Flipon

Genre: Match-3 Puzzle

Players: 1-4 Competitive (Local)

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Review:

Flipon is a family-friendly Match-3 Puzzle game released on PC and Nintendo Switch in 2020. This is basically an off-brand version of Panel De Pon/Tetris Attack/Puzzle League. However, as I often say, there’s nothing wrong with a copycat, so long as it’s a good copycat, so the question is… is this game good?

The presentation is colorful and features some nice character designs, but the interface feels like a mobile game, the flimsy story is throwaway, and the synthesized music is completely forgettable. In terms of presentation, this game simply doesn’t hold a candle to the charm or visual flair of Nintendo’s own takes on this formula.

For those who aren’t aware of how this game works, players have a field of multi-colored blocks, and can only move them by swapping any two tiles horizontally, looking to line up at least three like-colored blocks in a row, and ideally causing a chain reaction as more pieces fall into place. For something similar, think of Dr. Mario or Puyo Puyo, though I would argue Panel De Pon is much better than either of those due to its more fast-paced and straightforward nature, and its great potential for stringing together chains.

For this iteration of that formula, the gameplay here is solid. The mechanics work great, players can use either traditional controls or touchscreen, and there’s a decent variety of game modes (though oddly, there’s no “puzzle” mode, even though the campaign mode includes puzzles like this). For a “copycat” game, Flipon is really quite superb at nailing down what worked with the mechanics in the original.

Even better, Flipon includes a few additions and innovations of its own. Multiplayer battles can include special moves ranging from helpful to offensive. Speaking of multiplayer, this game supports up to four players, a wonderfully chaotic new way to play the game. Unfortunately, there’s no online play, a feature that is present in the Nintendo Switch Online version of Panel De Pon.

I really wish that the presentation in Flipon wasn’t so disposable, because this game gets just about everything else right when it comes to not only copying but improving on the Panel De Pon formula, making a truly excellent version of one of the best Puzzle games ever made. I can’t quite recommend it over the original Panel De Pon – that game’s delightful presentation and online play (as well as it being available at no additional cost to those who subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online) ultimately give it the edge over Flipon, but for a mere $6, Flipon presents itself as a solid alternative that Match-3 Puzzle game fans would do well to seek out.

tl;dr – Flipon is a family-friendly Match-3 Puzzle game that directly copies the formula of Panel De Pon, and does so extraordinarily well, not only retaining the quality combo-heavy game mechanics of the original, but adding new features like special abilities and 4-player competitive play. It’s only real flaws are a lackluster presentation and a lack of online play. Still, for $6 this is a phenomenal Puzzle game that’s well worth adding to your collection.

Grade: A-

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