Puzzle & Action: Tant-R

In arcade mode, a character known as 'Boss' has escaped from prison. The Boss has enlisted the help of his henchmen. The detectives (dressed as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.[3]) must chase the Boss and tackle the henchmen. When caught, the Boss and henchmen are arrested. The detectives are then interviewed and are seen on stage in a theatre.[4][5] In arcade mode, the Boss is chased over locations including a city (featuring landmarks of London and Paris), a desert, a casino, and a construction site.[6] In multiplayer, he is chased along a motorway, and the detectives are congratulated outside the Palace of Westminster afterwards.[7]

A mini-game. Using the hints at the bottom, the correct item must be found on a grid of shapes of different sizes and colours.

The game consists of four stages.[8] To complete a stage, the required number of games must be completed. A selection of four games is presented; the selection shifts quickly (like a roulette wheel[9]) and a button is pressed to play the selected game (in multiplayer, a random game is displayed).[10] There are twenty games,[11] categorised into five types: puzzle, counting, concentration, barrage, and picture searching (for example, one game requires a given pattern of fruit machine symbols to be located on a grid[12]).[13] Other objectives include selecting the correct option (or options) among incorrect ones, memorising and following a sequence, and pressing the button at the correct moment or at a quick enough pace.[14] Certain games' names are puns on pop culture names or terms.[15] Such references include Rock n Roll, Billy Joel, Stanley Kubrick, and Out Run's music track Magical Sound Shower.[16] Each game has a time limit, and if time runs out or a mistake is made, a life is lost. The player begins with three lives. Occasionally, a game will become a "Lucky!" icon. Selecting this grants a piece of a heart and begins a random game. Collecting all three pieces (one in the PlayStation 2 version[17]) grants an extra life.[18]

The mini-games increase in difficulty as the game progresses. At the end of the first three stages, the Boss escapes on a hot air balloon, and the detectives give chase in aeroplanes. In this bonus round, balloons must be popped, and missiles must be avoided (hitting one temporarily paralyses the player[17]). If all the balloons are popped, an extra life is given.[19] At the end of the fourth stage, the criminal must be apprehended in a final challenge. In the Mega Drive version, this involves locating his hideout on a map.[20] In the Game Gear version, it is a car chase, and other cars must be manoeuvred around.[21]

The Mega Drive version includes a 'free' mode, in which the mini-games can be practised,[22][23] and a Competition mode. Up to four players are supported using the Multiplayer adaptor.[24] Four of the games are only playable in these modes, such as the one in which the correct biscuits (cookies) must be collected.[25] The Game Gear version features a Battle mode, in which two players compete by playing games against each other using the Gear-to-Gear cable to link two units,[26] but features only twelve games, two of which are exclusive to this version.[27] The PlayStation 2 version adds the games from the sequel, Ichidant-R,[28] and includes two new ones, for a total of thirty-eight.

Puzzle & Action: Tant-R was released on the Mega Drive on 1 April 1994,[29] the Game Gear on 22 April 1994,[30] and the Saturn as part of the Shukudai ga Tant R compilation on 24 May 1996.[31] The title comes from Japanese tanto aru.[lower-alpha 2][15] In March 2007, Puzzle & Action: Tant-R was released on the Virtual Console in Japan.[32] The Sega Ages 2500 compilation, Ichini no Tant-R to Bonanza Brothers[lower-alpha 3] was released on 15 January 2014 (although originally scheduled for release in December 2003[33]),[34] and re-released on the PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 3 in Japan on 17 July 2013.[2][28][35]

Puzzle & Action: Tant-R received mixed reviews. Reviewing the Sega Classics Collection version, Eurogamer described the game as "amusingly weird".[41] Sci-fi Online said it is the best game in the Sega Classics Collection, commended the addictiveness of multiplayer, and commented that the compilation is "almost worth buying for Tant R alone".[42] PSX Extreme criticised the game's repetitiveness.[43] VideoGamer.com described the game as "a collection of pretty poor mini-games".[44] The Japanese Sega Saturn Magazine looked at the game in the Shukudai ga Tant R compilation,[45] and in another article, described Puzzle & Action: Tant-R as a "Puzzle Game Boom".[46] Beep! MegaDrive reviewed the Game Gear version: the four reviewers gave high marks.[40] IGN's Anoop Gantayat said the original Tant-R has "wacky 2D artwork", and that the Ichini no Tant-R to Bonanza Bros re-release mimics it.[47] He also said the game is "a good amount of fun".[47]

GamesTM listed Tant-R as a game they would like to see localised and released on modern western systems.[48] In Japan, Game Machine listed Puzzle & Action: Tant-R on their 15 August 1993 issue as being the second most-successful table arcade unit of the year.[49]

• Puzzle & Action: Tant-R at MobyGames
• Tant-R for Virtual Console (in Japanese)