GameTimeline

Release & story order

Puzzle League timeline

Panel de Pon became Tetris Attack in the west—then Pokémon Puzzle League, Challenge, and Planet Puzzle League on DS.

Updated July 2026

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Release order Story order

Release order

When Nintendo shipped each western Puzzle League chapter—Tetris Attack on SNES (1996), Pokémon Puzzle League on N64 and Puzzle Challenge on GBC (2000), then Planet Puzzle League on DS (2007). Japan-only Panel de Pon and Nintendo Puzzle Collection are FAQ-only.

  • Full western quartet → all four Release rows
  • Start with Tetris Attack or Planet Puzzle League—FAQ
  • PPL and PPC both 2000—either order OK
  • Panel de Pon never released in US—FAQ
Story order tips

No serial plot—Story rows mirror Release as a skin-swap puzzle lineage (Yoshi → Pokémon → abstract DS art). Order is optional for gameplay.

  • Core order: Tetris Attack → PPL → PPC → Planet
  • Each entry is standalone—order optional
  • Same swap-and-chain rules throughout
  • On Story order, Planet may be hidden—reveal when ready

Timeline

When each game was released. Click a game for platforms, dates, and where it fits in your playthrough.

Release order

  1. Tetris Attack

    Tetris Attack

    SNESPuzzleMainline

    Western debut—Panel de Pon reskin with Yoshi's Island cast.

    Overview
    Intelligent Systems swap-and-chain puzzle—despite the name, not Tetris.
    In-game setting
    US Panel de Pon as Tetris Attack—Story row one.
    Should you play it?
    Essential franchise start in the west.
    Release date
    US launch July 29, 1996.
  2. Pokémon Puzzle League

    Pokémon Puzzle League

    N64PuzzleMainline

    Anime-themed 3D/2D Puzzle League on N64.

    Overview
    Nintendo Software Technology N64 entry—Ash, Misty, Brock, and gym leaders.
    In-game setting
    First Pokémon-branded Puzzle League in the US—Story row two.
    Should you play it?
    Pairs with Puzzle Challenge same year.
    Release date
    US launch September 25, 2000.
  3. Pokémon Puzzle Challenge

    Pokémon Puzzle Challenge

    GBCPuzzleMainline

    Gold/Silver-era portable Puzzle League.

    Overview
    Intelligent Systems GBC follow-up—Johto trainers and link cable versus.
    In-game setting
    Released after Puzzle League on N64—Story row three.
    Should you play it?
    Portable counterpart to N64 PPL.
    Release date
    US launch December 4, 2000.
  4. Planet Puzzle League

    Planet Puzzle League

    DSPuzzleMainline

    Touch! Generations DS finale—Wi-Fi and stylus play.

    Overview
    Panel de Pon DS in Japan—abstract art and online ranked modes.
    In-game setting
    Latest western mainline as of June 2026—Story row four.
    Should you play it?
    Also known as Puzzle League DS in PAL.
    Release date
    US launch June 4, 2007.

FAQ

Release vs story order, Tetris Attack naming, and where to start.

Release order

Release order and Story order share the same four western rows: Tetris Attack (1996, SNES) → Pokémon Puzzle League (2000, N64) → Pokémon Puzzle Challenge (2000, GBC) → Planet Puzzle League (2007, DS). There is no serial plot—Story rows label the theme era (Yoshi → anime Pokémon → Johto → abstract DS). Japan-only Panel de Pon and compilations are FAQ-only.

Newcomers can start with Planet Puzzle League (DS cartridge) for modern stylus controls and online modes—or Tetris Attack on SNES via hardware or emulation for the classic Yoshi skin. Pokémon Puzzle League (N64) and Puzzle Challenge (GBC) need original hardware or emulation; neither is on current Nintendo storefronts as of June 2026.

Story & canon

No. Tetris Attack (1996, SNES) is the US name for Panel de Pon—a swap-and-chain panel puzzle by Intelligent Systems. Nintendo reused the Tetris Attack brand for marketing; gameplay has nothing to do with falling-block Tetris. The Japanese original Panel de Pon (1995) is FAQ-only on this timeline.

Both are 2000 mainlines with the same core rules. Pokémon Puzzle League (N64) uses anime Kanto characters and adds a 3D cylinder mode. Pokémon Puzzle Challenge (GBC) uses Gold/Silver Johto trainers and is portable with link battles. Either order works—Release lists N64 first (September 25) then GBC (December 4).

Ports & rereleases

Panel de Pon (1995, Super Famicom) is the Japan-only origin of the series—lip-themed fairies instead of Yoshi. It never got a US cartridge release; the west first saw the engine as Tetris Attack (1996). Panel de Pon is FAQ-only, not a Release or Story row.

Optional & related

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.