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Letter from the Editor…
The puzzle genre is an overlooked hero on video game machines. When a new console or handheld is announced, most folks don’t immediately wonder what great puzzle game they’ll get on it. Instead, people’s anticipation leans towards the thrill of shooters and sports titles, the adrenaline of racers and fighters, and the grandness of RPGs. The afterthoughts are puzzle games, the more abstract experiences that occupy our time between the hours of games within the other aforementioned genres. Perhaps it’s that abstract nature that makes puzzles more difficult to latch on to. If you were to draft a basic blueprint for an RPG or first person shooter, you probably wouldn’t need much time. To do the same for a puzzle game– one that’s not a Tetris knockoff, mind you– would likely not be so easy.
Yet when a good puzzle game comes along, oh, how we love them. When executed properly, they can be the most quickly addictive type of video game there is, tapping into our brains like no other genre, and then filling our thoughts and sometimes dreams when we’re not playing them. For all the compulsive hours we’ve given to them, we felt focusing on puzzle games would be rather engrossing this week. We’ll do our best to talk about Tetris with as little excess as possible, but there’s no denying that franchise has to get its due this week.
Enjoy,
Noah
Issue 6: Nintendojo Puzzle League
Round Table: Personal Best Puzzlers by Nintendojo Staff
Learn what puzzle games the Nintendojo staff are best at.
Puzzles R 4 LAMRS!!! by Nester64x
Our resident fanboy has a bone to pick with all you people thinking that puzzles are all that.
Flowchart: What Kind of Puzzle Game am I? by Matthew Tidman & M. Noah Ward
Face it. You know that some of your friends are just Tetris Clones. Here’s how you can show them.
A Meteoric Oversight by Matthew Tidman
Meteos was announced early for DS, and stands as one of the best puzzlers that no one played.
Puzzle Me This: Nintendo Classics as Puzzlers by Andy Hoover
We’ve seen franchises like Mario and Pokémon pop up in the puzzle genre, but there’s definitely room for more.
Life Without Tetris (On Sega Genesis) by James Stank
Genesis owners in America couldn’t play Tetris, so what puzzle games did they have to choose from?
Generations of Puzzles: The Best of the Bunch by Aaron Roberts
Which puzzle game was the absolute best on each Nintendo platform? Aaron takes us through time to let us know.
Puzzles That Time Forgot, Part 1 by M. Noah Ward
There are so many great puzzle games that have come out that aren’t Tetris, but have been lost to the passing of time. Here’s some of our favorites.
Hot Air: Puzzled by Aaron Roberts
Aaron explains what defines a “puzzle game” for him in his weekly column.
What the Hell Is a Panel de Pon?! by Matthew Tidman
Tidman tells us about the origins of one of our favorite, repeatedly reskinned puzzle games of the ’90s.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis by Francisco Naranjo
After another sequel was confirmed at E3 2010, we figured it high time to review one of DS’s classic puzzlers this week.
Puzzles That Time Forgot, Part 2 by Matthew Tidman
While we can’t feature every favorite puzzle game this week, Tidman continues our forgotten puzzle features with some other highlights.
Round Table: The Authoritative Tetris by Robert Thompson
Since the black and white Game Boy, there have been many versions of Tetris for Nintendo gamers to try. The staff debates which one is the all-time best.
The Adventures of Lolo Review by Francisco Naranjo
Francisco goes even further back in time with this NES puzzler that you may have never heard of.
Logical Evolution: Puzzles of the Next Generation by M. Noah Ward
In the last couple console generations, what defines a puzzle game has transformed. Sure, we still get a new Tetris every few years, but there’s a whole crop of puzzlers that are taking the genre in new directions.
Additional features in this issue…
Monday
- Transformers: Cybertron Adventures Wii Review by Josh Johnston
- Nightly News Roundup by Abhinay Sawant
Tuesday
- Poll: What’s Your Favorite Kind of Puzzler? by M. Noah Ward
- Nightly News Roundup by James Labalokie
Wednesday
- Dojo-Show-Go! Episode 99 by M. Noah Ward
- Nightly News Roundup by Francisco Naranjo
- Video: NHL Slapshot First Look by Evan Campbell
Thursday
- Nightly News Roundup by Andy Hoover
Friday
- Nightly News Roundup: Video Edition by M. Noah Ward
Coming Up Next Week…
Issue 7: Saturday Morning Warp Zone
Are you old enough to remember the horror and humor of the video game cartoon explosion of the early ’90s? If not, how about some of the more recent gems? We spend next week looking at the clash of cartoons and video game consumerism.
