Palamedes II - Star Twinkle, Hoshi no Mabataki (Japan)

Palamedes II - Star Twinkle, Hoshi no Mabataki is a unique and engaging puzzle game for the NES, requiring players to utilize logical thinking and speed to conquer its stages. The core gameplay of Palamedes II revolves around matching pairs of identical dice to clear them from the board.

In each stage, players face a board filled with dice arranged in various patterns. Your task is to select a die from your bottom row (your "hand" of dice) and then find another die on the main grid that matches both its number and color. When these two dice are successfully matched, they disappear, creating space on the board. The primary goal is to clear the entire board or achieve a certain score before the time runs out.

The complexity of Palamedes II gradually increases with each level. Players will encounter various special dice types. For instance, Joker dice are "wild" dice that can be matched with any other die, providing a significant advantage in tricky situations. Additionally, there might be other special dice with unique effects, such as exploding dice that clear surrounding ones, or color-changing dice, requiring players to adopt flexible strategies.

The game offers diverse play modes to enhance challenge and replayability. The Solo mode is typically a race against time to achieve the highest score or complete the stage. A notable feature of Palamedes II is its Vs. Mode, where players can compete against the computer or another player. In this mode, clearing multiple dice at once allows you to "send" additional dice to your opponent's board, making their task more difficult. This element significantly boosts the game's competitive and strategic depth.

Controls in the game are quite simple: use the D-pad to move the cursor and the A/B buttons to select dice. However, this control simplicity demands quick reactions and the ability to survey the entire board to make the most efficient matching decisions. With its simple yet effective graphics and catchy music, Palamedes II delivers a classic but still very captivating puzzle experience.