Flipull (1990)

Image shamelessly stolen from GameFAQs.
Nothing says 1990 like ransom note style text, bright colors, and

a pun on the word "tubular". Michaelangelo, the Teenage Mutant

Ninja Turtle, would be so proud, and would totally play this game,

if he had small enough "fingers" to hold a Game Boy.

While I have tried to, thus far in the Game Boy Guru project, show a balanced set of games, with carts spanning multiple genres, for those unaware, something needs to be put on the table right now.  The Game Boy has a LOT of puzzle games.  We got quite a few in the US, though there are even more in Japan.  Jeremy Parish, who does the excellent Game Boy World series, has lamented the glut of puzzle games on the Game Boy throughout several of his YouTube videos, because you can only have so many puzzle games to play before the novelty wears off.  The overwhelming barrage of puzzlers makes sense, however, given the original hardware's limitations, what with its decidedly underpowered CPU, its small dot-matrix screen, and tendency to blur horribly when playing anything with fast action.  The real trick for developers was to come up with a unique way of implementing puzzle solving that was just different enough to warrant folks spending their hard-earned cash to buy yet another game in the genre.  Thankfully, Flipull has two advantages: being early enough in the system's life to beat the glut, and setting itself apart enough to matter, even after the flood of "me too" puzzle games.

I'm still not clear what "AN EXCITING CUBE GAME" means, Taito.

Flipull is not an original Game Boy title, but rather, a conversion of an arcade game by the moniker Plotting.  It saw a Famicom and Game Boy release in Japan, though curiously, only hit the Game Boy in the US.  I confirmed with noted UK Game Boy expert Matt, the Game Boyle, that Flipull did not, insofar as he's aware, receive a European release.  The rather exhaustive game database at RF Generation also shows in a cursory search for Flipull that only 3 versions of the game exist by that name, the Japanese and US Game Boy versions, and the Japanese Famicom version.  Though the game was released in the arcade as Plotting, and apparently ported to a number of European micro-computers during the 1980's, most notably the ZX Spectrum and Commodore Amiga, curiously none of those versions appear to exist in the database.

So I'm a tiny blob throwing blocks at other blocks, and then after I bit

a block, another block comes flying back at me. It's all fun and games

until someone loses an eye.

I've been unable to find a scan of the game's manual online anywhere, and despite the fact that the US Flipull cart is quite common, I've not stumbled across the manual in the wild as of yet.  As such, the only documentation I was able to find on the Game Boy version was a relatively small FAQ over at GameFAQs, and that barely covers how to play the game.  I also found a PDF scan of the US arcade version manual, which gives a brief overview of how to play the game, as well as noting that there are (in the arcade original, anyway), 60 stages.  I have been unable to confirm that in the Game Boy version thus far, because it's a difficult game, and I've not been able to complete it.  Even so, it's a hard enough game that I suspect even the most skilled puzzle gamers may find some real challenge.

How is it that the incoming block only lands on top of you when you

have no moves left? Or is it just beside you, and you, as the blob,

are just beside yourself with shame in knowing you failed your task?

The basic premise is as follows: you are a blob creature, and you are given a block with the letter "S" on it.  When you throw that block at any other block, you clear it (and any blocks just like it directly connected to the target block in the same trajectory), and whatever block it hits next, gets "flipped" back to you, and that becomes the next block you throw.  There are 4 basic block types: a block with an "X" in the middle, a block with a smaller square in the center, a dark block with a white diamond, and a block with an upside down "T" that looks a bit like the t-shaped tetrad from Tetris.  If my first statement about clearing blocks didn't make sense, let me set the stage.  If you have an "X" block that you're throwing at another "X" block, and there's an upside down "T" block behind it, you'll clear one "X" block, replace the upside down "T" block with the "X" block you threw, and the "T" block will be thrown back at you.  If there are more than 1 of the "X" block in line (vertically or horizontally) with the "X" block you're aiming at, and they line up with the direction you've thrown the "X" block, all those blocks will clear, save for the one you just threw, and whatever the next non "X" block is, that's what will be thrown back to you.  If the block you just received has a corresponding block you can throw at, the process repeats.  If not, you "MISS" and lose a life, denoted by the "S" block at the bottom right of the screen.  Your blob can only move up or down on the playing field, so in order to throw blocks to places you could only target vertically, you have to throw against part of the stationary wall blocks, and a handy-dandy arrow will show you which column you're aiming for.  Clear as mud?

"Ooh, a swing and a miss for the rookie! Tough break, kid!"

In practice, it's actually more intuitive than my overly verbose description might make you think, and once you start playing, it's something you pick up on rather quickly.  Toward the top-right corner of the screen, you see "CLEAR" and a number below it - that number is the maximum number of blocks that need to be left on the screen to clear a level.  "TIME" is, of course, the amount of time you have left to play a stage, and "BLOCK" shows how many blocks are actually left in a level.  Once you reach the max number of blocks in a level, the stage doesn't automatically end, however.  If there are still available moves and time, you can continue playing until you're out of moves.  This is advantageous, as you score additional bonus points for clearing more blocks than what you need to reach the "CLEAR" total.  As you advance a few levels, you begin to have obstacle "pipe" blocks in the stage that you can throw against to catch blocks 1 column closer to you, or if you throw against stationary wall blocks, you can often pass through the pipe block to reach whatever is below it.  As the game goes on, each stage will have more and more blocks, more obstacles, and less time to reach your goal, so you have to manage your time very effectively in order to complete a level.

That little blob jumps pretty high when clearing a level. I suppose

if I were just a blob, such things would excite me like that as well.

A couple other considerations: first, if you're targeting blocks vertically, and you clear the last one from the column you just threw the block at, rather than disappearing, the last block will be flipped back to you, so you have to be careful to not pull such a maneuver too early in the level, lest you waste "S" blocks.  Second, for each block you clear on a level beyond the "CLEAR" count, you earn 1,000 bonus points.  If the "CLEAR" count is 9, and you have 9 left on screen when there are no more moves, you get 1,000 bonus points, but for each block you eliminate below that total, you get an additional 1,000 points.  So if the "CLEAR" count is 9, but you finish the level with just 7 blocks left, that's 3,000 bonus points.  In addition, for every second left when you finish the level, you earn an extra 10 points, so between that and the block count, you can really rack up the score if you can think on your feet and act quickly, decisively, and most of all, correctly during each stage.  The other major consideration is that each level is randomly generated, which means no two experiences will be the same, at least not unless you play the game a lot.  So each time you go into Flipull, you have to be cognizant about the moves you're making and think critically.

As mentioned, you can rack up a lot of points simply by playing
each stage carefully to eliminate as many blocks as possible.

I don't have any information about how well this game sold, but I do remember seeing quite a few ads for it as a kid, and I remember it getting generally positive reviews.  I also remember being intrigued by it, but never remember seeing it in stores when I went to buy the occasional Game Boy game.  Either that, or I was already set on which game I wanted to buy, and had tunnel vision when I got to the store.  Despite that, it seems to be quite common, which is good, because it's a good game that, for puzzle enthusiasts, is worth a look.  I haven't played enough of them yet to know whether this would be considered a top-tier Game Boy puzzler, but I certainly had fun with it, and it has an addictive quality that makes me want to keep trying, even though it brings a relatively stiff challenge.  I paid $7 for my copy, which is close to the current (as of this writing) average price of a loose cart on eBay.  If you can score it for less, go for it.  If not, it's still a good game, and has enough content to keep you coming back, assuming you enjoy puzzles.  If so, give Flipull a try.  Hopefully, you'll be entertained as I was.  Casually recommended.

Nail 'n Scale (1990)

Image shamelessly linked from Game FAQs.

Flying lizards, giant bugs, robots, and dragons as

enemies? Count me in! Wait, what's with the nails?

,
The mid-late 1980's, and early 1990's were a magical time.  Forget Iran-Contra, forget Black Friday, forget the rampant materialism of the Baby Boomer generation, forget "yuppies", and forget the Gulf War.  During that period of time, we had Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Karate Kid, G.I. Joe and Transformers, Ghostbusters and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids!, and so much more.  And we had video games.  If you're reading this, you're likely either from my generation, and have fond memories of the 80's and early 90's, or you're experiencing them for the first time, something I often wish I could do, as I approach 40 years of age.  For those in the latter camp, I envy you.

So, the logo doesn't match the box art logo, but it still

makes it looks like the game will be more "bad" than

it actually turns out to be, with its extra wide drop-shadow.

One of the things any child of the 80's and early 90's can tell you is that, in the pre-internet age, we had to take a chance any time we bought a new video game, music album, or other medium that we couldn't preview ahead of time, like theatrical release movies.  With that, we often had to literally "judge a book by its cover", by interpreting the cover art for a new video game or album/CD we wanted, and try to make decisive purchases based on our reaction to an artist's rendering on the front cover.  Depending on your viewpoint, i.e. glass half empty or glass half full, it was either a total crap shoot, or an adventure that always had an element of "danger" to it.  Would your purchase be rewarded with an excellent experience that you would cherish for years to come?  Or, would your hopes be dashed, as you discovered that the artist, whose work adorned the front cover of the purchased item, let you down by painting something that didn't truly communicate what you were getting?

The game starts out pretty slow, with very minimal work

required to get to the exit door. It does a good job of

teaching you how to play by introducing elements slowly.

Nail 'n Scale, by then stalwart publisher Data East, sort of fell into that trap.  Based on the cover art on the box & cartridge, it looked like an intense journey through a unique world, where formidable enemies besieged you at every turn, you clung to life while hanging from nothing but a large nail, traversing vast expanses of blocks and platforms suspended in mid-air.  The artist gets it half right, but the menacing enemy designs, combined with the highly stylized, chrome logo akin to that of the era's heavy metal bands, promised a much more frenzied experience than what was delivered.  Having said that, it's not a bad game.  As a matter of fact, it's a fun little romp.

You'll quickly learn how to break blocks under your feet,

a vital skill in this game, especially in later levels.

Here's the setup: you're Spike, an unassuming guy, presumably a construction worker of some kind, who, for reasons unknown, is trying to scale walls in a building that is made up of all square blocks of different make-up, and in each room, your goal is to find the door to escape each room.  How you get dropped into each of these rooms is unclear, but you must escape.  After 9 stages of scaling walls, fighting or dodging enemies, and finding doors, you encounter a boss character, usually an over-sized animal of some sort, who always spits out some kind of projectile at you.  Once you discover their weak spot and hit them several times with your nails (or spikes), you defeat them and it's on to the next 9 levels of climbing action.  Your only weapon, which doubles as a tool to help you climb walls, is an endless supply of nails/spikes, which you can throw either to the left or right of you, straight up, or straight down.  You also have the ability to jump, including a unique mechanic where you can jump in mid-air, provided you have stepped off a platform.  This feature becomes a critical component in the game as you traverse through the various levels.

"Some like it hot and some sweat when the heat is on."

The impetus behind the name is the way you get from place to place in the game.  There are several types of blocks in the game, some of which you can toss your nails into and they'll stick.  If you throw a spike into a brick horizontally, you can then stand atop that brick.  If it's a plain "white" or "gray" brick, jumping on that nail twice will break and destroy that brick.  If it's one of 2 or 3 other varieties, the block won't break, and you can continue to stand or jump on that nail until it vanishes within a few seconds.  If you throw a nail downward, you can do the same thing, breaking a brick by jumping on top of the nail's head.  For large groupings of blocks that you need to break into, you can use a horizontal break to open a hole, then use a vertical throw to stick a nail into the corner of the next brick you want to break, then jump on top of it.  This has been dubbed "corner breaking" by those who have written FAQs on the game, and it's a technique you'll want to master, along with the mid-air jumping.  Some blocks cannot be pierced with spikes, so you'll need to be cognizant of those as well, knowing when you have to find an alternative path or way to scale the heights.  You have 3 power-up icons available to you, should you find and accumulate them through play.  The "white" nail will pierce bricks as normal, but breakable bricks will not be broken by standing on these nails.  Striped spikes are explosive, so once you throw one, get out of the way, because the blast radius is just a bit larger than what the explosion animation would lead you to believe.  And, for those who give up easily, there's a small door icon you can grab, and using that power-up will allow you to simply skip a level, effectively creating an exit door wherever you're standing.  Oh, and to keep things interesting, none of these powerups are available during boss fights.  As with most puzzle platformers, one hit and you die, fall into a fire pit and you die, etc.  Some enemies are impervious to your spikes as well, so they'll just need to be avoided.

At first blush, this looks like an insurmountable level.

Pause the game, look around, and learn quickly how

to corner break, and you'll figure it out soon enough.

Nail 'n Scale suffers from a few issues.  First and foremost, the game was released in 1990 as Dragon Tail by Japanese developer I'Max, and wasn't localized in the west until 1992.  By then, developers had really begun to eek a lot of impressive things from the Game Boy, so by the time this game hit our shores nearly a year and a half late, it had been eclipsed in the audio-visual department by nearly everything else out there at the same time.  The game is also somewhat unique, which works in its favor, and I felt it was relatively intuitive, but the concept of throwing nails into walls and jumping on them to break them seems like a dated, hold-over kind of idea from the early arcade development days.  I'Max did something interesting with it, but on paper (and on the back of the box), it doesn't sound that appealing.  As you get into later levels, some of the puzzles become very obtuse, requiring odd choices as far as your character's path through a level.  Unless you can figure out the one most effective way to beat a level, you may end up "cheating" slightly, and racking up exploding spikes by dying once or twice after collecting them so you can stockpile a bit to help you get through a level.  Once you get up past level 40, the game also becomes quite punishing, even on the Easy difficulty level.  Some of the precision required to complete a couple of the last levels is downright maddening.  When you crank up the difficulty to Hard, it cuts your jump height by roughly 1/3, so those precision jumps become nigh impossible without pixel-perfect accuracy and timing in their execution.  The game has 50 levels, but lacks a password system, so if you want to complete it, even with unlimited continues, expect to play for an extended period of time.  Works in theory, but for a portable system, it would be especially useful to have a password every 5-10 levels, especially with as many tries as some levels may take to solve.

I won't show you the level, because it's devious and evil.

Given its number, however, I'm convinced that mastermind

Milo Rambaldi was involved in its layout & construction.

Despite the game's flaws, I had a lot of fun with it, and if you're anything like me, you'll have that "Eureka!" moment from time to time when you figure out a particularly hard level.  It helps that you can pause the game and use the D-pad to look at the entire layout of the level, sans enemies, to plan out your strategy, and that certainly makes the game a bit more forgiving.  Having said that, the fact that level 43 and up on Easy Mode made me want to pull my hair out, I'd say my motivation to play on Hard Mode is pretty much zero.  When I discovered this game out in the wild, there were 2 loose carts side by side in a display case, priced at $15.  I asked the clerk if there was any wiggle room, and she checked the computer to discover that both should have been priced at $10.  I had enough fun over many weeks to justify that price, but I wouldn't recommend paying any more for it loose, despite the fact that it's probably not a particularly common cart.  It won't change your world, and it's one that, unless you pull it out every few years to refresh your memory on the puzzles, probably won't be frequenting your Game Boy much.  Recommended for puzzle platform nuts, and casually recommended for anyone else if you can pick it up cheap.

Turns out, this is the "dragon" part of the game's original

Japanese title, "Dragon Tail".  You face him as the last boss,

though this screen looks far more dragon-like than what

you actually see when you're fighting him.