Mendel Palace

Mendel Palace is an action-puzzle game and the debut title of Game Freak (later known for Pokémon). In the US version, you play as Bon-Bon, a boy rescuing his girlfriend Candy, who is trapped in her own dream world by eight evil living dolls. Gameplay features 20 areas with 200 single-screen levels: each level has a 5x7 tile grid where you (or two players cooperatively) stand on a blue- or green-clad boy in a vest and cap, flip tiles to propel or destroy enemy dolls by slamming them into walls or blocks, and reveal hidden patterns or new tiles. Enemies wander or use special abilities; touch them and you lose a life. Levels include bosses and scenes showing Candy's progress. It stands out as an early tile-pushing puzzle hybrid with simple arcade-style controls, charming 8-bit graphics, and a whimsical story of dream invasion—foundational for Game Freak's style.