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[Eric C]

I first knew the Puyo Puyo games as
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine

If you had an SNES you might know it as
Kirby's Avalanche / Kirby's Ghost Trap

One of it's last releases in the West was
Puyo Pop Fever
way back in 2004, after that it's been pretty much been stuck in Japan ever since. Even iOS games are left as Japan only.

I've actually imported some of the later DS games. Now I can't even do that with the 3DS

If not a full retail release in the West, why hasn't Sega or some other company put the 3DS game on the eShop, for Western gamers? To me, Digital Download puzzle games on portable consoles seem like a perfect match for each other.

Has the Japanese Puyo Puyo art style hurt it's appeal in the West? Or do people just not care about the Puyo Puyo series?

 

[5amshift]

Puyo is my favorite or one of my favorite puzzle games of all time. I love it.
Back for the 20th anniversary, I wanted to score the Puyo Pop hoody, but wasn't able to find one online.

 

[ThatsMytrunks]

I just picked up two Puyo games on SNES, Kirby's avalanche, and the gamecube version of PPFever. I remember destroying people at Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine in high school.

I wish for an XBLA / PSN version with online multiplayer.

 

[Coxy]

it's not that people wont buy it, they generally cant. sega have done an awful job of making it widely available, there should be loads of versions of it on every kind of device, they could be cleaning up, making a fortune releasing it puzzle quest style and bejeweled style but nope, it's just another emblemetic case of sega not having a CLUE how to manage their IPs

 

[bon]

I love Puyo. Somebody please localise the 3DS one.

 

[sakipon]

There's just so much localization needing to be done. Just like with that Vita alarm clock app.

 

[luka]

love puyo so much. own the megadrive original, ketteiban port of 2 on the psx, sun on the saturn, 15th anni on ps2 and 20th anni on wii. best puzzle games ever.

 

[Kouriozan]

it's not that people wont buy it, they generally cant.

This, I really love Puyo Puyo but most of them are only released in japan.

 

[Canis lupus]

I know I don't.

 

[RM8]

I love Puyo and will buy it whenever it's released. I still suck at it, but I don't really care. Robotnik's MBM had awesome music.

 

[Cosmo Clock 21]

hi

All I ask for is Puyo Puyo Tsuu HD Remix on PS3/360/WiiU with online play in the west.

EDIT: Why does that Kirby's Avalanche boxart use the E for Everyone ESRB rating? It was released in 1995, but they didn't switch from K-A to E until 1998.

 

[JordanKZ]

Puyo Pop Fever for the Dreamcast was... fucking amazing. There's no other word to describe it. I have ploughed hours and hours into that game. If I remember rightly, it was entirely in Japanese too.

 

[Fugu]

I bought a Super Famicom specifically to play Super Puyo Puyo 2.

I love these games, although I don't play any of the newer ones.

 

[VGChampion]

Loved Dr. Robotnik's game. Also played a decent amount of one on the GBA I believe. Other than that, I can't say I've missed them. I would play a new one though. Possibly.

 

[Cosmo Clock 21]

BTW, cheapest option to play the most recent Puyo game will be in about two months when SEGA releases Puyo Puyo!! Special Price on December 13th for DS/Wii/PSP/3DS. It'll be importable for less than 40 USD. Unless you really want to figure out the story (which doesn't really exist due to it being a dream battle game of sorts), in which case the translation patch is halted due to lack of translators/interest.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Puyo Puyo kinda started to suck immediately after Compile bit the dust back in like... 2002. Haven't played the absolute most recent ones, but I didn't like the stuff that was coming out in the mid 2000s.

 

[DJIzana]

As long as Erika Toda keeps advertising for Puyo Puyo & Sega AND they keep that FREAKING ADDICTIVE theme song, I'll still pay attention!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7_bTgdQ9X0

 

[Eric C]

BTW, cheapest option to play the most recent Puyo game will be in about two months when SEGA releases Puyo Puyo!! Special Price on December 13th for DS/Wii/PSP/3DS. It'll be importable for less than 40 USD. Unless you really want to figure out the story (which doesn't really exist due to it being a dream battle game of sorts), in which case the translation patch is halted due to lack of translators/interest.

I'll probably import the DS one.

Just wondering, do you know if the 3DS one has cross online play with the Wii and DS?

 

[Cosmo Clock 21]

I'll probably import the DS one.

Just wondering, do you know if the 3DS one has cross online play with the Wii and DS?

It's on a separate thing (not to mention region-locked).

 

[Rewrite]

I love them. I think the last one I bought was the anniversary for the DS. I'll still pop in Fever from time to time and enjoy myself building lots of chains. Plus, the music is just great. <3

 

[GameCenterXDS]

Yes, I love them. Seriously two-player Puyo Puyo is amazing and some of the most fun and intense multiplayer I've ever played. Can't wait to get a Wii U and get the Puyo Puyo Genesis import game off virtual console again, will try to get more friends into it. It's tough and takes some puzzle game skills to really get into it.

 

[Brobzoid]

I bought Kirby ghost trap when me and my mother were vacationing in England back in the day. I bought it because I thought it was a fighting game (it had a screen shot of the trash talk screen on the back of the box). Disappointment.

But lo! it turned out real fun. love to play puyo puyo, even though I'm terrible at it. But since I keep losing, that usually means people are more willing to play with me so it's all good.

 

[KDash31987]

I freaking LOVE the series. Played pretty much every single one, except the recent 20th Anniversary game. But man, I wish they'd release them in the US. All we ever got were the clones mentioned in the opening post, up until Puyo Pop on the Neo Geo Pocket, based on 2/Tsuu. Then we got an original GameBoy Advance game. Then we got Puyo Pop Fever on the Nintendo DS and GameCube.

I still want a new one in English with 4-player local (5 on Wii U?) and online play, damn it.

Puyo Pop Fever for the Dreamcast was... fucking amazing. There's no other word to describe it. I have ploughed hours and hours into that game. If I remember rightly, it was entirely in Japanese too.

I'm pretty sure that all versions of Fever 1 had English options in the menus, including the Dreamcast version.

 

[Hellraizah]

My top puzzle game series (up there with Magical Drop).

Shame that people here don't realize how good it is.

 

[Dusk Golem]

Terrible at Puyo Pop too, but love it as well. The last one I played was Puyo Pop Fever, which was a great game.

This series also had consistently good music. I am remembering particularly Satan Sama's theme, which was a remix of the final battle in the original Puyo Pop and the 2-player theme of Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdDN0iOT_kI

 

[axisofweevils]

I love the Puyo games.
Like others have said, the only reason I stopped playing them is Sega made them hard for Westerners to obtain.

 

[Starwolf_UK]

If we go by the theory we get a Puyo Puyo game each decade (in the 90s we got the first, in the 00s we got Fever so now that we're in the 10s), I'd say its a couple of more years.

Thing is with the Puyo sequels they make a change to the mechanics but not always for the better. The character exclusive powers in Puyo~n for one. Some would also say the Sun tiles in Puyo Puyo Sun (they always seem to land in such a way as to destroy your big chains...maybe thats the idea as IIRC, offsetting makes the things drop to start with).

Fakedit: I almost forgot this Puyo Puyo game:

It kind of throws a spanner into the once a decade thing (Mean Bean Machine and Avalanche don't as they're both Puyo Puyo 1 edits).

EDIT: Why does that Kirby's Avalanche boxart use the E for Everyone ESRB rating? It was released in 1995, but they didn't switch from K-A to E until 1998.

Nice spot.
I'd would have waged a guess at it being a reprint to coincide with Kirby's Drema land 3. But the game out also before the E rating.

 

[storafötter]

Probably my favourite puzzle series. I got hooked on Dr.Eggmans meanbean machine through the Sonic GC collection.

 

[apesh1t]

Isn't this essentially the same game over and over again? I had it on the Snes, that's all I need. At least with Bust a Move they add things to it.

 

[Dusk Golem]

Isn't this essentially the same game over and over again? I had it on the Snes, that's all I need. At least with Bust a Move they add things to it.

They added things in Puyo Pop Fever as well. The essential gameplay is the same, but I can say I was impressed by how much they added into Fever.

 

[Ramune]

I remember borrowing Dr. Robotnik's MBM from one of my brother's school friends for Sonic 2 in return. At first I was underwhelmed...till I played and played and played and...oh GOD! I'm addicted!

Then the internet happened and found out what it was based on. Imported the Megadrive original, Puyo Puyo Tsu & Sun for Saturn and Puyo Puyo~n for Dreamcast. Also have Puyo Pop for Neo Geo Pocket Color (first time the Madou Monogatari characters made it overseas intact, and was really Puyo Tsu when console was set to Japanese). Also Puyo Pop for GBA.

Haven't played the newest incarnations though. The new artstyle in Puyo Fever was off putting to me at first, but I've since warmed up to it. Which should I get though?

 

[brettchalupa]

In April this year, an indie developer released a great Puyo game on iOS and Android.

It's called Ghost Puzzle. Really, really well made. Anime styled, if you're in to that (I am).

Here is the iOS link!

I think that Puyo and Puyo type games are really relevant because of touchtronic devices and their app stores. I really love puzzle games and puyo games. Some other great ones that come to mind are Connectrode and Unify. Not Puyo exactly, but similar.

 

[BurnOutBrighter]

Damn this game was awesome. I remember a lot of hectic duels with my brother in this and Tetris Attack.

 

[Cosmo Clock 21]

Haven't played the newest incarnations though. The new artstyle in Puyo Fever was off putting to me at first, but I've since warmed up to it. Which should I get though?

Get Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary for your system of choice (DS/PSP/Wii/3DS); it seems to be low/out of stock at most places, but the budget re-release in two months should change that.

Avoid Puyo 7 at all costs. The gimmick is bad and the entry reeks of having too much money spent on marketing and not enough on gameplay. PP20th's gimmick is also horrible, but at least it's not the main focus of the game, plus there's a ridiculous amount of content and challenge regardless.

 

[BigDug13]

The only one I ever played/owned was on Neo Geo Pocket Color.

 

[Ramune]

Get Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary for your system of choice (DS/PSP/Wii/3DS); it seems to be low/out of stock at most places, but the budget re-release in two months should change that.

Avoid Puyo 7 at all costs. The gimmick is bad and the entry reeks of having too much money spent on marketing and not enough on gameplay. PP20th's gimmick is also horrible, but at least it's not the main focus of the game, plus there's a ridiculous amount of content and challenge regardless.

Thanks, I'll check that out! Some reason 7 seemed kinda off putting too. Not sure why as I never played it. ^_^;

I'd probably get it for PSP or DS/Wii, although it's a shame the PSP games never had online multiplayer like the DS games. Guess those sold much better in comparison, but still...

 

[@MUWANdo]

Puyo, like Chu Chu Rocket, should be on every device ever, and I'll never understand why Sega doesn't milk the shit out of both of them.

Sega was planning to use the 20th anniversary to rebrand Puyo internationally as a Sonic-themed game, but they decided to keep the old Puyo universe at the last minute, so nothing happened.

 

[Rlan]

I think the two player / Vs puzzler is a bit out of fashion at the moment, mainly because they're difficult to deal with on iPhone devices, because you want the player to be able to use the whole screen.

There are a few games that do attempt it, but it's never really been the same. Nothing can touch single-player Tetris status.

It would be nice if they went the route of Magical Drop V -- digital download on XBLA / PSN for $5

But they know they're going to make more money by selling it for a lot more in Japan, so it stays there.

 

[Cosmo Clock 21]

In April this year, an indie developer released a great Puyo game on iOS and Android.

It's called Ghost Puzzle. Really, really well made. Anime styled, if you're in to that (I am).

Here is the iOS link!

I think that Puyo and Puyo type games are really relevant because of touchtronic devices and their app stores. I really love puzzle games and puyo games. Some other great ones that come to mind are Connectrode and Unify. Not Puyo exactly, but similar.

You should buy this game to show some solidarity; the developer runs the English Puyo fansite and does stuff on tigsource as well. Or you could buy it because it's a good game.

He's also responsible for the "Puyo Puyo VS" fangame, which is oriented towards netplay and has rudimentary AI and practice modes built in.
Download: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3851720/PuyoVS2/PuyoVSbeta_build21.zip
Character Pack: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?xa7b7djrklygkdc
Server: ds-net.jp

 

[Neo Child]

Omg yes puyo pop is my favourite puzzles game ever next to panel de pon

Oshare bones

IM HIP TO YOU
GET WITH IT
UNCOOL
TOTALLY UNCOOL
CALL THE FASHION POLICE

I CAN'T STAND IT
D-D-DROP DEAD

 

[FSLink]

Get Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary for your system of choice (DS/PSP/Wii/3DS); it seems to be low/out of stock at most places, but the budget re-release in two months should change that.

Avoid Puyo 7 at all costs. The gimmick is bad and the entry reeks of having too much money spent on marketing and not enough on gameplay. PP20th's gimmick is also horrible, but at least it's not the main focus of the game, plus there's a ridiculous amount of content and challenge regardless.

Can you explain what was so bad about those two games' gimmicks for those who aren't too great at Puyo?

 

[Cosmo Clock 21]

Can you explain what was so bad about those two games' gimmicks for those who aren't too great at Puyo?

In the first four Puyo games, any garbage above your board falls as soon as you place your current piece down and whatever chain happens finishes clearing.

Starting with Puyo Pop Fever, garbage will only fall if you are unable to clear any Puyo by placing your piece down. I suspect this was done because Tsuu games can end extremely quickly, plus it helps players stall to enter Fever mode. Garbage would still fall on you during Fever mode, so if you're dead, you're dead. I don't like PPF personally but there are people who enjoy playing it very much.

In Puyo Puyo 7, not only does delayed garbage return, but the very act of clearing garbage on your field fills up your Transformation (this game's equivalent of Fever) count. Plus, garbage never falls on you during Transformation mode. This leads to a couple of situations:
1. You stall forever since you can fill up the Transformation gauge so quickly. The addition of an instant-drop exacerbates this issue.
2. Transformation starts off incredibly weak to balance the fact that you can't die during it, so oftentimes skilled players will "trap" the opponent in Transformation then dump a shitloard of garbage on them afterwards. This is slightly counterinuitive to what you would expect a "hyper" mode to do.
The fact that one of the two Transformation modes is strictly better than the other doesn't help things, either.

In PP20th, stalling is taken to the max in 2v2 Pair Puyo. While you're in the middle of a "pair chain" mechanic, garbage never falls on you or your partner as long as you keep clearing Puyo, similar to Transformation. Have you ever played Tetris Attack to the point where neither you nor your opponent can win because the board never advances due to garbage constantly being cleared? Similar situation. Oftentimes the losing team will have like 12 comets hovering over their heads, but never fall due to the team keeping their shitty pair chain going by constantly clearing 1 chains (which also reinforces bad habits). You can watch people be bored as hell because of this situation during this PP20th tourney:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgLfhDP-YPE

--
Despite the existence of Pair Puyo, the other non-spotlight gimmick modes in PP20th are fun as hell. If you played PP15th, remember how terribly designed Underwater, Spotlight, and pretty much every other gimmick mode in that game was? None of that shit in PP20th. Plus SUN mode is back if you liked that game.

 

[cj_iwakura]

IMO, Puyo Pop Fever(DS) is the best one ever localized. Eight player multi from one cart.

 

[Deband]

Ignore me wrong thread.

 

[Hero of Legend]

There's a mini Puyo 20th coming out on the 3DS eShop, biggest shot at a localization?

 

[StayDead]

There's a mini Puyo 20th coming out on the 3DS eShop, biggest shot at a localization?

I'm thinking of picking this up on my Japanese 3DS, it's like 200 yen.

 

[vulva]

I want a new puyo game!!!!!

 

[Fuu]

In April this year, an indie developer released a great Puyo game on iOS and Android.

It's called Ghost Puzzle. Really, really well made. Anime styled, if you're in to that (I am).

Here is the iOS link!

http://i.imgur.com/Z38IE.jpg

I think that Puyo and Puyo type games are really relevant because of touchtronic devices and their app stores. I really love puzzle games and puyo games. Some other great ones that come to mind are Connectrode and Unify. Not Puyo exactly, but similar.

Thanks for the link, I wanted a Puyo Puyo on my phone and I wasn't aware there was a decent iOS clone that's not Japan-only.

 

[Dicer]

Played my PC Engine copy for hours and hours and hours back in the day...

 

[Cosmo Clock 21]

There's a mini Puyo 20th coming out on the 3DS eShop, biggest shot at a localization?

It appears essentially to be a paid demo of PP20th. Four selectable characters, four playable modes, only prologue for Story mode. No local or online multiplayer.
http://puyo.sega.jp/puyopuyo!!/topics/index.html#contents-20121107_01 has more info if you want a more precise translation.

I'd love for this to get localized but no multiplayer is a killer and Capcpom has taught me to be wary of "tests".