View source for Puzz Loop

{{Infobox video game
| title = Puzz Loop
| image = Puzzloop jp.JPG
| caption = Japanese PlayStation cover art
| developer = [[Mitchell Corporation]]
| publisher = '''Arcade'''<br />Mitchell Corporation<br />'''PlayStation'''<br />[[Capcom]] (Japan)<br />[[Infogrames North America]] (US)<br />[[THQ]] (PAL)<br />'''Nuon'''<br />[[Samsung]]<br />'''Neo Geo Pocket Color'''<br />[[SNK]]<br />'''iOS'''<br />[[Hudson Soft]]
| producer = Monte Singman
| designer = 
| released = '''Arcade'''<br />{{vgrelease|JP|December 1998}}{{vgrelease|NA|December 1998}}{{vgrelease|EU|January 1999}}'''PlayStation'''<br />{{vgrelease|NA|November 2, 1999<ref name="release">{{Cite magazine |date=2000-01-22 |title=Game Informer Magazine - News Story |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |url=http://gameinformer.com/news/news_story.cfm?NEWS_ID=112 |access-date=2023-04-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000122225931/http://gameinformer.com/news/news_story.cfm?NEWS_ID=112 |archive-date=2000-01-22 }}</ref>|JP|March 16, 2000|EU|October 20, 2000}}'''Game Boy Color'''<br />{{vgrelease|NA|November 2, 1999<ref name="release"/>|JP|March 17, 2000}}'''Nuon'''<br />{{vgrelease|NA|July 2000}}'''iOS'''<br />{{vgrelease|WW|August 4, 2008}}
| genre = [[Puzzle video game|Puzzle]]
| modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]], [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]]
| platforms = [[Arcade game|Arcade]], [[Game Boy Color]], [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]], [[Neo Geo Pocket Color]], [[Nuon (DVD technology)|Nuon]], [[iOS]]
| arcade system = Kaneko Super Nova System
}}

'''''Puzz Loop''''' is an [[arcade game|arcade]] [[Tile-matching video game|tile-matching]] [[puzzle video game|puzzle game]] developed by [[Mitchell Corporation]] and released in 1998 in Japan and North America and 1999 in Europe. It was later ported to the [[Game Boy Color]], [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] and [[Samsung]] [[Nuon (DVD technology)|Nuon]] [[DVD]] players under the name '''''Ballistic'''''. The original ''Puzz Loop'' game was also known by this title.  In 2008, publisher [[Hudson Soft]] released the game on [[App Store (iOS)|App Store]] for the [[iPhone]] and [[iPod Touch]]. There was a [[Neo Geo Pocket Color]] version of the game initially planned to be published by [[SNK]], but cancelled due to bankruptcy of the original incarnation of the company.

The original ''Puzz Loop'' was followed by a sequel, ''[[Puzz Loop 2]]'', in 2001.

==Gameplay==

In the game, marbles of different colors roll down a spiral path towards a central goal, which the player must stop by shooting new marbles using a cannon into the oncoming ones. The marbles disappear if player matches three or more marbles of the same color. In addition, collecting bonus items, for example, attached to marbles can temporarily slow down the rate the marbles advance or cause all the marbles of the same color to disappear. Once the marbles are pushed over the goal threshold, the game is over.

==Reception==
In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Puzz Loop'' on their March 1, 1999 issue as being the eight most-successful arcade game of the month.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=582|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=1 March 1999|page=25|lang=ja}}</ref> ''Game Machine'' also listed ''Puzz Loop 2'' on their April 1, 2001 issue as being the thirteenth most-successful arcade game of the month.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=631|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=1 April 2001|page=21|lang=ja}}</ref>

Jeff Lundrigan reviewed the PlayStation version of the game for ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'', rating it four stars out of five, and stated that "OK, so it's an ultimately derivative action puzzler; but give it a shot and we guarantee you won't want to put it down."<ref name="NG">{{cite magazine|last=Lundrigan|first=Jeff|title=Finals|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|volume=3|issue=1|publisher=[[Future US|Imagine Media]]|date=January 2000|page=97}}</ref>

<!-- these can be incorporated as reliable sources 
*''[[Daily Radar]]'' (1999)<ref>http://replay.waybackmachine.org/200101061125/http://www.dailyradar.com/reviews/game_review_353.html {{Bare URL inline|date=April 2022}}</ref>
*''The Next Level'' (Feb 16, 2000)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.the-nextlevel.com/reviews/handheld/ballistic |title=The Next Level - Game Review |website=www.the-nextlevel.com |access-date=27 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110308203942/http://www.the-nextlevel.com/reviews/handheld/ballistic |archive-date=8 March 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*''games xtreme'' (May 27, 2000)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.gamesxtreme.com/ps/game/ballistic/review.html | title=Ballistic Reviews &#124; Games Xtreme }}</ref>
*''Consoles Plus'' (Jul, 2000)<ref>http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Consoles%20Plus/consoleplus_numero102/Consoles%20%2B%20102%20-%20Page%20128%20(juillet%20-%20ao%FBt%202000).jpg {{Bare URL image|date=April 2022}}</ref>
*''[[Computer and Video Games]]'' (Jun, 2000)<ref>https://retrocdn.net/images/2/2c/CVG_UK_223.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=April 2022}}</ref>
*''The Adrenaline Vault'' (Dec 18, 1999)<ref>http://www.avault.com/reviews/psx/ballistic-psx-review/ {{Bare URL inline|date=April 2022}}</ref>
*''[[IGN]]'' (Nov 02, 1999)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://psx.ign.com/articles/162/162540p1.html | title=Ballistic | date=3 November 1999 }}</ref>
*''[[All Game Guide]]'' (1999)<ref>http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20963&tab=review {{Bare URL inline|date=April 2022}}</ref>
*''[[Electric Playground]]'' (Dec 05, 1999)<ref>{{cite web |url=www.elecplay.com/review_1670.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001205175100/http://www.elecplay.com/review_1670.html |archive-date=2000-12-05  | title=Ballistic - electric playground: Coming at you with news, reviews, previews, and interviews from the world of video gaming. Broadcasting from behind the scenes of the videogame industry }}</ref>
*''[[GameSpot]]'' (Nov 19, 1999)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gamespot.com/ps/puzzle/ballistic/review.html | title=Ballistic Review }}</ref>
*''[[GameSpot]]'' (Jan 28, 2000)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gamespot.com/gbc/puzzle/ballistic/review.html | title=Ballistic Review }}</ref>-->

==Legacy==
===Sequel===
'''''Puzz Loop 2''''' is an [[arcade game|arcade]] [[puzzle game]] by [[Mitchell Corporation]] released in 2001 on [[Capcom]]'s [[CP System II|CPS-2]] hardware.

Gameplay is exactly the same as its predecessor, with the player needing to deplete all the colored balls before they hit the center of the screen. The most popular feature of ''Puzz Loop 2'' was the two-player versus mode.

===Clones===
The success of ''Puzz Loop'' led to a number of [[Video game clone|clones]] with identical or nearly-identical gameplay from other companies including ''[[Zuma (video game)|Zuma]]'', the ''[[Luxor (computer game)|Luxor]]'' series, ''[[Tumblebugs (video game)|Tumblebugs]]'', ''[[Potpourrii]]'', ''Butterfly Escape'', ''Loco'', ''Bonsai Blast'', and ''Bonbon Factory''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mobygames.com/game-group/puzz-loop-variants |title=Puzz Loop variants |publisher=[[MobyGames]] |accessdate=2010-02-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Games |publisher=JVL Labs |url=http://www.jvlhome.com/games.html |accessdate=2016-09-24}}</ref> Mitchell alleges that ''Zuma'', one of the more popular clones, directly infringes on their intellectual property.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.insertcredit.com/features/hitofude/ |title=Feature: shokkingu hitofude |publisher=Insertcredit.com |accessdate=2010-02-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615105044/http://www.insertcredit.com/features/hitofude/ |archive-date=2006-06-15 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1797/soapbox_ripping_off_japan__.php?page=3 |title=Soapbox: Ripping Off Japan - Japanese Video Game Copyright Protection & Preservation (Or Lack Thereof) |publisher=Gamasutra |date=2006-10-24 |accessdate=2021-09-20}}</ref> In reply, ''Zuma'' developer [[PopCap Games]] asserts that their game is "not an exact clone", but an elaboration of Mitchell's original idea.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003221540 |title=Casual game biz serious about growth |publisher=Hollywood Reporter |accessdate=2010-02-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930232038/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003221540 |archive-date=September 30, 2007 }}</ref>

Mitchell itself released a version of the game for the [[Nintendo DS]] called ''[[Magnetica]]'' in 2006. A [[Wii]] version of ''Magnetica'' was released via [[WiiWare]] in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gonintendo.com/?p=40410 |title=Minna de Puzzleloop/Magnetica WiiWare dated |publisher=Gonintendo.com |date=2008-04-16 |accessdate=2021-09-20}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Zuma (video game)|''Zuma'' (video game)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{KLOV game|id=9165}}

[[Category:1998 video games]]
[[Category:Arcade video games]]
[[Category:Capcom games]]
[[Category:SNK games]]
[[Category:IOS games]]
[[Category:Game Boy Color games]]
[[Category:Marble video games]]
[[Category:PlayStation (console) games]]
[[Category:Tile-matching video games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Japan]]
[[Category:Nuon games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]