Puzzle & Action: Tant-R (1992). Play online

Summary

Puzzle & Action: Tant‑R (often just called Tant‑R) is a quirky spin‑off of Sega’s Bonanza Bros., starring the thief‑turn‑detectives Robo and Mobo as they chase a prison escapee across four stages. The game mixes frantic roulette‑style mini‑game selection with a timed‑challenge format: players stop a rotating wheel, then race against the clock to match patterns, memorize sequences, pick the correct picture or fire at targets, each mistake costing a life. Bonus “Lucky!” icons drop heart pieces that can earn an extra life, and a final balloon‑popping bonus round awards another life if the sky is cleared.

The title debuted on the arcade‑type Sega System C in 1993 and was ported exclusively to the Japanese Mega Drive a year later, where a “Free” practice mode and a competitive multiplayer mode were added, supporting up to four players via the Multi‑Tap adaptor. Four mini‑games exist only in these modes, such as a biscuit‑collecting challenge. Though it never saw a North‑American release, Tant‑R was later bundled with its sequel in the Sega Ages 2500 series and on a Sega Saturn compilation, preserving its eclectic puzzle‑action charm for retro fans.

Storyline

In Puzzle & Action: Tant‑R’s arcade mode, a notorious criminal simply called "Boss" breaks out of prison and rallies a crew of henchmen. Players take the roles of two detectives styled after Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, racing across a series of vivid stages to bring the fugitives to justice. The chase begins in a bustling city that blends iconic London and Paris landmarks, then sweeps through a scorching desert, a glittering casino, and finally a noisy construction site.
When the detectives finally corner the Boss and his gang, the villains are arrested and the heroes are interviewed on a theatre stage. In the two‑player multiplayer mode, the pursuit shifts to a high‑speed motorway, and after the capture the detectives receive a congratulatory salute outside the Palace of Westminster.