Puyo Puyo

For the International Mega Drive version, see Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. For the International Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear versions, see Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (8-bit).

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System C2 Mega Drive Game Gear
Puyo Puyo
System(s): Sega System C2, Sega Mega Drive, Sega Game Gear, Virtual Console, Nintendo Switch Online
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Compile, Sega AM1 M2
Peripherals supported: Gear-to-Gear Cable
Genre: Puzzle
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code JP 1992-10 ¥? ? JP 1992-12-18 ¥4,8004,800 G-4082 JP 1993-03-19 ¥3,5003,500 G-3324 JP ▼ 2006-12-02 600pts600 JP ▼ (Arcade) 2011-04-12 800pts800 JP ▼ 2013-01-30 ¥286 (300)286 (300) JP ▼ 2021-10-25
Non-Sega versions FM Towns Game Boy Macintosh PC-9801 UX PC-9801 VX Super CD-ROM² Super Game Boy Super NES Windows PC X68000

Puyo Puyo (ぷよぷよ) is a Japanese falling block puzzle game developed and published by Compile in 1992 for Sega System C2 arcade hardware. It is widely considered to be the first "major" entry in the Puyo Puyo series, being a noticeably expanded port of a prior 1991 Puyo Puyo release for MSX2 computers and the Nintendo Famicom in Japan.

Story

Puyo Puyo is a spin-off of Compile's earlier Madou Monogatari series of RPGs, featuring the same cast of characters and a similar setting, but with wildly different gameplay.

The Japanese arcade version does not elaborate on the game's story, but materials included in the home versions explain that protagonist Arle Nadja has learned the spell named "Owanimo" (a spell which causes four similarly-colored creatures to disappear) and is going on a journey to defeat Satan. The English arcade version features an entirely different story, along with new character names: Silvana (Arle Nadja) battles against the Dark Prince (Satan) and his Black Kingdom.

Gameplay

Puyo Puyo is a "falling block" puzzle game similar in nature to Tetris, where the objective is to connect four or more "puyo" of the same colour to clear them from the playfield (known officially as "popping"). Players score points for the puyo that are popped, but lose if a tower of puyo reaches the top of the playfield (or specifically, a puyo blocks the tile third from the top left). Success relies on the player staying alive as long as possible, with the speed of play gradually increasing as time goes on.

Unlike Tetris (or Columns), puyo in Puyo Puyo are effected by gravity after being placed in the field, so if an empty space exists below a puyo, it will fall to the tile below. This allows for "chains" or "combos", where multiple groups of puyo can be popped in one turn (and thus, more points are awarded). Chaining puyo in this way is typically the best way to achieve a high score.

In its original MSX and Famicom forms, Puyo Puyo was strictly a single player experience where surviving was the only major goal. "Missions" were later added, encouraging players to pop all puyo from the screen in a given time limit, and a basic two-player mode was introduced, where the winner was simply the person who lasted the longest. This 1992 iteration of the game offers perhaps the most significant upgrade - competitive play, which is the major focus of both this game and most Puyo Puyo titles in the years ahead.

When playing competitively, Puyo Puyo pits either two human players, or one human and AI against each other. Here, popping puyo not only has the advantage of freeing up space, but the act sends "ojama puyo" (お邪魔ぷよ) to the opposing player - puyo which cannot be linked together, and are only popped if next to a puyo about to be cleared. The more chains, the more ojama puyo is sent to the other player, inevitably causing them to lose.

Rules

In the 1992 Puyo Puyo (and the vast majority of games since), the game is played in a 6x12 "grid", with players given puyo in sets of two. There are five colours; red, yellow, green, blue and purple:

Later games would attempt to give a bit of personality to each type of puyo, however no such feature exists in this game.

Initially players can move the couple left or right ( and by default in the Mega Drive version), rotate them clockwise ( or ) or anticlockwise (), or speed up their descent () (this also adds some points to the score).

Rotation

As long as there is space to do so, falling pieces can be rotated clockwise or anticlockwise. Much like Tetris, the game gives players as bit of leeway, giving a fraction of a second for extra rotations should the piece be about to stop.

In the event that there is an obstruction on the left or right, the piece is pushed one tile in the opposite direction. If there is an obstruction on both sides, the piece cannot rotate (something rectified in later games).

Clockwise

→

→

→

Anticlockwise

→

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→

Popping

Puyo are popped when four or more of the same colour are grouped together with horizontal or vertical connections. The tiles which they occupy are then made empty for any puyo above to fall into.

→

→

In endless mode, where the objective is simply to remove puyo and stay in the game, the above could be considered a reasonable strategy, however in competitive play a greater emphasis is placed on chaining:

→

→

→

→

Competitive mode also introduces the concept of ojama puyo, which can only be removed if adjecent puyo are popped.

→

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History

Legacy

The Japanese arcade version received a software revision ("Rev. B"); this fixes a glitch that allows the player to prevent an AI opponent from manually dropping their Puyo by holding the second joystick to the left or right. However, the Mega Drive version is based on Rev. A, and thus the glitch can be recreated using a second controller. Additionally, the arcade game was translated into English, though its release date and region(s) are currently unknown. The English translation of the arcade game was eventually included in Sega Ages Puyo Puyo.

The arcade version of Puyo Puyo has been ported to various consoles, including the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Game Gear. The Game Gear version, when played in a non-Japanese system, becomes the English-language Puzlow Kids; this version's translation is nearly identical to that of the English arcade game.

Aside from the arcade version, ports of this game that were released in North America and Europe were heavily-localized. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is one such version, releasing for the Genesis, Game Gear, and Sega Master System.

As part of plans to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the series, in early 2011 Sega announced a Virtual Console rerelease of Puyo Puyo with online multiplayer support — the first Virtual Console game to be modified in such a way.

Production credits

Mega Drive version

• Producer: Moo Niitani
• Director: M・Tsukamoto
• Scenario: Hyohju Mu-
• Character Design: Hyohju Mu-
• Graphic Design: Janus Teramoto, Kerol, Neko-Nyan, Tokifuru Morita (21), Sonchoh-Sawa
• Program: K・Yoshinaka
• Sound Driver: Jemini Hirono
• BGM・SE: M・Tsukamoto (MATS), Einosuke Nagao
• Package・Manual: Ichi, Tokifuru Morita (21)
• Special Thanks to: All Our Fellows.

©Sega/Compile 1992

Digital manuals

• PuyoPuyo MD JP digital manual.pdf

  Mega Drive Mini JP manual

Magazine articles

Main article: Puyo Puyo/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Main article: Puyo Puyo/Promotional material.

Physical scans

System C version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Sega Zone (UK) NTSC-J 20

	20
Based on 1 review

Puyo Puyo

System C, JP
Instuction card(s)

Mega Drive version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score 1700 igr dlya Sega (RU) 50 Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J 88 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 73 Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J 60 Joypad (FR) NTSC-J 87 Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J 83 MegaTech (UK) NTSC-J 91 Marukatsu Mega Drive (JP) NTSC-J 88 Mean Machines Sega (UK) NTSC-J 90 Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-J 89 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 88

	80
Based on 11 reviews

Puyo Puyo

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart Manual PCB

Game Gear version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J 73 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 60 Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J 70 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 76 Video Games (DE) NTSC-J 72

	70
Based on 5 reviews

Puyo Puyo

Game Gear, JP
Cover
Cart Manual GG-Soft Information Vol.2

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
✔	CRC32 7f26614e MD5 c723d1079157ab78e160b26ac5091d74 SHA-1 02656b5707cf9452d4cf48378ffd3a95dc84e9c5	512kB	1992-09	Cartridge (JP)
✔	CRC32 d173a06f MD5 a5fce989c4fcf6faf37c5a1779df8a22 SHA-1 8ea2e623858221c5d39eb1e0f6532a0b23b00305	256kB		Cartridge (JP)

External links

• Sega of Japan Virtual Console pages: Mega Drive, Arcade
• Sega of Japan 3DS VC catalogue pages: Game Gear
• Nintendo catalogue pages: JP

References

NEC Retro has more information related to Puyo Puyo