Puyo Puyo (video game)

Puyo Puyo (ぷよぷよ) is a puzzle video game released in 1991 by Compile for the MSX2.[4] Since its creation, it uses characters from Madou Monogatari. It was created by Masamitsu "Moo" Niitani, the founder of Compile, who was inspired by certain elements from the Tetris and Dr. Mario series of games.

Puyo Puyo
Front cover of the Mega Drive version.
Developer(s)	Compile CRI Middleware Lavastorm Tokuma Shoten Winkysoft
Publisher(s)	JP: Compile JP: Banpresto JP: Bothtec JP: CRI Middleware JP: NEC JP: SPS JP: Tokuma Shoten WW: Sega
Director(s)	Masanobu Tsukamoto (FC and 1992-1996 releases)
Producer(s)	Masamitsu Niitani
Programmer(s)	Mitsugi Tanaka (MSX2, FDS, FC) K. Yoshinaka (MD) Takayuki Hirono (SFC) Nattoh (GG) Shigemitsu Takamiya (GB) Masashi Katsuragi (PCECD)
Composer(s)	Masanobu Tsukamoto Akiyoshi Nagao Toshiaki Sakoda (MSX2) Masaaki Harada (MSX2, FDS, FC) Daisuke Fujimoto (GB)
Series	Puyo Puyo
Platform(s)	MSX2 Arcade, PC-9801, Family Computer, Family Computer Disk System, Super Famicom, Game Boy, Mega Drive, Game Gear, CD-ROM², Mac OS, N-Gage, Virtual Console, Windows 3.1x, Windows 95, Windows CE, X68000, FM Towns, Mobile phone, Nintendo Switch
Release	October 25, 1991 MSX2 JP: October 25, 1991 Famicom Disk System JP: October 25, 1991 Arcade JP: October 1992[1] NA: 1992 EU: 1992 Mega Drive JP: December 18, 1992[2] Game Gear JP: March 19, 1993[3] PC-98 JP: March 19, 1993 Family Computer JP: July 23, 1993 Super Famicom JP: December 10, 1993 FM Towns JP: March 18, 1994 X68000 JP: March 25, 1994 CD-ROM² JP: April 22, 1994 Game Boy JP: July 31, 1994 Microsoft Windows 3.1 JP: May 28, 1995 95 JP: August 2, 1996 CE JP: May 1, 1998 Macintosh JP: December 28, 1996 Mobile phone NA: June 13, 2003 Wii Virtual Console Mega Drive JP: December 2, 2006 Arcade JP: April 12, 2011 3DS Virtual Console Game Gear JP: January 30, 2013 Nintendo Switch JP: March 28, 2019 WW: August 22, 2019
Genre(s)	Puzzle
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

The game was released by Tokuma Shoten on the same day of the MSX2 release under the name Famimaga Disk Vol. 5: Puyo Puyo (ファミマガディスク Vol.5 ぷよぷよ, Famimaga Disuku Boryūmu Faibu: Puyo Puyo) and as part of the Famimaga Disk series for the Family Computer Disk System. A year after the MSX2 and FDS versions, Sega released an arcade version, which heavily expanded the previous versions by including a one-player story mode and a two-player competitive mode.

Gameplay

The main game of Puyo Puyo is played against at least one opponent, computer or human. The game itself has three modes, Single Puyo Puyo, Double Puyo Puyo, and Endless Puyo Puyo. In Single mode, the player takes on the role of Arle Nadja, a 16-year-old female spellcaster that has the pleasure of foiling the Dark Prince's plans. The Dark Prince wishes to take over the world, and Arle stands in his way. As such, Arle must first however battle her way through 12 opponents before facing the Dark Prince. With the exception of Rulue, they are not sent by the Dark Prince, and mostly they just want to pull shenanigans with her (for Rulue, she fell in love with the Dark Prince). Once Arle has beaten the Dark Prince, the world is saved, so she can return home. As in all main Puyo games, the story mode consists of playing Puyo matches against a fixed sequence of characters in one of three courses. In Double mode, two players play against each other. In exactly the same fashion as before, by out-chaining one another, the player tries to fill up their opponent's grid. Since the rules of sending so many garbage blocks made games short-lived, no matter how many chains are sent, Compile added the rule of Offsetting in Puyo Puyo 2 and onwards. This lets players counter opponents' attacks with chains of their own, sending any garbage blocks back to them as a result of overflow. In endless mode, the player must continually match puyos to get the highest score they can. In Mission mode, the player must complete 52 missions requiring the Puyos on the field to be eliminated by using limited pieces.

Development

An English-translated version of arcade original was created and released internationally which replaces the original voice work, changes many of the characters' names, and removes the wings of the Harpies (which are called Dark Elves in the English version). Sega had re-released Puyo Puyo for the Mega Drive on December 18, 1992 and the Game Gear on March 19, 1993 in Japan. The Game Gear port of Puyo Puyo contains an English version named Puzlow Kids; this version appears whenever the game cartridge is used in a North American or European system. A PC-9801 port was released by Compile for the PC-9801 on March 19, 1993, the same day the Game Gear port was released. Tokuma Shoten had re-released their version Puyo Puyo for the Family Computer itself on July 23, 1993, which added a 2-player competitive mode. Banpresto released a version for the Super Famicom under the title Super Puyo Puyo (す〜ぱ〜 ぷよぷよ, Sūpā Puyo Puyo) on December 10, 1993. A port to the Game Boy was developed by Winkysoft, published by Banpresto and released on July 31, 1994 under the original name. NEC released their version of Puyo Puyo for the PC Engine's CD-ROM² on April 22, 1994 titled Puyo Puyo CD (ぷよぷよCD, Puyo Puyo Shī Dī). CRI Middleware released their version of Puyo Puyo for the FM Towns in December 1994.

The game was ported to Amiga by request of Amiga Power magazine and was featured on a cover disk under the name Super Foul Egg. It was then ported to RISC OS on Acorn by Owain Cole (and featured on an Acorn User cover disk), and finally ported to Java. In late 1995 it was ported to the Apple IIGS by Bret Victor.[5] Before being branded as Puyo Pop internationally, the first game saw release outside Japan in 1993 as Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine in North America and Europe for the Mega Drive/Genesis as well as the Game Gear and Master System (in Europe and Brazil). Two years later, it was released as Kirby's Avalanche (Kirby's Ghost Trap in Europe) for the Super NES in North America and Europe respectively.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed the arcade version of Puyo Puyo on their December 15, 1992 issue as being the fifth most-successful table arcade unit of the year.[6]

The Mega Drive version was a bestseller in Japan for four months.[7]

Legacy

The Mega Drive version was re-released for the Wii's Virtual Console in Japan on December 2, 2006, while the arcade version was released on April 12, 2011. The arcade VC release features online play.

In August 22, 2019, the Arcade version has been re-released for the Nintendo Switch under the Sega Ages Puyo Puyo (SEGA AGES ぷよぷよ) brand, with online-playing features.[8]

References

1. "ぷよぷよ（アーケード版） - セガ Wii(R) バーチャルコンソール公式サイト". Vc.sega.jp. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
2. "[セガハード大百科] メガドライブ対応ソフトウェア（セガ発売）". Sega. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved 2015-05-31.CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
3. "[セガハード大百科] ゲームギア対応ソフトウェア（セガ発売）". Sega. Archived from the original on June 1, 2012. Retrieved 2015-05-31.CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
4. "MAWS - showing resource: puyo". Mameworld.net. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
5. "Bret's IIgs software". Worrydream.com. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
6. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 440. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 December 1992. p. 29.
7. Official Japanese Mega Drive sales chart, September 1993, published in Mega (magazine) issue 12, page 12
8. "SEGA AGES Puyo Puyo for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Game Details". www.nintendo.com. Retrieved 2019-12-11.

External links

• Puyo Puyo at the Killer List of Videogames
• Hardcore Gaming 101 - Puyo Puyo Details the entirety of the series and all of its spinoffs