Money Puzzle Exchanger

Money Puzzle Exchanger[lower-alpha 3] is a puzzle game created on January 17, 1997 by Japanese video game developer Face for the Neo Geo MVS arcade system.[4][5][6][7] Athena Co. Ltd. ported it to the Game Boy on August 29, 1997, and the PlayStation on November 5, 1998. The Japanese PlayStation version was made available by MonkeyPaw Games on the PlayStation Network's import store on November 16, 2010. It was later re-released as part of the Arcade Archives Neo Geo series for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on June 28, 2018.[8]

Money Puzzle Exchanger
Developer(s)Face[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)Kengo Asai
Designer(s)Starman
Programmer(s)Piggy
Artist(s)Atsuko Ishida
Mariko Sumiyoshi
Mutsuo Kaneko
Composer(s)Kennosuke Suemura
Norihiko Togashi
Platform(s)
Release
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)
Arcade systemNeo Geo MVS

Gameplay
Arcade version screenshot.

Money Puzzle Exchanger is a stacking game similar to the Magical Drop, Astro Pop, and Puzzle Bobble series whereby players race to prevent a perpetually falling array of coins in different values from filling up the screen. Coins are combined (vertically and/or horizontally) to form higher valued coins; for example, five '1' coins will form a '5' coin, and two '5' coins will form a '10' coin, and so on, until two '500' coins are put together, at which point both disappear. Coins are arranged and colored to match denominations of the yen coins. Two bonus tiles allow for changes in gameplay. A green RU tile will rank up all coins of the same denomination; for example, all '10' coins will become '50' coins. A blue ER title will erase all coins of the same value. The game is won when any coin reaches the bottom of the opponent's screen.[9]

In the single player mode, one of two characters can be selected who attempt to beat up to seven idiosyncratically named characters with names like Debtmiser, Mightdealer, Eldylabor, and Cherrybeiter. In the two player mode, both players fight each other until victory. The quicker and more efficiently each player clears out their screen, the quicker the other player's screen will fill up. Since filled screens offer the most opportunity for chaining together large combos, the tide can turn very quickly.

There is also another single player mode called Solo Mode. Any character can be played in this mode. The aim in Solo Mode is to continually clear the screen from coins and try to keep the game going for as long as possible.

Trivia
  • Most of the characters names are portmanteaus of English words involving money or love. The character names (in game stage order) are: Exchanger, Coquetry, Cherrybeiter, Everyworker, Debtmiser, Eldylabor, Macker, and Mightdealer.
  • The game has extensive use of Engrish. Examples of phrases used include "Let's fight to computer!" and "You put the same kind of items. That's OK."
  • A soundtrack for the game was released featuring the talents of voice actresses Sakura Tange, Yukana Nogami and Machiko Toyoshima.
  • In the Korean arcade version the coins are made to look generic, while in the Japanese version of the game the coins are localized to look closer to their yen equivalents.
  • The character designs for the game were done by Atsuko Ishida (Magic Knight Rayearth, The Brave Express Might Gaine).
  • Kengo Asai, the producer for the game is also involved in development of another Neo Geo titles, such as Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer, The Last Blade, and The Last Blade 2, as well as cancelled Neo Geo titles, Dragon's Heaven.
  • The game is the best and mostly known video game titles developed by Face before it filed and declared for bankruptcy in 2001 on the same time with the bankruptcy of the original incarnation of SNK.

Character Names
  • Sakura Mitsukoshi (三越 さくら Mitsukoshi Sakura) / Exchanger (エクスチェンジャー)
  • Asahi Takashima (高島 あさひ Takashima Asahi) / Debtmiser (デットマイザー)
  • Bill Bank (ビル＝バンク Biru Banku) / Coquetrybouncer (コケティバウンサー)
  • Lulula Franc (ルルーラ＝フラン Rurūra Furan) / Cherrybeiter (チェリーバイター)
  • Ena Arashizaki (嵐崎 円 Arashizaki Ena) / Everyworker (エヴリワーカー)
  • Seshil Pound (セシル＝ポンド Seshiru Pondo) / Eldylabor (エルディレイバー)
  • Blibov Sakata (坂田 ビリィバーヴ Sakata Birībāvu) / Mackermocally (マッカーモーカリー)
  • Note Bank (ノート＝バンク Nōto Banku) / Mightdealer (マイトディーラー)

Reception

Money Puzzle Exchanger was met with positive reception from critics since its release.

Notes
  1. Ported to PlayStation by Santos with additional work by C-lab.[1][2]
  2. Co-published and co-distributed with SNK
  3. Also known as Money Idol Exchanger (Japanese: マネーアイドルエクスチェンジャー, Hepburn: Manē Aidoru Ekusuchenjā) in Japan.

References
  1. CRV (August 24, 2010). "Santos (2)". gdri.smspower.org. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  2. CRV (June 19, 2008). "C-lab". gdri.smspower.org. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  3. "マネーアイドルエクスチェンジャー(状態：外箱状態難)". Suruga-ya.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2020-04-07. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  4. "Title Catalogue - NEOGEO MUSEUM". SNK Playmore. 2010. Archived from the original on 2018-08-28. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  5. Lloret, Alberto (January 30, 2020). "Neo Geo, el Rolls Royce de las consolas, cumple 30 años". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). Axel Springer SE. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  6. "Overseas Readers Column - Data East Files Copyright Lawsuit Against Face". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 545. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 July 1997. p. 22.
  7. "Overseas Readers Column - Face Co. Goes Bankrupt". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 565. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 June 1998. p. 22.
  8. Chris Moyse (2018-06-29). "Battle wages and waifus with Money Puzzle Exchanger for PS4, Xbox One and Switch". Destructoid. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  9. McCarthy, Caty (3 July 2018). "The Switch's Secret Best Puzzle Game is This Retro Gem From Neo Geo". US Gamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  10. Knight, Kyle (1998). "Money Puzzle Exchanger (Arcade) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-17. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  11. "NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: マネーアイドルエクスチェンジャー (ゲームボーイ)". Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 455. ASCII. 5 September 1997. p. 34.
  12. Martínez, Rubén (22 July 2018). "Money Puzzle Exchanger, Retro Análisis". MeriStation (in Spanish). PRISA. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  13. Maciejewski, A.J. (10 July 2018). "ACA NeoGeo: Money Puzzle Exchanger Review - A highly underrated puzzler returns". videochums.com. Video Chums. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
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