Pokémon Puzzle League

Pokémon Puzzle League
Pokémon Puzzle League's North American boxart
Basic info
Platform:	Nintendo 64, Wii (Virtual Console)
Category:	Puzzle
Players:	1-2 simultaneously
Connectivity:	None
Developer:	Nintendo Software Technology Intelligent Systems
Publisher:	Nintendo
Part of:	Generation I spin off
Ratings
CERO:	N/A
ESRB:	E
ACB:	G
OFLC:	N/A
PEGI:	3
GRAC:	N/A
GSRR:	N/A
Release dates
Japan:	N/A
North America:	September 25, 2000 (N64) May 5, 2008 (Wii VC) July 15, 2022 (Nintendo Switch Online)
Australia:	2001 (N64) March 30, 2008 (Wii VC) July 15, 2022 (Nintendo Switch Online)
Europe:	March 2, 2001 (N64) May 30, 2008 (Wii VC) July 15, 2022 (Nintendo Switch Online)
South Korea:	N/A
Hong Kong:	N/A
Taiwan:	N/A
Websites
Japanese:	N/A
English:	Pokemon.com Official site (archive) Nintendo.co.uk Nintendo.com

Pokémon Puzzle League is a Pokémon-based version of the game Tetris Attack for the Nintendo 64. It has a Game Boy Color counterpart, Pokémon Puzzle Challenge.

It was originally released in North America on September 25, 2000, in Europe on March 2, 2001, and in Australia in 2001. It was later released for the Wii Virtual Console in North America on May 5, 2008, and in Europe and Australia on March 30, 2008 and was released on Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Switch Online application for Nintendo Switch worldwide on July 15, 2022.

It is the first Tetris Attack-style game to allow editing puzzles, and introduced a 3D mode of play. The game takes place in Puzzle Village. Within Puzzle Village, there are nine different places to go to.

The title "Puzzle League" would go on to be the official non-Japanese name for all future games in the Panel de Pon series, which, to prevent alienation of male gamers, removed the Japanese Panel de Pon's fairy motif.

Like Pokémon Yellow, it is based directly on the anime.

Story

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Ash and Pikachu are on vacation (presumably after having competed in the Orange League) when they are called on the phone by Professor Oak, who tells Ash that he has been selected as one of the challengers for the Official Puzzle League Tournament. Ash excitedly accepts the offer, ready for a new challenge, and heads off to Puzzle Village to compete.

To succeed in the tournament, Ash has to earn eight Badges from the Kanto region which allow him to proceed to the Elite Four and, eventually, the Puzzle Champion. He can do so by fighting the respective Kanto Gym Leaders in puzzle matches. Other characters, such as Tracey or Team Rocket, interrupt him on his way and also challenge him to a fight.

After earning seven Badges, Ash encounters Giovanni, who claims to be the Puzzle Champion. However, his old friend Ritchie informs him that Giovanni hasn't even seen the true Champion. Ash challenges Ritchie, who is the first of the Puzzle League's Elite Four, eventually beating the members and encounters the Puzzle Champion, who turns out to be none other than Gary, his rival and very first opponent.

In another puzzle match, he manages to beat Gary, replaces him as the Puzzle Champion and is rewarded with a trophy. While celebrating his victory, Ash and his Pokémon are suddenly teleported away. They are welcomed by Mewtwo, who reveals that he is the Puzzle Master, and he set up the Puzzle League to find a worthy foe and clones Ash's Pokémon. They challenge him to a last fight, from which Ash emerges victorious once again. However, upon his victory, Ash is transported back to where he started his adventure.

It seems as though all of it was a dream, but Ash soon discovers a trophy given to him by Mewtwo beside him.

Blurb

Master a new challenge!

Discover the most frantic, frenzied, fun-filled Pokémon challenge ever - Pokémon Puzzle League! Line up three or more blocks of the same type to clear them off the screen. Create chains and combos to send garbage to your opponent. Collect badges from other Pokémon trainers to earn the right to enter the ultimate competition... a battle against the mysterious Puzzle Master!

• A puzzle game with a Pokémon theme! Ash and Pikachu are off to the Pokémon Puzzle League Tournament to defeat the mysterious Puzzle Master.
• Six different modes in 2-D or 3-D! Train at Professor Oak's Lab or Mimic Mansion, then challenge a friend or the computer in the Main Stadium. Build endurance in the Marathon Field. Solve puzzles at the Puzzle University, race against the clock in the Time Zone, and battle Team Rocket at the Spa.
• Defeat all 15 Pokémon trainers! Win all their badges to become the Pokémon Puzzle Master!

Play modes

Team Rocket in the Spa Service

• Prof. Oak's Labs - Professor Oak will give the player a tutorial here.
• 1p Stadium - The arena for the game's main "story" mode. This is where Ash battles the Gym Leaders for the title of Puzzle Champion.
  • The player cannot complete the entirety of the story initially. More and more of it is revealed in the later difficulties as more and more stages are added.
    • Easy: Giovanni is the final opponent.
    • Normal: Bruno of the Elite Four is the final opponent.
    • Hard: Gary is the final opponent.
    • Very Hard and Super Hard: Mewtwo is the final opponent.
• 2p Stadium - The arena for multiplayer battles.
• Mimic Mansion - A practice arena hosted by Tracey.
• Time Zone - Here, the player has to clear the board within a limited time.
• Spa Service - This "spa" is actually run by Team Rocket, and they will challenge Ash to a line clear game to get his Squirtle and Bulbasaur back.
• Marathon - An endless game. The object is to score as high as possible before the screen fills completely with blocks.
• Puzzle University - A training arena hosted by Ritchie. The object is to clear all the blocks on the screen in a set number of moves. After clearing the first class, the player can play the second class and third class hosted by Lorelei and Brock, respectively.

Playable characters

The playable characters

• Ash Ketchum (2.B.A. Master)
  • Pikachu
  • Squirtle
  • Bulbasaur
• Gary Oak (Pokémon World)
  • Krabby
  • Growlithe
  • Nidoran♀
• Brock (Viridian City)
  • Vulpix
  • Geodude
  • Zubat
• Misty (Catch Me if You Can)
  • Horsea
  • Psyduck
  • Staryu
• Lt. Surge
  • Jolteon
  • Raichu
  • Magneton
• Erika (What Kind of Pokémon Are You?)
  • Tangela
  • Weepinbell
  • Gloom
• Koga
  • Venomoth
  • Voltorb
  • Golbat
• Sabrina (Everything Changes)
  • Abra
  • Hypno
  • Alakazam
• Blaine (My Best Friends)
  • Arcanine
  • Charmeleon
  • Magmar
• Tracey Sketchit
  • Marill
  • Venonat
  • Scyther
• Team Rocket: Jessie, James, and Meowth (Double Trouble)
  • Weezing
  • Arbok
  • Golbat

Unlockable characters

Title screen

• Giovanni
  • Sandslash
  • Persian
  • Nidoking
• Ritchie (Together Forever)
  • Sparky
  • Zippo (as a Charmander)
  • Happy
• Lorelei (Pokémon (Dance Mix))
  • Cloyster
  • Dewgong
  • Poliwhirl
• Bruno
  • Onix
  • Hitmonchan
  • Primeape
• Mewtwo (temporarily unlockable in VS. mode by entering a code; Player 1 will be forced to play as Ash)
  • Pikachutwo
  • Squirtle (clone)
  • Bulbasaur (clone)

Unplayable characters

• Gary Oak (Boss)
  • Kingler
  • Arcanine
  • Nidoqueen
• Cassidy and Butch
  • Drowzee

Badges and Trophies

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: The trophy after beating Mewtwo

In addition to Badges, the player can also earn three Elite Medals and two trophies for defeating Elite Four members and Mewtwo.

Boulder Badge	Cascade Badge	Thunder Badge	Rainbow Badge
Soul Badge	Marsh Badge	Volcano Badge	Earth Badge
Ritchie Elite Medal	Lorelei Elite Medal	Bruno Elite Medal	Gary Champion Trophy

Localization changes

• The hidden developer love message depends on if the game is the Japanese or international version.

Staff

Main article: Staff of Pokémon Puzzle League

Trivia

• The majority of the soundtrack comprises rearranged midi instrumentals of tracks from Pokémon 2.B.A. Master, with additional instrumentals from the anime and Mewtwo Strikes Back.
• Lorelei is referred to by her correct name in this game, despite being called Prima in the anime.
• In this game, Jessie and James are seen with a Golbat, a Pokémon they have never owned in the anime.
• Similar to the above instance, Gary Oak owns a Kingler, which he has never owned in the anime. However, he did own its pre-evolved form Krabby. Similarly, he also owns a Nidoran♀ in this game, while in the anime, he instead owns its evolved form, Nidoqueen.
• Several members of the Puzzle League are shown to own Pokémon which they do not own in the anime, despite the game being based on it:
  • Lt. Surge owns a Jolteon and a Magneton.
  • Sabrina owns a Hypno and an Alakazam.
  • Blaine owns a Arcanine and a Charmeleon.
  • Giovanni owns a Nidoking and a Sandslash.
  • Lorelei owns a Poliwhirl.
• This is the first game in which Pokémon from Generation II (Marill and Togepi) appear outside of Japan.
• It is possible, while playing, to encounter a glitch in which puzzle blocks will keep appearing forever and it is impossible for any player to make any block combinations or lose.
• Getting a high enough chain combo will result in a question mark displayed as the number of chains the player has performed. Changing the options in the Pokémon Center can make the display change to the word "Special" instead.
• The internal files for this game contain two unused voice lines. They are Japanese and English audio files of unknown developers declaring their love to their significant others.
• This game originally began development as "Panel de Pon 64", a sequel to the original "Panel de Pon", but this version went unreleased and was instead re-skinned with a Pokémon theme. However, Panel de Pon 64 would later be completed and released on Nintendo GameCube as part of Nintendo Puzzle Collection.

See also

• Appendix:Pokémon Puzzle League walkthrough

References

Spin-off Pokémon series Pikachu series: Hey You, Pikachu! • Channel • Dash TCG: Game Boy TCG series: Trading Card Game • Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR! Play It! series: Play It! • Play It! Version 2 TCG Client series: Card Game Online • Trading Card Game Online • Trading Card Game Live Misc. TCG: Card Game Entry Battle • Say Tap? • Card Game: How to Play DS Card Game Gacha • TCG Card Dex • Digital Raid Battle Assistant Trading Card Game Pocket Super Smash Bros. series: Super Smash Bros. • Melee • Brawl • for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U • Ultimate Snap series: Snap • New Pokémon Snap Picross: Picross NP Vol. 1 • Picross (GBC) (canceled) • Picross (3DS) Pinball series: Pinball • Pinball mini • Pinball: RS Puzzle series: Puzzle League • Puzzle Challenge Trozei series: Trozei! • Battle Trozei Mystery Dungeon series: Red Rescue Team & Blue Rescue Team Explorers of Time & Explorers of Darkness • Explorers of Sky Blazing, Stormy & Light Adventure Squad Gates to Infinity • Super Mystery Dungeon • Rescue Team DX Ranger series: Ranger • Shadows of Almia • Guardian Signs Puck series: Battrio • Tretta (Tretta Lab) • Ga-Olé • Mezastar • Frienda Rumble series: Rumble • Rumble Blast • Rumble U • Rumble World • Rumble Rush PokéPark series: PokéPark Wii • PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond Detective Pikachu series: Detective Pikachu • Detective Pikachu Returns Playground: Pokémon Detective Pikachu Pokémon game templates Core series • Side series • Spin-off series • Pokémon mini • Individual spin-offs • Betas • Demos

This article is part of Project Sidegames, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Sidegames.