You see, back then, Nintendo of America knew no self-respecting video gamer would ever dare try to play a game with a female cast. So, seeing as Yoshi's Island had just came out, they decided to rebrand the entire game by removing Lip (pictured) and her friends, and then adding Yoshi and co. in their place. Then they bought the rights to use the Tetris name, and voila! Tetris Attack was born!
As the years went on, no mention of Lip and her friends was ever made until Super Smash Bros. Melee in 2001. There, a trophy of Lip's Stick explained everything, and many Americans felt betrayed. They desperately called for Panel de Pon, as Nintendo of America kept slapping on different themes, until eventually Planet Puzzle League was created, which, because of it's barebones nature and lack of character, sold poorly. As a result, no new games of the series have been created. Several fans hoped, with overwhelming enthusiasm too, that Lip would return in Super Smash Bros for 3DS and Wii U, get the recognition she deserved, and finally prompt Nintendo of America to give her series a chance. But alas, that dream died hard.
It's been 19 years now since Panel de Pon released. Currently, with the announcement of Mewtwo as a DLC character for Smash Bros, fans are once again advocating for the little fairy girl. Perhaps if enough of us know Lip's tale and say something about it, things could change for Panel de Pon. Or, they might not. Nevertheless, Happy Birthday Panel de Pon! Happy Birthday Lip.
Spoiler!
My sincerest apologies if this topic broke one or more rules. I'm aware of the Tetris Attack topic, but posting there would mean a 5-year and 11-month bump. The Random Thoughts topic also didn't seem appropriate enough for the occasion. And no, the Birthday topic wouldn't be quite right either!
