Puyo Puyo Time
Una Mattina
Puyo Puyo, Puzzle Bobble, Dr. Mario...
The advancement of hardware and computer programming boosted the puzzle game genre to a new height in the 90s. Today I’m going to talk about this genre and, more importantly, my favorite series of this genre — Puyo Puyo.
Puyo Puyo (1991)
Puyo Puyo is a fun series for many reasons, not just because the actual game play is addicting and challenging, but how this game evolved into so many variants surprised me.
Later illustration*
Puyo Puyo stands out through its artwork. We can see the evolution of its art style, with each generation trying to adapt to the popular anime trends of its time, potentially as a way to branch out and expand the player base.
The game got ported to many platforms and even modded into different art styles to fit the publisher’s needs. In the early days of Puyo Puyo, we even saw some of the crazier variations of the game.
Yup, Puyo Puyo as a Sonic and Kirby series spin-off are not on my bingo cart
To be honest, this is not particularly a business model I really like, because at its core these games are really just Puyo Puyo… It feels like the publishers are being lazy and trying to juice everything out of their fans’ wallets.
When is the last time you saw a puzzle game featuring your favorite anime or game character standing right next to it as artwork or serving as part of the background? Well...probably not long ago.
My rant can’t change my love for the original series though; it’s genuinely fun to shoot the Puyos using sticks and buttons, just like playing the Puzzle Bobble arcade. Most importantly, there’s the 2-player battle feature, like in fighting games. Seeing your opponent clear the blocks faster is already nerve-wracking. Not to mention, sending garbage blocks is truly diabolical—especially when they successfully clean up a huge chunk. The amount of garbage blocks you receive is the definition of rage-baiting.
This is, of course, the time I mention Nova Blast. Nova Blast supports both traditional JAMMA output and HDMI output for newer devices like a gaming PC, meaning you get to play both the original Puyo Puyo on your old Sega or other ports, while enjoying the full HD graphics of Puyo Puyo’s newest entry such as Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S. 2-player mode, JAMMA and HDMI support, stereo speakers, 4:3 high-res screen, all in one.
At Unico, We Play Different