<- 1980s 1990 1991 ->

Bloxeed

bloxeed gameplay with a ferret question mark in a tree in the back		 Sega’s second followup to their arcade Tetris.
Release Date: January 1990
Developer: Sega R&D 1
Platforms: Arcade
It is the 90’s, and there is time for multiple games to establish color-matching gameplay concurrently.
Release Date: February 1990
Developer: Atari
Platforms: Arcade, and about everything else

Klax

Klax gameplay

Columns (Sega)

columns gameplay		 Sega's first Columns, featuring gems and an ancient backdrop.
Release Date: March 1990
Developer: Jay Geertsen, Sega R&D 1
Platforms: Arcade, Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear, MSX2, PC Engine, X68000, SFC (In 1999???)
More abstract and quickly developed Columns followup.
Release Date: July 21, 1990
Developer: Sega
Platforms: Arcade

Columns II: The Voyage Through Time

columns 2 title screen with mysterious woman

Dr. Mario

dr mario gameplay intermission of the viruses looking at a turtle flying by		 Nintendo’s own take on the genre and one of the first color-matching games. Funny viruses.
Release Date: July 27, 1990
Developer: Nintendo R&D 1
Platforms: FC / NES, Game Boy, Arcade, SFC / SNES, GBA (Multiple times)

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red virus sprite drawing
Early Tetris clone. The goal is to dig out the blimp at the bottom of the pile of blocks.
Release Date: November 20, 1990
Developer: SNK
Platforms: Arcade, Neo Geo

Joy Joy Kid / Puzzled

joy joy kid pile of blocks with a blimp beneath

Megapanel

megapanel gameplay with robot girl on the side		 Sliding puzzle and matching puzzle hybrid. The cover art is really good.
Release Date: November 22, 1990
Developer: Namco
Platforms: Mega Drive
Cute PC Engine puzzler where you have to match halves of objects.
Release Date: December 14, 1990
Developer: Media Rings Corporation
Platforms: PC Engine

Spin Pair

spin pair gameplay with snails

Hatris

Alexey Pajitnov saying I would like to propose my new work for your minds.		 Stack several different kinds of hats. Alexey’s real baby.
Release Date: 1990
Developer: ParaGraph, Bullet Proof Software
Platforms: Arcade, FC / NES, Game Boy, PC Engine, PC-98, Sharp Wizard (!), Mobile (Twice)
Match slices of faces together to complete a picture. Alexey’s scary baby.
Release Date: 1990
Developer: Spectrum HoloByte
Platforms: Mac, Amiga, MS DOS

Faces...tris III

Horrifying Face slices on blocks smiling

Sun Shine / Block Paradise

sun shine screenshot from wikipedia		 Unreleased Arcade puzzler that has never fully resurfaced. A lover I will never meet.
Release Date: Unreleased
Developer: Alpha Denshi
Platforms: Arcade, Neo Geo
<- 1980s 1990 1991 ->
Lip from Panel De Pon running gif