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Puzzle Link 2
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Main page Puzzle Link 2 (Japanese: つなげてポンッ！2 Hepburn: Tsunagete

Puzzle Link 2
Contents Pon! 2) is a 1999 Arcade-style puzzle video game for the Neo-Geo
Current events Pocket Color. Like 1998's Puzzle Link, to which it is the direct
Random article sequel, Puzzle Link 2 was developed by Yumekobo and published
About Wikipedia
by SNK.
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Donate Contents [hide]

Contribute 1 Gameplay
Help 1.1 Card Game
Learn to edit 1.2 Endless
Community portal 1.3 Card
Recent changes 2 Development
Upload file 3 Reception North American box art for Puzzle Link 2
4 References Developer(s) Yumekobo
Tools
What links here Publisher(s) SNK
Related changes
Special pages
Gameplay [edit]
Producer(s) Shuuji Takaoka
Designer(s) Kenji Nakajima
Permanent link Main article: Gameplay in Puzzle Link Kyuta
Page information Programmer(s) Amo (Elen)
Just like its predecessor, Puzzle Link 2 is a tile-matching game in
Cite this page
which the player must clear away blocks which occupy some of a Artist(s) Yumi Futagawa
Wikidata item
9x10 block grid.[2] New to the sequel, there are three tile skins that Tsuyoshi Sugitani
Masanobu Yamagata
Print/export the player can choose for the standard blocks (a default set styled
Raitaroh Huruki
Download as PDF like the symbols for the French suits in a deck of playing cards; the Kamekichi Kameda

Languages
set of shapes used for the blocks in the first game; and a set Fiy

Add links resembling small rounded creatures with eyes).[3] Composer(s) Paon Inc.
Takafumi Wada
Puzzle Link 2 once again features the Normal (now called 'Card
Platform(s) Neo-Geo Pocket Color
Game'), Clear (now called 'All Clear'), and Battle modes from the
Release JP: November 11, 1999[1]
original. Puzzle Link 2 also features two new modes: an Endless
EU: March 24, 2000[1]
mode and a Card mode.
NA: April 1, 2000[1]
Genre(s) Arcade, Puzzle
Card Game [edit]
Mode(s) Single-player, Multiplayer
While All Clear and Battle are functionally identical to their iterations
from the original, the Card Game (i.e. Normal mode) campaign is structured somewhat differently.[2]

Rather than a linear progression like in its predecessor, Puzzle Link 2's primary campaign features 50 rounds
evenly split among five levels, any of which the player can access immediately, and a further 10 rounds in a final
level that unlocks after beating the other five. This makes for a total of 60 rounds in Puzzle Link 2's entire
campaign, compared to 46 in Puzzle Link's campaign. Also unlike the original, Puzzle Link 2 features minor
thematic elements conveyed through short cutscenes—all centering around the protagonist (Ace) acquiring
collectible cards from other characters. Further differences from the campaign of Puzzle Link include the addition
of a gameplay tutorial and the removal of difficulty options.

The gameplay screen features two noticeable visual differences from the original. First, rather than the sidebar
character being the animal-like sidekick character Moomy as in the original, the sidebar sprite portrait now depicts
the protagonist Ace. And second, the timer, which determines whether or not a player unlocks an in-game
collectible card in a given round, has changed from a rounded hourglass into a horizontal bar with the letter 'c'
next to it.

There is also an alteration to the primary gameplay and controls: the player can now manually advance the
blocks down the screen in order to heighten the difficulty and pace of a level, and thereby increase the likelihood
that they will acquire a card.[2]

Endless [edit]
 Endless mode features a continuous stream of randomized blocks
with no level-ending 'c' blocks. This stream of play continues
indefinitely and periodically speeds up until the player fails.[3] The
player can choose to play this mode with two, three, or four block
types prior to beginning.

The sidebar of this mode features a charge meter for a power-up

that is only featured in Endless. Once fully charged, the power-up
allows the player to fire three shots which clear every visible block of
the type hit by the shot. [3]

Card [edit]
Three visual differences from the original
are visible here: the changed sidebar Puzzle Link 2 maintains the presence of in-game collectible cards
character, the changed card timer, and the from the first game, and adds this full mode built around using the
new card-suit-themed block skins. cards in a minigame of their own. This minigame can be played
against an AI opponent, or against another person. Playing against
another person requires an additional Neo-Geo Pocket Color, an additional copy of the game, and a link cable—
just like Battle mode.

The object of the minigame is to acquire six points, which are awarded based on a one-on-one competitive card
selection game similar in some respects to the card game War.[3]

First, the player antes up with one of their own collected cards, and the opposing entity bets a card of their own.
Next, the two participants choose a class of cards from which to draw and play a card (10, J, Q, K, or A). Some
classes are relatively weak but award high points upon winning a round (10 cards beat only A cards, but award
five points upon doing so), whereas others are relatively strong but award low points upon winning a round (A
cards beat K, Q, and J cards, but award only two points upon doing so). The choices are revealed and players
are awarded points based on whose card won. If both players select the same class, then the card with the higher
power statistic wins. Rounds continue until one player wins by being the first to accumulate six points in total. The
victor then gets to keep the card bet by their opponent at the outset.[3]

Development [edit]

By releasing in November 1999, Puzzle Link 2 released in Japan within the same calendar year as the Neo-Geo
Pocket Color version of Puzzle Link.[1][4]

Puzzle Link 2's North American release in April 2000 preceded the North American discontinuation of the Neo-
Geo Pocket Color by only two months.[2]

Reception [edit]

Puzzle Link 2 received favorable reviews upon release:

IGN gave the game a 9.0 out of 10, subtitled 'Amazing.'[3] IGN's Craig Harris wrote the review and—despite noting
its similarity to the original—concludes, "It's one of the NeoGeo's best puzzlers, and if you haven't picked up the
original I highly recommend Puzzle Link 2."[3]

Game Informer Magazine gave the game an 8 out of 10.[5]

References [edit]
a bc d
1. ^ "Puzzle Link 2 Release Data" . GameFAQs. CBS Interactive Inc. Archived from the original on
February 3, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
a bc d
2. ^ Podgorski, Daniel (February 15, 2017). "Integrated Game Goals: On Yumekobo's Puzzle Link 2, and the
Potential Simplicity of Good Game Design" . The Gemsbok. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017 .
Retrieved March 3, 2017.
a bc de fg
3. ^ Harris, Craig (April 26, 2000). "Puzzle Link 2" . IGN. Ziff Davis, LLC. Archived from the original on
March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
4. ^ "Puzzle Link Release Data" . GameFAQs. CBS Interactive Inc. Archived from the original on February 3,
2017. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
5. ^ "Critic Score | Game Informer Magazine" . MobyGames. Blue Flame Labs. April 2000. Archived from the
original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2017.

Categories: 1999 video games Puzzle video games Tile-matching video games
Neo Geo Pocket Color games Video games developed in Japan SNK games
This page was last edited on 15 April 2021, at 05:02 (UTC).

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