Panel de Pon

Panel de Pon
Developer	Intelligent Systems
Publisher	Nintendo
System	Super NES, Virtual Console (Wii, Wii U, New 3DS)
Release Date	Super NES JP October 27, 1995 Wii Virtual Console JP November 27, 2007 KO September 30, 2008 Wii U Virtual Console JP May 29, 2013 3DS Virtual Console JP August 9, 2016
Genre	Puzzle

Panel de Pon is a puzzle game that was released only in Japan. Despite its original release being confined to Japan, it has inspired a series of internationally-released games that retain the same gameplay while featuring different characters and stories. That is because the original game featured a cast of fairies, which Nintendo of America feared might alienate male players in America.

Story

The evil Sanatos has cast a spell on the fairies to turn them against each other. Only the Fairy of Flowers, Lip, is not affected by this curse due to her magic stick. She then embarks on a quest to save her friends by defeating them.

Gameplay

This puzzle game involves rows of block that rise from the bottom of the screen rather then falling from the top. The player must arrange the rows so that similar blocks are matched and eliminated. If the blocks reach the top of the screen, the game is over.

There are a variety of modes which show different variations of the above gameplay scheme. In Story Mode, the player controls Lip in battling with computer-controlled opponents. In Endless Mode, blocks will continue coming in endlessly and the player's goal is to get as a high a score as possible before losing, while in Timed Mode the player must score as a high a score as possible within a two-minute time limit. Stage Clear also takes the player through a variety of stages to complete, and in Puzzle Mode the player must clear blocks in a set amount of moves. The game provides for two-player play.

Legacy

There are a large amount of games using Panel de Pon's gameplay and game modes, with the main difference being the characters from different franchises being featured in it.

Ports and Remakes

• The first copy of Panel de Pon was Tetris Attack (known as Yoshi no Panepon in Japan), which was released for the Super NES and Game Boy in 1996. This version featured characters and settings from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.
• Several years later, two games were made featuring characters from the Pokémon games. The first was Pokémon Puzzle League for the Nintendo 64, which featured characters from the Pokémon anime and several new features. The second was Pokémon Puzzle Challenge, released subsequently for the Game Boy Color. The latter game's modes were a closer match to Panel de Pon.
• In 2003, Panel de Pon was included as part of the Nintendo Puzzle Collection, which was only released in Japan. This version featured new characters, as well as updated graphics and sounds, a 4-player mode and the 3-D Mode that originally appeared in Pokémon Puzzle League. It could be considered a Panel de Pon version of the Pokémon Puzzle League, which had not been released in Japan.
• In 2005, a version was released packed with a port of Dr. Mario called Dr. Mario & Puzzle League for the Game Boy Advance. The Puzzle League version was a plain version that did not feature any characters.
• In 2007, an updated version called Planet Puzzle League was released for the Nintendo DS. This version featured various changes that mostly utilized the DS's touch screen and Wi-Fi capabilities.
• The original Panel de Pon was released for the Japanese Wii Virtual Console in 2007, Wii U Virtual Console in 2013 and the 3DS Virtual Console (for New 3DS only) in 2016.
• A version of Panel de Pon referred to as "Animal Crossing Puzzle League" was included as a minigame in the Welcome amiibo version of Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Earning points in the game could also unlock clothing and accessories related to Lip.
• In 2017, Panel de Pon was among the games included in the Japanese version of the Super NES Classic Edition.
• In May 2020, Panel de Pon it was added to the library of Super NES games that were made available to play on the Nintendo Switch for anyone subscribed to the Nintendo Switch Online service. This version included two player and online options. This marked the first time that the original Panel de Pon was made available outside of Japan, although the Japanese within the game was not translated.

References/Homages

The game has also received reference throughout the Super Smash Bros. series, where an item called Lip's Stick has appeared as an item since Super Smash Bros. Melee, and music from the game has also appeared in later games of the series, as well as one of Kirby's Rock transformations being a garbage block from the game. There were also stickers of the Nintendo Puzzle Collection versions of the Panel de Pon cast in Brawl. Ultimate also referenced Lip in the form of a Mii Swordfighter costume, an online avatar and a Spirit.