Starsweep

Starsweep is a puzzle game for Japanese Arcades, Sony PlayStation, and Nintendo Game Boy by Japanese developer Axela, published in 1997.

The gameplay is similar to that of the Puzzle League series, but with a more traditional Tetris-like gameplay where pieces fall from the top of the screen.

Pieces come in three colors: red, yellow, and blue. Pieces commonly have a star on one end, or occasionally, a star on two ends. The aim of the game is to clear blocks from the playing field, by matching stars from same-coloured blocks. Players are rewarded for creating combos (which are called ‘links’) of piece clearances. The game ends when someone’s piece level reaches the top of the playfield and is not cleared after three seconds.

The one player ‘story’ mode revolves around moving around an island and playing against opponents who gradually become harder, and consists of playing against 9 opponents (although this can be adjusted). There are also activities that involve the player concentrating on a specific task within a time limit. These include getting a high score, a high number of links, surviving for as long as possible, and clearing a field in a short time.