PUYO PUYO

The Legacy of PUYO
Reviewed by Grobda

Apparantly according to a Japanese friend I had 'puyo' means 'soft,squidgy' and that describes the pieces in this much converted and sequelled puzzler. The cutie anime style is the deceptive cover for a deep dark monster of a game; addictive, competetive and potentially scarring.

First thoughts are 'is this tetris?...columns?' yes it looks a bit derivative; the screen split in half with falling blobs on either side. The familiar left/right/drop/rotate controls will get you nicely drawn in. Either play against a friend or an AI opponent (of the twisted/cute anime variety - my favorite was a wee man with one giant foot that quivers spastically when you beat him - yes a bit sick).

The AIM is to get 4 blobs of the same colour together(they then disappear), the TRICK is to get 4 blobs, but ensure that when they dissapear it results in another 4 blobs sticking as they fall into the space left, resulting in another 4 blobs sticking as they fall into the space left etc. etc. The more blob combos you get the more blocks pile up ominously above the other players. When your combo is finished, grey blobs drop into the players screen - depending on your monstrosity of combo, this can range from a paltry 1 or 2 upto an instant-kill screenfull.

Well enough description - its simple. IF you get hooked be warned; for a while this was pretty much all me and a few mates used to play on the snes, and it gets personal, until gradually the puyo-reflex is burned into the brain until EVERYTHING starts to look like soft,squidgy falling blobs.... then the dreams begin, and constant subconscious combo arrangements fill your mind. Enjoy!

Formats encountered so far:

Puyo Pop - Neo Geo Pocket Colour (linkable) - I havent finished this yet but my girlfriend has. I maintain it was a fluke same as that second brazilian goal. Also on Gameboy Advance (Soon)

Puyo Puyo, Puyo Puyo 2 - Arcade

Super Puyo Puyo - Snes