Capcom is no stranger to puzzle games. After all, the company is responsible for Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo, arguably one of the best arcade puzzle games of the ’90s. That’s not to mention lesser-known Capcom puzzle gems, like the Buster Bros. Series, Block Block, and Pnickies.Monster Hunter Puzzle: Felyne Islesis Capcom’s first puzzle game based on the beloved action RPG series.
Monster Hunter Puzzle is a Match-3 game similar to titles like Royal Match, Candy Crush Saga, and Capcom’s short-lived Street Fighter: Puzzle Spirits. However, this Monster Hunter puzzle game adds new mechanics that spice up the tried and true Match-3 formula. We took note of these changes and discovered eight essential tips that will turn you into an A-grade hunter who can take on any Rathalos!
Remember That You Can Swap Diagonally
Match-3 games follow a simple formula: swap tiles to create matches of three or more. Typically, you may only swap pieces horizontally and vertically. However, Monster Hunter Puzzle diverges from its Match-3 peers byallowing you to swap pieces diagonally.
The ability to swap pieces diagonally gives you significantly more available moves. Therefore, if you ever feel stuck on a turn, we encourage you to scan the board again and look for diagonal swaps. You’ll often find that next move you were searching for. You may even find a swap that creates a special piece!
Monster Hunter Puzzle hasa guide highlighting an available moveafter a set time. Refer to this guide whenever you feel completely stumped.
Combine Special Pieces For Enhanced Effects
Our next tip is an essential piece of Match-3 know-how. Special pieces,like rockets, barrel bombs, and horns, are fantastic tools that help you reach quest goals. However,special pieces are much more effective when you combine them, thus enhancing their effects. Here are some examples:
As you’re able to see, combining special pieces turns them into super-powered goal-crushing tools! So, consider waiting to trigger that special piece until another one falls next to it. The enhanced piece you create afterward may secure a victory.
Save Boosts And Bonuses For Hard Quests
You’ll have two toolsets available while playing Monster Hunter Puzzle. Before a round, you can choose up to three bonuses.Bonusesarespecial pieces placed on the boardwhen a round begins. During gameplay, you may rely on one of three boosts.Boostsarespecial abilities you can trigger that allow you to make moves that generally are not allowed.
Boosts and Bonuses are valuable tools, especially when you find yourself in a pickle. However, they are also limited in quantity. Therefore, we recommend youuse them with discretion. The best time to equip Bonuses is before a Hard quest. Meanwhile, we recommend saving Boosts for your last few moves - and only if you lack the gems required to continue.
Meowlocation Time Will Not Begin Until You Make Your First Swap
Meowlocation Time is Monster Hunter Puzzles’s signature feature. Once you reach a six-hit combo, a roulette wheel with two red spaces will appear onscreen. The wheel moves one space after every additional hit in the combo. If the roulette lands on a red space at the end of your combo, it will trigger Meowlocation Time.Meowlocation Time is a set period when you can make as many swaps as possible, regardless of whether they form a match.
Triggering Meowlocation Time can quickly turn the tide of a round in your favor. However, it’s an easy opportunity to waste. The biggest mistake you’re able to make is rushing into Meowlocation Time with no plan. (The ticking clock sound effect before Meowlocation Time increases this unnecessary pressure.)
Fortunately, there isno need to immediately jump into Meowlocation Time because it will not begin until you make your first swap. Furthermore, there is no time limit to make that first swap. Feel free to take your time and plot your first three swaps before beginning Meowlocation Time. That way, you’ll get the most value from this rare occasion.
Play Subquests To Farm Construction Materials
Unlike most Monster Hunter games that relegate Felynes to a supporting role, Monster Hunter Puzzle lets you assume the role of one of these delightful creatures. Furthermore, there area ton of costume pieces that you can equipfor your furry little avatar. However, you’ll have to craft them first.
There are over a dozen types of crafting materials in MHP. Besides Home Decor Tickets, you can acquire these materials by collecting them from a match during a round of puzzle gameplay. You’ll earn about five to 10 pieces of material per round via this method. If there is a specific material you need to collect, you’llbuild up stock much faster by pursuing subquests.
Subquest Categories
You canbegin a subquestby clicking the checklist button at the bottom of the main menu. Once inside the subquest menu, you can choose from four subquest categories:
Once you find the subquest you wish to take on, click the “Play” button to start. Each subquestcosts one red subquest ticket to play.
Complete Daily Challenges To Quickly Earn Home Decor Tickets
Monster Hunter Puzzle is a game full of charm, mainly due to its Felyne Isle locale. You’ll have a blast following the lives of all the pleasant paw people and building a ‘purrfect’ island life for yourself. Part of MHP’s life sim experience is decorating your abode with plants, grills, fences, bridges, and other adornments. Decorating your cat cabanarequires a unique currency called Home Decor Tickets.
You can occasionally earn Home Decor Tickets by completing story missions and accomplishing login milestones. However,completing daily challenges is the fastest way to acquire these tickets. MHP offers five challenges to complete each day. Each challenge rewards an item and a key.Collect 10 keysto open a chest containing30 Home Decor Tickets. Soon, you’ll save enough tickets to turn your house into ahome.
Incorporate Pawtential Skills Into Your Strategy
No RPG is complete without a skill-building mechanic, even an RPG as simple as Monster Hunter Puzzle. In this case, you’lllevel up by collecting Pawtential points. you may earn these points byaccomplishing milestones like unlocking new outfits, helping Felynes, and adding friends. Passing set Pawtential point milestones will unlock new skills to help you complete levels.
Each Pawtential skill hasa unique effect and trigger. For instance,Booster Bonus Lv 1occasionallygrants one extra moveif youuse a Rocket x Barrel Bomb at the quest’s beginning. Some Pawtential skills have passive effects, likeMeowlocation Time G Lv 1, whichadds one second to Meowlocation Time.
Whenever you unlock a new Pawtential skill, you shouldstudy its trigger and effect to learn how to incorporate it into your strategy. For instance, let’s consider Booster Bonus Lv 1. If you’re stuck on a quest and need to start over, you should equip a Rocket x Barrel Bomb booster for the chance to gain an additional move. Informed decisions like these will allow you to use these skills to their full…well, “pawtential.”
Special Pieces Do Not Trigger Horns
When youswap a Horn and another piece, it will clear all pieces of the same color. This power-up is familiar to any Match-3 fan. For instance, the ‘clear-all’ piece in Royal Match is the Light Ball. In Candy Crush Saga, it’s the Color Bomb. Combining the ‘clear-all’ piece with another special piece creates the strongest power-ups in the game, making the ‘clear-all’ piece the most valuable in any Match-3 title.
Unfortunately,in most Match-3 games, if you activate a special piece, it will trigger the ‘clear-all’ pieces within its range. This collateral damage makes it harder to save ‘clear-all’ pieces for more opportune moments, essentially derailing your game plan.
Fortunately, in MHP, you won’t have to sacrifice your ‘clear-all’ piece by activating a special piece nearby becauseHorns cannot get triggered by special pieces. Sure, it’s a small detail, but it makes all the difference!
