Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition

I’ve been a fan of the original Puzzle & Dragons since it came out, and I think it’s finally met its match. The stories in Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition (whew!) are a bit hokey, but both games are so strong overall that I may be able to finally clean out some space on my iPad.

What I have to emphasise here is that the base puzzle game of Puzzle & Dragons is so, so addictive. Backed with a simple, pleasant aesthetic and speedy mechanics that mobile games specialise in, it's easy to watch the hours fly by without really realising you've been playing for so long.

Trying to merge an RPG with a puzzle game might seem a complicated task but Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition handles that perfectly. With an immense amount of content, a very long lifespan and its easy-to-learn mechanics, this is set to become a landmark in how to join two different genres, as well as how to bring the elements of two series together.

GungHo Entertainment knew perfectly well how to make a match-three that was different from its predecessors, it added depth by using RPG elements and took advantage from tactile technology that, obviously, adapted greatly in the Nintendo 3DS.

This is the most creative match-3 game since the good old PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords. As usual you are depending on luck a little too much, but nonetheless the tactical possibilities when it comes to matching your orbs are huge. Plus: Gong Ho managed to replace the micro transactions from the phone version with well suited mechanics.

The best way to spend your 30-minute train commute to work. [Issue #15; May/June 2015, p.70]

It’s a nice addition to the 3DS library, a game for a wide audience that might help some people to discover Puzzle Dragons and some others to discover Super Mario.

On the surface of it , Puzzle & Dragons Z and the Super Mario Bros. edition of the game are mindless match 3 puzzle games -but that casual, family-friendly aesthetic belies a pair of deep and complex strategy RPGs.

This "two in one" is the ultimate answer for those seeking quality puzzle games on Nintendo 3DS. You will be engaged with the different styles and possibilities of both.

All together, especially if you already know you enjoy Puzzle & Dragons, I think this is a package worth checking out.

Gung Ho has done a truly admirable job introducing Puzzle & Dragons to non-mobile players. I actually went and downloaded the original after playing these two games just to get an even broader understanding of the series, and I can honestly say that Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition perfectly replicate and evolve the core concept into something bigger and better.

This is the best version of the popular puzzle-rpg that we have seen. ​The Mario-version feels a bit like an easy choice, but again it offers easy to play, deep gameplay that is solid as a rock. Without microtransactions but including a new storyline plus a lot of Mario, this is the ideal way of getting to know the Puzzle & Dragons-phenomenon. ​

Persistent fun and an abundance of content.

Easy to learn, hard to master, incredibly addictive, and most importantly, mocrotransactions-free: this is, in a nutshell, Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition for 3DS. A unique blend of puzzle and RPG that will keep you busy for at least thirty hours.

This game is ideal for 3DS. The two games in this bundle are different enough to make them both fun to play. The gameplay is just as strong as it was on mobile phones, so we can forgive the game for being so awfully difficult at some moments.

The elaborately designed monsters are often gorgeous to behold and have great pop-up book style animations.

While the stories may not set the world on fire, the compelling gameplay is very accessible but tough to master.

A fantastic package, containing two meaty match-3 RPGs and hours of quality content without a single microtransaction. Accessible, deep and involving, it's great for killing a few minutes or an entire evening at a time.

While Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition might seem like another tile-based puzzle game that doesn’t go beyond what’s on the surface, it’s far deeper than what you would expect. It has RPG elements and a bevy of options to engage and motivate the addiction it creates.

While the games won’t be everyone’s cup of tea – not to mention that the dialogue and characters in Puzzle & Dragons Z are mind-numbingly boring – the discounted combo pack that features both of these titles is certainly worth checking out.

Paying a reasonable price for dozens and dozens of hours of satisfying and balanced puzzle play – and no temptation to spend more on in-app purchases – seems like a no-brainer to me.

Puzzle and Dragons Super Mario Edition offers more immediate gameplay, while Puzzle and Dragons Z adds a storyline and RPG elements. Ultimately, both offer puzzle action that's addictive, fun and surprisingly deep.

Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition is a great way to get to know the Puzzle & Dragons gameplay, and gives the 3DS another great game to play on the go.

Puzzle and Dragons Z is worth the price of admission alone, making this a more than worthy addition to any puzzle fan's 3DS library.

If you enjoy Pokémon mechanics and Match 3 puzzles, this pack is a very recommendable option for you.

Fun and addictive, Puzzle Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition moves the saga successfully on 3DS. The unique blend of puzzle game and RPG will fascinate lovers of both genres. The exorbitant amount of collectible will keep them busy for a long time.

This pack with two great games brings to the West the powerful and successful Puzzle & Dragons series. There aren't microtransactions. You'll find a deep and addictive gameplay with Super Mario or with the lovely dragons. Good fuel for Nintendo 3DS these months.

The transition from mobile isn't wholly successful, but the puzzling itself is near-perfect. [July 2015, p.70]

There’s plenty of content in both, and I’ll be back for more Mario, at least.

Two complementary products that work great together.

Surprisingly addictive.

The game might sound like little more than a gimmick complicate a simple n’ successful puzzle formula, but it’s surprising how well the battle system works on it’s own terms.

Whether its channeling your Khaleesi or rescuing Princess Peach from danger, Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition keeps the adventure fresh and exciting, and even if I'm easily resurrected from death a thousand times over, I'm more than happy to spend a little more time in the Mushroom Kingdom.

While the Mario version is inferior, it’s still a nice bonus game to have with you on the go.

Remedial as it may be, it has some challenging spots, and it's still worth playing if you dig puzzle games.

If you like the puzzle genre, the double package of Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition are worth buying.

Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition is a nice but ultimately forgettable puzzle game, with strong but derivative mechanics and an unsatisfying exploitation of the Mario Bros brand.

An interesting combination of mechanics makes for a compelling and highly enjoyable game but, if it’s available in your region, you’d be better off with the mobile original.

It is one of the most addictive and deepest "match-3" experiences out there with tons of content and easy to learn mechanics, but after a few hours the gameplay becomes monotonous.

Although Puzzle & Dragons veterans will likely find little to keep their interest over the mobile game, it's a superb standalone puzzle title for the wider audience, and will likely be the gateway to the mobile version for many.

It’s a watered-down stepping stone, intended to introduce players to Puzzle & Dragons with a familiar face and none of those intimidating in-app purchases. It’s clear, however, that P&D’s design was built on a free-to-play base, and taking those elements out actually makes the game feel less substantial as a result.

In the end, Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition is, in itself, a bit of a puzzle. It’s definitely interesting and a great shake-up of the Puzzle Quest formula, but you’ll spend as much or more time not playing a match-three puzzle as you will playing it, if that makes sense—especially if you’re playing Puzzle & Dragons Z.

As a two-in-one package, Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzles & Dragons Super Mario Bros. has the addictive gameplay and lasting value to be a worthy purchase for a puzzle fan on the go.

If you can justify the entry fee, this Puzzle & Dragons two-pack offers a solid hybrid of enjoyable puzzle mechanics and RPG-lite monster collecting.

Match Three with an element of strategy simply isn't done any better, but this one is having a hard time shaking its free-to-play roots.

The Super Mario mode isn't as enjoyable as the main game; it's a nice change of scenery if you become bored with overgrown lizards parading in front of you, but it's best to stick with Puzzle & Dragons Z for the most part.

Enjoyable and frustrating in equal measure, Puzzle and Dragons Z + Mario Edition is decent enough if you can grit your teeth and bear it.

It feels like neither game really shines as intended.

Puzzle and Dragons Z is an interesting puzzle game with a touch of roleplaying and strategy. It's equally challenging as it is repetitive since it lacks any of the limits from the mobile game. With two games in one it's still good value and a welcome addition to the puzzle game library on the format.

Playing Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition feels alternately amusing and off-putting, overly easy and wildly unfair, instantly understandable and bloated with secondary systems.

The lone shortcoming to the entire package is a lack of difficulty.

Bundled with a story and a special version adapted to the Mushroom Kingdom's universe, Puzzle & Dragons was meant to extend its success on the 3DS. But its main evolution is the change of economic model, the removal of micropayment revealing somehow paradoxically the true nature of PAD: a slot machine disguised as a puzzle game mixed with RPG. Although manipulating orbs and collecting monsters are still captivating activities, the artificial, if not arbitrary aspect of the gameplay empties Puzzle & Dragons Z of a real interest.

It provides a bit of fan fare and not much else. [Issue#162, p.103]

A whole lot better on phones than it is on 3DS. [July 2015, p.115]

The result is two lackluster RPGs slapped together with a basic matching game, minus all the gotta-catch-'em-all glee of obtaining new, fancier things.

An interesting tale. On one hand, it's an alright match three puzzle game with nice presentation facets; while, on the other, it's full of borrowed mechanics and features unfair difficulty spikes that occur far too early on.

Puzzle & Dragons is one of the better free-to-play mobile games, but while removing microtransactions may make it more fair it also makes it less interesting.