Game:

Monster Slider (1997)

Duration: 8:28

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A one or two player puzzle game by Datt Japan and Visco Corporation in 1997. The game was also modified and released later for the Sega Saturn (with higher quality audio and better character animations, though it's less colorful and quirky). It is essentially a rather good drop-style puzzle game with a slight variation to the typical rules associated with these games.

In the game's main story mode, three hero characters travel around the world to defeat various monsters and save the day. After every few opponents, characters exchange dialogues with certain characters and change the stage themes for later levels. The game's other mode is a simple versus mode with adjustable speed settings and the option to choose one of the games many characters (fifteen in all). The thing that makes this title stand out is that instead of giving characters the same pool of special abilities or making their abilities have purely cosmetic differences, each character instead has one unique ability (with the exception of Kirian, who mirrors whatever skill the opposing player has, which is sorta unique) that is activated with star jewels, which grow in power depending on how many are on your field and alter the difficulty depending on who you use.

Another thing that makes this title stand out is the ability to "slide" objects around (how did you think the title got its name?). There are various grooves in on the field and objects will either slide to the left or right depending on which direction your landscape declines. Besides rotating objects and setting up chains the traditional way (matching three or more of a like-color), you can slide objects around to form even more complex combos and drop more junk on your enemy, which is actually a rather neat concept that is easy to learn but hard to master. Getting good at the game is tough as the A.I. doesn't pull too many punches (the console port starts considerably easier), though opponents can be defeated by either reaching the top of the screen or losing all their health (when their candle burns out, affected by combos, turns, and some attacks).

The graphics are good and the music is catchy, though it is rather low by default (I boosted the audio many times to make it louder), and the Saturn game is worth tracking down as well since it is so obscure and at a low price point. This is a video showing some of the game in action. Enjoy.