Added: 23.05.2015 4:15 | 5 views | 0 comments

Having played Puzzle & Dragons Z and Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition for quite some time now, I get the feeling that these games really weren’t made for me.

Let me elaborate on that statement a bit: I adore the mobile version of Puzzle & Dragons, and have made it a part of my daily gaming routine for a very long time. The prospect of a version devoid of free-to-play trappings such as limited stamina for adventuring, or the premium-monster Rare Egg Machine is naturally exciting. Developers often make substantial changes in game design when making a free-to-play version of a popular game, often to the game’s detriment; features once seen as a given are now treated as pricey premiums. On the 3DS, P&D Z and P&D Mario represent quite the opposite: they remove some of the features of the free-to-play game, leaving experiences that, while still quite fun, don’t quite live up to the ever-changing and growing mobile version.

Puzzle & Dragons, for the unfamiliar, is an exceptionally clever mix of match-three puzzling, a collectible card game, and role-playing. You assemble a team of five monsters, complete with a “leader,” from the horde of dragons, demons, gods, and superhumans you’ve collected, and then venture into dungeons consisting of sets of enemy encounters. You engage in combat on a 6X5 puzzle board: match three orbs of a particular color, and your monsters of that color attack foes. Unlike in a lot of similar games, you can move a single orb around the whole board for a short time, using it to shift many other orbs and create multiple matches, and thus yield more attacks and attack boosts for your team. Enemies, naturally, hit back when their turns arrive, which is when you focus on matching the healing orbs on the board. With practice, you’re launching multiple combos and healing each turn with ease.

But perhaps the biggest issue, an unavoidable part of being a prepackaged product, is that the games are woefully static. There are no fun little surprises when you boot the game up, like daily giveaways, new monster and dungeon additions, and limited-time bonuses and areas like in the mobile game. While it’s easy to cynically see these mobile P&D features as a means to get more money from players as they spend it on extra stamina and Rare Egg Machine rolls, the fact of the matter is that they make the game teresting and exciting from one day to the next. When you’re done with P&D Z and Mario, when you’ve cleared all the current levels and collected every last type of Paragoomba and Cheep-Cheep, that’s all there is to it. But perhaps that’s intentional--have no doubt that developer GungHo hopes some players move on to the ever-evolving mobile game when they feel they’ve seen everything these two games have to offer.

That’s what I mean when I say that this game wasn’t made for me. It’s a watered-down stepping stone, intended to introduce players to Puzzle & Dragons with a familiar face and none of those intimidating in-app purchases. It’s clear, however, that P&D’s design was built on a free-to-play base, and taking those elements out actually makes the game feel less substantial as a result. (Yes, much as we loathe to admit it, it’s exciting to spend some premium-currency magic stones for a random rare monster from time to time, just as it’s fun to open a pack of trading cards or a blind-boxed figure.) While you can still have a good deal of fun with this two-in-one package, the mobile game is the better option. P&D Z and P&D Mario make nice little appetizers, but ultimately, it’s up to you whether you want to feast on the main course afterwards.

Added: 22.05.2015 21:16 | 6 views | 0 comments


Puzzle Dragons may sound like an odd duo, but this unique combination makes for one of the finest portable puzzle games to ever see release. Puzzles and handhelds are a perfect match, and Nintendo handhelds always seem to house the most iconic and addicting puzzle games. The Gameboy had Tetris, and now Puzzle Dragons Z + Puzzle Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition looks to be the 3DS equivalent. Whether you are a hardcore or casual puzzle fan, you wont want to pass on this.

Added: 22.05.2015 18:16 | 8 views | 0 comments


GI I'm the victim of a particularly nasty save bug in the Xbox One version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. My first encounter with it resulted in over two hours of progress disappearing into the ether. My second dance with it stole away another hour of questing. My third occurrence came when I had a nice chunk of free time to game this morning. Once I saw it was happening again, I decided to play Puzzles Dragons / Super Mario Edition instead.

Added: 22.05.2015 14:16 | 22 views | 0 comments


Neverwinter have revealed that Strongholds will be the newest expansion for Cryptics action MMORPG set in the Dungeons Dragons Forgotten Realms universe. This will be the games seventh expansion and comes to PC this summer so it is time to get excited.

Added: 21.05.2015 15:55 | 8 views | 0 comments

Swords Soldiers II, classic Mega Man, Puzzle Dragons and much more

Added: 20.05.2015 9:16 | 9 views | 0 comments


IGN: Because of its name, Ive seen people mistake Puzzle Dragons for a match-three game in the style of Candy Crush, but thats not totally accurate. Its an RPG with puzzle-based battle, and the original mobile version is known for its depth of gameplay and strategy. Puzzle Dragons Z + Puzzle Dragons Super Mario Bros Edition for 3DS bundles two games in one, and Z at first appears to be the definitive upgrade veterans are looking for but that is also inaccurate. The Mario Edition is actually the star, and it shines where Z falls flat.

Added: 19.05.2015 23:49 | 7 views | 0 comments


Mario is the shining star alongside the less successful Z.

Added: 19.05.2015 23:05 | 6 views | 0 comments


Puzzle Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition is the shining star alongside the less successful Z.

Added: 18.05.2015 10:16 | 12 views | 0 comments


DD: Legend of Grimrock was something of an indie revelation when it was released on the PC back in 2012. As an attempt to modernise the classic dungeon crawler, it retained the nostalgic rush that had people glued to their screens back when Might Magic, Wizardry, and SSI's Dungeons Dragons games were king. At the same time it offered a clean, modern interface and an art style that was gorgeous to look at.