Puzzle & Action: Tant-R

Overview

Puzzle & Action: Tant-R is a mini-game collection of puzzles and the first of three spin-offs of Sega's Bonanza Bros., a co-op crime caper stealth action game based somewhat on The Blues Brothers. Like Bonanza Bros., the game is designed for two players to compete with one another, though it can be played single-player as well.

The goal of Tant-R is to chase after escaped convicts by solving mini-games. These mini-games are selected at random, though the player can stop on the desired mini-game with a roulette function similarly to how mini-games are decided in the Mario Party series. Some of these roulette options instead provide bonuses (such as additional lives) and lead to a random game. Most of these mini-games involve solving common puzzles such as sliding blocks around to form a picture or solving shell games involving ninjas and top hats.

The game was released in the Arcades initially in 1992, and then ported to the Mega Drive and Game Gear in Japan only. It was followed with two sequels: 1994's Puzzle & Action: Ichidant-R, also for the Arcade, Mega Drive and Game Gear; and 1997's Puzzle & Action: Treasure Hunt, for the Arcade and Saturn.

Gameplay

The player must complete several mini-games, chosen from a roulette of four at a time, in order to re-capture the game's antagonist. At the end, they must then solve one unique boss mini-game to complete the capture. The single-player mode is split up into four chapters: each chapter adds an extra four games to the required total to win, as well as making all the mini-games harder, either by speeding them up, making them more complex or reducing the timer (or a combination thereof).

The featured mini-games include:

• Robot Factory: The player must assemble the robot shown in the picture, choosing from an array of body parts. The finished robot requires a head, a body, two arms and two legs.
• Photoshock: The goal of this game is to take a picture just as a fast-moving subject enters the frame in the middle of the screen. A simple timing mini-game that requires the player be precise.
• Which Digit Is It?: The player is shown a four digit code but only one number at a time, which is rapidly changing. The player must select the right four digit code from a list based on what they can see.
• Pathmaker Flip-Flop Frog: The player must guide a frog around a pond, stopping on every available square without repeating or doubling-back. The player can reverse a mistake, but has a strict time limit.
• Pay Hattention to the Flower: A variant of the classic shell game. The player must keep track of a rose under one of four top hats as they quickly switch positions.
• Zig-Zag Labyrinth: The player must find the right course through a maze. The angled top-down view makes the maze visually confusing.
• Certain Death! Unstopwatchable: The player must simply pause a stopwatch between the times indicated. They usually have less than a decisecond margin of error.
• A Change of Art: The player must unscramble a picture. Each picture is much longer than tall, and some images are harder to assemble than others (such as a pile of identical coins).
• Stanley How-Many-Cubericks?: The player is shown an isometric pile of blocks and must determine how many are in the picture. They must count those concealed by blocks lying on top. The title refers to legendary film director Stanley Kubrick.
• Cock-A-Doodle Do Your Worst: A button-mashing game that requires the player pump up balloons until they burst, scaring a nearby rooster.
• Make It a Slot Boogie: The player must find a series of five symbols in a large grid. This series can be horizontal or vertical, but must be in a row. The symbols are all icons usually found on slot machines (bar, cherry, seven, etc.).
• Billy Jewel: The player must shift gems around a four-by-four grid to ensure all the gems of a certain color are in the right position. The title refers to singer Billy Joel.
• Block n' Roll: Using the equation provided, the player must determine the correct shape from a grid of options.
• Where's the Ninja?: A pair of ninjas rapidly flash around the screen before vanishing. The player must select the location where the golden ninja was last seen.
• Animal Sound Shower: A variant on the classic puzzle game Simon. The player must recreate a series of animal noises by tapping on the correct animal heads, using only their memory.
• Three-Hint Panel Pick: The player is given a grid of shapes and colors and is given three hints as to the right panel. These include directional hints ("under a circle") as well as information on the shape/color of the desired panel.
• Boss Showdown!: The final mini-game, played exactly once at the end of the single-player mode. The boss has hidden himself somewhere, and the player is given a set of coordinates. They must quickly find the location on a large map filled with possibilities.