall or place unremovable pieces, which can only be defeated with knives or bombs.^[2]

Reception

Reception

Review scores

Publication	Score
AllGame	3/5[3]
IGN	8/10[2]
Nintendo Power	6.7/10[4]

Some critics remarked that the game's design was atypical for a ,^[3][5] although others felt the game was derivative of games such as Tetris.^[4][2] Nintendo Power considered the game built on Tetris by introducing "refreshing elements" that gave the player "more to do on each level", and greater variation across levels.^[4] Craig Harris of IGN stated the game was a "decent title" that tried "something new in a familiar genre", but the fantasy elements felt "out of place".^[2] Brett Alan Weiss of Allgamer felt the game was a "curiosity" in the genre, stating its mechanics were "interesting", but it lacked the "focus and intensity" of Tetris.^[3] Stating that it was a "shame it's not better known", Retro Gamer stated Puzzle Master introduced an "array of different things" atypical to the puzzle genre, including item collection, traps and interactive elements.^[5]