Written: 12.8.06
Acquired: 9.2.06
Status: Cart only
Price: $4.50

Long before Puzzle Fighter there was DOSSUN! GANSEKI BATTLE

Don't these guys have any other hobbies?

Dossun has a unique battle system. Two ways to claim victory:

• The opposing player's well fills up

• Their energy bar hits rock bottom

Energy bar?  In a puzzler?  Whaaaa??

Like Puzzle Fighter, the attacker sends over a spiffy, er, attack

Eliminating 3 or more like pieces have varying results:

• Green Rocks: Sends forth a dragon (see above)

• Red Scrolls: Fireballs

• Yellow Swords: Piercing swords

• Blue Potion: Replenishes your health slightly (if needed)

• Purple Squares: No effect whatsoever

ONE PLAYER

Select from 3 heroes

                                And one by one, do battle
                                with the game's numerous
                                villains

The loser is paid a visit
from ole Grimsy

TWO PLAYERS

Everyone's up for grabs

TODAY'S SPECIAL

Most puzzle games have a special
piece or power. Dossun is no different.
When you have a special pellet stored,
pressing R clears every purple square.
Although the graphics could easily be
confused for an early MegaDrive title,
this visual effect is noteworthy



Much cooler than simply fading out

DO A COMBO MEAL

Like fighting games, special moves are a good way to inflict damage, but the best players utilizes devastating combos. The same applies here. While clearing 3 pieces at a time is fine and dandy, pulling off 3-plus chain reactions is the meal ticket. Diagonal matches yield the best results if you set yourself proper

Observe this lethal chain. The
green rocks match diagonally
and disappear

                                   The yellow sword drops,
                                   connecting with 2 other
                                   swords

The swords' elimination drops
the red scroll....

... forming a crushing 5-PIECE
horizontal / diagonal red match
to end the 3 hit chain

PICK A FIGHT

After completing a big combo, the character enlarges and performs a fancy attack

HANG IN THERE

Major attacks result in
leaving the opposition
hanging

[By a moment! Desperate
for changing, chasing after
you... ahem, sorry -Ed.]

ANY REQUESTS?

There's only 1 music theme throughout the entire game, and it can get tedious. When someone's energy bar flashes, the music breaks into a frenzy, sounding much better and adding nicely to the tension. But the regular music is a bit "meh"






CLOSING THOUGHTS

It's essentially COLUMNS with a medieval fantasy battle theme. Dossun! really grew on me and I literally said "1 more game" several times. It's amazingly addicting. Sure the graphics and music are nothing to write home about, but the gameplay is largely enjoyable

Sweet game