While Pokémon usually means lightweight roleplaying, it does venture into the puzzler genre from time to time. Unlike Pokémon Puzzle League and Pokémon Puzzle Challenge, Trozei! takes the Columns/Bejeweled game play mechanic and throws a wrench into the equation.
Trozei! simply would not be as fun without the stylus. That is to say, I cannot imagine this title working on any other platform. Like many games before it, this is why the Nintendo DS is such a strong console.
At its core, Trozei! uses a playfield with tiles spread across both the touch screen and the upper screen of the DS. Using your stylus, you can move the Pokémon icons up, down, left, and right. Movement in the upward direction is limited to only one tile. Moving the icons in any other direction wraps the icons to the other side of the playfield, or drops them (again) from the top, if you were to move a column of icons down. This fluid movement of icons, and the addition of moving an icon up to make a combo, or Trozei, is what makes this puzzler unique.
You must align four or five of the same icon to clear it from the playfield. Once you do this, you have the opportunity to create a massive chain with a "Trozei Chance." This window of opportunity is only a couple of seconds, so you need to work fast to combo three in a row. If you were able to string three icons in a row, then you can combo two in a row. The ultimate goal is to "Trozei All" and clear every Pokémon icon from the playfield.
As you advance in level, the Trozei Chance windows shorten into almost nothing. This keeps the pace frantic and the tension high — two qualities that make this one addictive puzzle game.
Article comments
1 - Victor Plenty
Suggestion: search and replace Trozie with Trozei.
Other than that, you've got an informative review here, although it won't be enough to persuade me to buy a Pokémon title.
2 - Ken Edwards
Gah! I can't believe I did that. Thanks for the suggestion. Fixed.
Although not much surprises me on the DS anymore, this title does creep up on you.