Senkyu (Japan, newer)

In Senkyu, two players cooperate to clear falling blocks in this unique puzzle game released by Seibu Kaihatsu in 1995. Colorful spheres of yellow, pink, green, and blue descend from the top of the screen; players use an eight-way joystick to rotate and position these spheres as they fall. Matching colors combine and disappear when grouped together, causing a chain reaction that clears space and awards bonuses for combos. The gameplay continues until the entire playfield is filled, ending the game. Senkyu offers several modes of play including single player, puzzle challenges with dynamic backgrounds and additional colors, and competitive versus options where players face off against each other or the computer. The Seibu SPI hardware provides a vibrant visual experience alongside sound driven by a Zilog Z80 processor and YMF271 chip. Outside of Japan, Senkyu is also known as "Battle Balls," and later appeared as a bonus game on the Sony PlayStation in 1997 within the collection Raiden DX.