Best Puzz Loop-Style Game

[Jorpho]

It seems there's been a fair number of shoot-the-colored-marbles-spiralling-around-your-marble-shooter style games. Luxor, Zuma, Puzz Loop (http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=&game_id=9165) (and its sequel), and Magnetica come to mind.

I actually wouldn't mind picking up Zuma if I ever see it for cheap. But is it superior to the others?

[roushimsx]

The main draw to Zuma is that you can use the mouse, which is pretty nice. Magnetica looks pretty good, but I'm not too sure about spending $35 on it. Maybe once it drops in price, I'll pick it up.

I'm a little anti-Zuma on the basis that, like most Popcap games, it blatantly rips off of the design of another game without any reference to it. Hell, it it weren't for MAME then I'm sure 99.9% of the people out there wouldn't know what Puzz Loop was to begin with. That said, you can get Zuma Deluxe from places like Best Buy and whatnot on the bargain rack for $10 :)

Honestly, I still play the first Puzz Loop more than its sequel or any of the clones.

[Gapporin]

If you're looking for something similar in vein (okay, it's not all that similar), you could give Cameltry aka On The Ball a go. It's at least got marbles and spinning stuff.

[ivotedforkodos]

I'm really happy with Magnetica, I picked it up used so I wasn't so hard to jusitify spending the $$ on it. A few different modes to keep things fresh and add replay value. However, I really greatly prefer the art design of Zuma, the whole giant frog thing is just so much cooler than a bunch of bland spacey-nothings.

[Cirrus]

There are two that I consider to be the best available right now. Atlantis Sky Patrol is a really fun one, which you can get a demo of at www.reflexive.com

Also, Luxor 2 is out, and it looks fantastic, and plays very well. Not sure if it's up on reflexive yet.

At least give Atlantis Sky Patrol a chance, as you earn money to buy upgrades and it has a neat retro-futuristic feel to it.

[cyberfluxor]

There's a game called Twinkle Star Sprites for the Neo Geo that's a side scroller shooter puzzle game. It's fun as hell but don't think it's what you're looking for.

[Jorpho]

There's a game called Twinkle Star Sprites for the Neo Geo that's a side scroller shooter puzzle game. It's fun as hell but don't think it's what you're looking for.

That's a vertical scroller, no? But I agree, I'd love to take a crack at that sometime.
http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/twinklestar/twinklestar.htm

[Keir]

Don't know if this helps you but on the Playstation there's Ballistic, which is a direct port of Puzz Loop.

[cyberfluxor]

That's a vertical scroller, no? But I agree, I'd love to take a crack at that sometime.
http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/twinklestar/twinklestar.htm

Yea, sorry. To me vertical is horizontal when it comes to programming because it's a simple flipping the monitor on the side and its orientation is altered, although the controls will be flipped 90 degrees. Same goes with just flip-flopping all X-axis variables with Y-axis and now the gameflow is rotated, although the aspect ratios would cause a CRT to shoot the laser out of range and that's just bad.

But yes, I saw that game earlier this year at a shoot-em-up pannel at Otakon and it was bad ass. It's a JPN Saturn title that's on my list of "to gets" one of these days.

[Jorpho]

I suppose you might have an easier time getting the recent PS2 version described in that link.