Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition

Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition may be bringing up the rear in the title, but it’s a great place to start for new players or those looking for a slightly new take on the familiar gameplay. Players choose a leader such as Mario or Luigi (each of whom have individual strengths), and a variety of supporting characters drawn from a pool of the Super Mario franchise’s baddies. After that, you drop into a Super Mario Bros. 3-style overworld map and get to work.

The game follows the same orb-matching mechanic, which allows players to tap a colored orb on the playfield and drag it around for as long as time allows. Other orbs are displaced according to the selected orb’s path, which is one of the reasons I like it so much. Instead of feeling as though I’m at the mercy of some random number generator, there’s opportunity to become more skilled over time.

To attack, you match orbs that correspond to the characters on your team. Line up larger combos, and all of them attack at once, unleashing a screen-filling fire attack for all of them. In addition to whittling down your health pool, these attacks can also affect gameplay. Dry Bones can temporarily blacken spaces on the playfield, forcing you to rely on memory to make your combos. A boss I battled frosted up the screen, obscuring it and making it difficult to proceed. Once bosses are defeated, you earn rewards including new allies and crafting components.

There are more than 80 characters to collect in the Super Mario Bros. game (and more than 250 in Puzzle & Dragons Z), and they can be upgraded by using those crafting items. You also level up your hero and gain additional attacks and powers. Dungeons are replayable, and some of them include multiple routes — selected by matching orbs of one color or the other.

The two games are excellent companions. After learning the basics with Mario, players can experience deeper monster-collecting action in Puzzle & Dragons Z. I’m planning on dividing my time between both. I learned to grow attached to my menagerie in P&D, but it’s hard to beat the chance of collecting and fighting beside some of Mario’s greatest foes.

Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition - two iconic games in one, puzzle games with RPG elements in the theme of Super Mario Bros.. Solve puzzles, complete missions and enjoy your favorite characters in a new environment. Attack by collecting three in a row and learn a familiar story in a new way. The collaboration you've been waiting for already in Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition.

Game Pros:

• Super Mario Bros. themes
• Fun puzzles that help in battles