Puyo Puyo Tsu

Puyo Puyo Tsu

Developer(s) Compile
SEGA
Bits Laboratory
Goo!
Publisher(s)
  • JP/NA/PAL SEGA (original)
Series Puyo Puyo
Platform(s)

Release date(s)
Genre(s) Puzzle
Mode(s) Single Player, Multiplayer, Endless, Puzzle Mode (some versions).
Distribution Cartridge/CD

Puyo Puyo Tsu (ぷよぷよ通 Puyo Puyo Tsū, also known as Puyo Puyo 2, Puyo Puyo Tsuu or Puyo Puyo 2: Tsuu) is the second installment of the Puyo Puyo games; the sequel to Puyo Puyo, made in 1994 by Compile.[1] Compile put more thought into this game after its predecessor became successful, but never knew how much of a turnaround the game would bring.

Due to its highly acclaimed success, it became the most predominant game of the series. Though with many of its rules being experimental, the ability of Sousai and Rensa Sibari became a top hit immediately, thus creating longer matches for better gameplay. Also due to its successes, it became the most widely known multiplatform game in Japan, appearing in the Arcade, on major domestic consoles, on major handhelds, on the NEC PC98-01, on the PC, and on others.

The name of Puyo Puyo Tsu comes from an English pun, as "tsu" (通 tsū, meaning Expert) when spoken aloud sounds similar to the English word "two". Compile continued this pun for Puyo Puyo SUN and Puyo Puyo~n.

History

Puyo Puyo Tsu was originally developed by Compile and released by Sega for arcades in 1994, and became the biggest arcade game to have been played in Japan since the arrival of Street Fighter II. The success of the game prompted Compile to port the game to several consoles and computers, including the Super Famicom, Sega Mega Drive, PC Engine CD, Game Boy, Game Gear, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, PC under Windows 95, Wonderswan, Neo Geo Pocket Color, PlayStation 2, et al. The Game Boy Advance and N-Gage games Puyo Pop are also heavily based on this particular installment of the series, a Virtual Boy was in development, but never released due to the system's failure.

The Super Famicom version, retitled Super Puyo Puyo Tsu (す〜ぱ〜ぷよぷよ通 Sūpā Puyo Puyo Tsū) sold around 10,000 units in the first week of release, even though it was later than that of the Mega Drive version. This was because it added a 4-player mode - Compile's first attempt at such a mode for a domestic console - with the use of a multitap. Without a multitap, 3 and 4 MAN players cannot be played. Months later, Compile released Super Puyo Puyo Tsu Remix (す〜ぱ〜ぷよぷよ通リミックス Sūpā Puyo Puyo Tsū Rimikkusu), a special version of the Super Famicom game that allowed up to 4 players to play without the need of the multitap, by replacing the human players with computer ones. A port was also released for the PC Engine CD titled Puyo Puyo Tsu CD (ぷよぷよ通CD Puyo Puyo Tsū Shī Dī). Super Puyo Puyo Tsu Remix also included two new Extended Training and Special Modes, as well as other features. Another case are the PC-Engine CD, Saturn and PlayStation versions, which add voice-overs and cutscenes.

The PC version of Puyo Puyo Tsu was the only version to include a separate Nazo Puyo quest, as the CD versions had a "cut-down" version included into them.

To show the success of Puyo Puyo Tsu, in the Sega Ages 2500 series for the PlayStation 2, Sega released a version entitled Sega Ages 2500 series Vol. 12: Puyo Puyo Tsu PERFECT SET (セガエイジズ2500シリーズ Vol.12 ぷよぷよ通パーフェクトセット Sega Eijizu Shirīzu Boryūmu Touerubu: Puyo Puyo Tsū), which paid tribute to one of the most popular versions, the Sega Saturn version.

The balanced gameplay introduced by Tsu has continued to be available in nearly every game following it as a "classic" mode, and still remains to be a firm favourite among many Puyo players, fans, experts, and champions today.

Only one version of Puyo Puyo Tsu was internationally released, and that was Puyo Pop for the Neo Geo Pocket Color, which was the first Puyo Puyo game to use the international title of Puyo Pop, but the third Western release after Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine and Kirby's Ghost Trap/Avalanche. Like some other Neo Geo Pocket Color games, the Japanese version of the game feature options in English, since the console is set for that language.

The Mega Drive version was released on the Wii's Virtual Console download service in Japan on April 24, 2007. It was released in North America on the Virtual Console on March 10, 2008,[2] and in Europe and Australia on May 9, 2008 at the cost of 900 Wii Points. This became the first Puyo game to retain the original Puyo Puyo name released in the West commercially, and remains unchanged from the Japanese version.

Gameplay

Just like the prequel, Puyo fall from the top of the screen in pairs, can be moved left and right, and can be rotated clockwise and counter-clockwise by 90°; if the third column from the left fills up to the top, the game is over. Different rules however played a factor within the game. The game also has different styles of playing for each version, including its newer features, explained below:

Sousai

The first extended rule added to this game was called Sousai (Garbage Countering). This will allow a player to counter and negate garbage being sent by the opponent with chains of their own. The idea with Sousai was to enable players to negate as many ojamas as possible before they fall, thus creating more of a challenge for all players.

The idea in which this worked is simple, say Player A scores a 4 rensa that sends 30 garbage, and Player B scores a 3 chain before garbage falls. Each value of garbage each chain is worth is used to negate that many garbage from Player A's 4 chains as a result. Chain 1 does 3 garbage damage, Chain 2 does 8 garbage damage, and Chain 3 does 9 garbage damage. From 30, 3 will be deducted first, then 8, then 9, creating a total of 20 garbage. In the prequel, this would be sent directly to the opponent, but in this game, 20 is taken away from the 30 waiting to fall, leaving 10 garbage to fall instead of 30 (as 30 - 20 = 10).

Sousai can also be used to send garbage back to the opponent, known as Garbage overflow. If Player A scores a 4 Chain that does 30 garbage, and Player B scores a 4 chain that does 36 garbage, the 30 from Player A will be completely negated and 6 would be sent back as the overflow. Power Rensa plays a huge part in Sousai, following the Power Rensa rule, and can negate and send garbage back to the opponent many a time.

Sousai can be seen as one sided too, however, as the player who has finished their chain can then begin to build another, whereas the player who is still countering with chains of their own may not be able to diminish all garbage, leaving leftovers to fall. On a critical scale, weak chains will mean certain doom if a Player scores a strong rensa of any type. Equally speaking, it will take a chain of equal proportions to keep the game flowing. Many pro players make sure that they are the last to attack, so that they follow behind to keep the game moving. Many players however, know that if the opponent is chaining, and the chain is fairly extensive (for example, 10 rensa), they can use the time it takes to create a few more steps on their readily built chain (say, five more steps on a 10 rensa of their own, making 15 rensa altogether), and then unleash that, to counter all garbage and send overflow back, and keep sending more garbage with each chain hit. The opponent can then quickly build a chain of their own to counter, to keep the garbage going back and forth in succession until one person fails to negate garbage to a minimal level and loses the game, keeping the fairness in the game. This term of throwing garbage between the players is called Puyo Tennis, as it's the knocking of garbage between each players pending grid before it eventually falls and that player loses.

Rensa Sibari

A custom rule that can also be applied to Puyo Puyo 2 is called Rensa Sibari (Chain Limit). When set to a particular number, each chain up to that number doesn't score anything, nor does it send garbage. If Rensa Sibari, for example, is set to 7, then no player can send garbage unless the chain hit is 7 rensa or higher. By default, it's turned off (or more notably, is set to 1, as all single rensa normally sends garbage), but can be set up to a maximum of 9 in this game.

In Puyo Pop Fever and later games, this setting can be set at any value between 1 and 20, where 20 makes it impossible to send any garbage, ideal for training and coaching sessions. This is because there is only enough room on the board for a maximum of 19 chains, though Puyo Puyo SUN is unique in having an extra row of "hidden" spaces, allowing a maximum of 20 chains.

Double-Rotation

A useful of this game is the ability to double rotate when stuck in-between columns. As with all current games that used this rule, it wasn't used in the prequel. If Player A has piece Red-Yellow falling from Column 3, and Columns 2 and 4 are filled to the top, then by pressing any rotate button twice, the puyos will flip, meaning that the piece would look Yellow-Red as opposed to Red-Yellow (Key: Top Puyo-Bottom Puyo -> A-B becomes B-A).

A way of escaping is also to place puyos over the top'. To do this, one must double rotate the puyo from the top of the screen as quickly as they can, and can use (if it isn't blocked), the hidden off-screen area to move from one column to another vacant column (Keep Columns 2 and 4 filled to the top, yet Column 5 is vacant, by double-rotating, and moving to the direction of Column 5, you can flip the puyos over the top of Column 4 and into Column 5). This doesn't always work, but can work for stalling if you need a bit of extra time to either get the coloured puyo you need to set off a chain, or to stall and let your opponent lose first (though they can use the same trick, so it's not always successful either).

Rule Henka (Grid Preset)

In Puyo Puyo 2, an experimental rule called Rule Henka was brought into the game. When turned on, as each game starts, different ojama presets will appear (see Ojama).

Kata Lock

Unlike Rensa Sibari, Kata Lock differs from negating garbage being sent. It does, moreover, disallow bonuses or special effects to happen until the selected number has been set (see Ojama). By default, it's set to off, but like with Rensa Sibari, you can set it to 9.

Zenkeshi (All Clear)

Another revolutionary idea that's been kept for every game since Puyo Puyo Tsu, is a bonus called Zenkeshi. When all puyos are cleared from your grid (including all garbage), yellow text will appear on the screen, reading "Zenkeshi" (全消し). If you send a chain after this has happened, it is worth the single chain amount plus 30 garbage.

Many top players can All Clear from 7 or more chains, and having a cleared field means you can easily build chains from the beginning. You also score 10000 points for all clearing too.

The fanfare used for this is an alternative version of the Compile bios theme. Sega retained this for the release of Minna de Puyo Puyo and Puyo Puyo Fever to show originality of the game. In Puyo Puyo Fever, when you all clear, instead of sending bonus damage, you are awarded a random preconstructed 4 chain, with which you can either set off for a quick attack, or use its foundation to build a stronger chain overall. Some people prefer this as it enables you to send roughly the same amount of garbage, but because you can build upon it. There are some that disagree, as the bonus, though it may seem one sided, can be used to strengthen the overall chain altogether, regardless of how many steps it is.

Ojama (Garbage)

The standard ojamas were kept with the release of Puyo Puyo Tsu, however, two new garbage types also appeared, known as Point Puyos and Hard Puyos.

Point Puyos

As the name suggests, Point Puyos, when erased adjacently with neighbouring groups of puyos, add points to your overall score, and can also make your chains more powerful in the short-term. Like standard ojamas, they are erased once a neighbouring group erases adjacently with them, and add 50 points for each one erased to the chains score. This in theory, can also double the amount of garbage being sent with one chain, though when many are erased, can do more damage.

For example, Player A scores a 2 chain, the second chain is 4 puyos, but connects with one point puyo. This will be calculated using the following : Single chain: (Puyo * 10 (+ Garbage * 50)) x (Puyo erased) Double Chain: (Puyo * 10 (+ Garbage * 50)) x (Puyo erased + ((Puyos erased * Rensa) *2))

Single Chain: 40 x 4 Double Chain: 40 + 50 -> 90 x 20.

If 40 x 20 sends 8 garbage, 90 x 20 will send 16 garbage minimum, thus boosting its strength. The strength further increases for Power Rensa, and for how many are erased in a single chain. A 15 group Power Rensa, erasing 6 Point Puyos, will certainly do masses of damage.

In Edit-Rules, you can change the overall strength of the Point Puyos, and this also works for Hard Puyos (see below).

If Kata Lock is set to a number, you'll get no bonus until that number of chains it met or surpassed.

Hard Puyos

As the name suggests, Hard Puyos, when they land on the field, are harder to erase than Standard Garbage or Point Puyos, and are often referred to as Steelies. Hard Puyos are in the form of squares, and cannot be erased the first time when adjacent to a neighbouring group. Once they're erased a first time, the square shell disappears, leaving a standard ojama left to erase. Because they are in the shape of a square, if you have one or two groups of puyos that touch two or more of the sides of a Hard Puyo, then it will completely disappear, leaving nothing as a result.

In Edit-Rules, you can change the overall strength of the standard ojama, making it emulate a Point Puyo.

If Kata Lock is set to a number, no matter how many puyos touch the side of a Hard Puyo, it will not erase until that number of chains it met or surpassed.

Game modes

Unlike the prequel, Puyo Puyo Tsu has three different modes for each type. The three main modes are, Single Puyo Puyo, Double Puyo Puyo, and Endless Puyo Puyo. For Super Puyo Puyo 2, and Super Puyo Puyo 2 Remix, using a Super NES Multitap, an additional mode known as Minna de Puyo Puyo (Everybody Puyo Puyo, also the name of a Puyo Puyo game for the Game Boy Advance), means that up to 4 players (though for Remix, including a COM player) can play.

Single Puyo Puyo

Satan is once again trying to call the shots, but this time does it in an entirely different fashion. In an attempt not only to steal Arle's heart, but also to nab Kaa-Kun, he sets up a battle tower, in which Arle has to beat characters on each floor to climb up the tower. As Arle wins every match, she gains bonus points which add on to her total score, and this acts as Experience. As a result, the chains are weaker and do less damage, but it means the game is harder.

In the practice modes, Arle has to play against some of the players found in the tower, so that the player can grow adjusted to the new rules. Many beginners to Puyo Puyo also started with Puyo Puyo Tsu.

In the main game (known as Tower Mode), Arle must climb the tower to beat Satan. She bumps into old foes from the previous games (such as Draco Centauros, Nasu Grave, Minotauros, Schezo Wegey and Rulue), as well as new characters (such as Baromett, Trio Banshee, Momomo and Owlbear). As you go up each level, the opposition becomes harder, and the drop speed gets faster. Players that have used no continues and have scored over 180,000 points before reaching the very top of the tower face a Cameo Character in Satan, where he foolishly wears a mask and calls himself Masked Satan.

For Super Puyo Puyo 2 Remix originally, though included in other versions, a special All-Stage mode was created (known as Rally Mode, or Special), where Arle has to face every opponent in the game (including secret ones, such as Dragon), in an almost random order of difficulty. Starting with Willo-the-Wisp, ending with Masked Satan. As each level progresses, the drop speed increases, going to full speed as you reach Masked Satan. The default AI setting for this mode is always Hardest, even if set to Easy. This mode is a good way to get immensely high top-scores of around 2,000,000 points without continuaution.

Stage List:

Training Stage (Super Puyo Puyo Tsu only)
  • Owlbear
  • Trio the Banshee
  • Zombie
    • - Nohoho will be there if the above stages are beaten without any continues.
Level 1
  • Skeleton T
  • Will O Wisp
  • Sukiyapodes
  • Trio the Banshee
  • Nomi
  • Momomo
  • Baromett
  • Mini Zombie
    • - Masked Satan will be there if you ran out of People to Challenge, but after Masked Satan's defeat, Arle will be booted out of the tower.
Level 2
  • Panotty
  • Uroko Sakana Bit/Seriri
  • Nohoho
  • Cait Sith
  • Fufufu
  • Mummy
    • - Owl Bear will be there if you ran out of People to Challenge.
Level 3
  • Sasoriman
  • Samurai Mole
  • Harpy
  • Parara
  • Nasu Grave
    • - Zombie will be there if you ran out of People to Challenge.
Level 4
  • Suketoudara
  • Mamono
  • Witch
  • Pakista
    • - Dragon will be there if you ran out of People to Challenge.
Level 5
  • Minotaruos
  • Draco
    • - Zoh Daimoh will be there if you ran out of People to Challenge.
Level 6
  • Schezo Wegey
  • Rulue
  • Satan
    • - Masked Satan will be there if you earn 180,000 Exp without any continues.

Super Puyo Puyo 2

Easy Mode
  • Beginning
  • Skeleton-T
  • Parara
  • Owl Bear
Experienced
  • Mini Zombie
  • Momomo
  • Dragon
  • Uroko Sakana Bito/Seriri
  • Zombie
Graduation
  • Nasu Grave
  • Pakista
  • Suketoudara
  • Harpy
  • Mummy
  • Zoh Daimaoh
  • Banshee Trio

Multiplayer Puyo Puyo

The idea for Double and Everybody Puyo Puyo was to use the same game modes. Of course, an Edit Rules option is available as part of the package, but the different modes of play vary.

Predefined rules

There are five predefined rule sets available in the versus menu, laid out in a 3x2 rectangle going across and then down. These are as follows:

Normal Rules
As the name implies, you play normal rules, where there are no special alterations.
Point Puyo
This mode of game is the same as normal, except Point Puyo fall instead of normal garbage.
Hard Puyo
This mode of game is the same as normal, except Hard Puyo fall instead of normal garbage.
Two to Clear
This mode of the game is experimental, as you only need to group 2 puyo adjacently for them to clear (a pair of the same colour will erase as soon as they land, given they are still adjacent).
Six to Clear
The same as two to clear, except you need to group 6 puyo adjacently for them to clear.

Custom rules

The last option in the menu grid, labelled Edit Rules, allows players to decide on their own set of rules to play with. The following options are available:

Puyo Rules
The preset for Puyo Rules differs from the one set in the game. You can set how much damage each chain does by setting the configuration number between 1 and 15. By default, it is 2.
Puyos to Clear
By setting this number, you can set how many puyo it takes before they erase. This is configurable between 2 and 72. By default, it is 4.
Single Chain Clear Bonus
This determines how many Points it takes for a Single Chain to send garbage, by default, it's 120. Though it can be set between 0 and 255. Each value grows/differs by 5.
Garbage Points
This determines how many Points Ojamas are worth, by default, it is set to 0, however, it can be set between 0 and 255. Each value grows/differs by 5.
Garbage Puyo Mode
In this mode, you can choose whether they're standard, Hard, or Hard 2. If they are Hard, then all garbage will become Hard Puyos, however, if set to Hard 2, only the top row of garbage are Hard Puyos, with the bottom rows being standard garbage. You can set points to this also by setting Garbage Points.
Chain Type
This just changes the angle trajectory of the chain being sent. It can be set of one of three ways. By default, it is set to form 2.
All Clear Garbage Bonus
Whenever you clear your screen, you normally send 30 garbage during the start of the next chain. You can alter this value, in singles rather than fives, between 0 and 255. The default, of course, is 30.

Gameplay

For Double Puyo Puyo, you choose what mode you want to play, and then go straight into battle. You can, in the options, set how many games you want to play (for example, 2/3 games, where a player must win 2 games to win the set), before playing.

Choosing levels however differs from version to version. More notably, in Super Puyo Puyo 2 Remix, the level difficulties are shown below:

  1. The player plays with three colors, omitting yellow and purple.
  2. The player plays with three colors, but starts with 2 rows of garbage.
  3. The player plays with four colors, omitting purple.
  4. The player plays with all five colors.
  5. The player plays with five colors, and starts with 2 rows of garbage.

The drop speed for each game also varies as the game progresses.

In Multiplayer Puyo Puyo (3 and 4 players), you can set how many games you want to play (to a maximum of 9) before the game begins. You then choose what type of mode you want to play, and then play as before. For this mode, however, you battle like normal, except the garbage is shared between players still playing. The game continues until three or all players pile their third column from the left to the top. As each player is knocked out, garbage becomes stronger (as there are fewer people to share it around). The winner is the last player left without their third column filled to the top. If garbage is falling as the third player loses the game, the game overall is not decided until the garbage has been set, therefore, if Player C falls as Garbage on Player A's side falls, and the garbage Player A receives fills up the third column from the left, then Player A loses, thus a tie. If all players pile their third column to the left at the same time as each other, then they both lose, and ties can happen that way.

Every time a game has been decided this way, each player, depending on how early they've lost, is given a ranking, from 4th to 1st. Points are also shared out in the following way:

In the event of a tie, the last two players to fall are joint 2nd, and get 6 points each.

The player with the most points wins. However, if 9 games are played, and there is a tie for two of the games, the maximum amount of points one can have is 99, rather than anything over 100 (if 2 are ties and one player has won every other game, their final score will be 99, not 102).

Endless Puyo Puyo

As with the prequel, Puyo Puyo Tsu features the same three level difficulties, with the same three options, however, in the Options menu of the game, you can set a particular mode that makes Endless Mode more fun. Again, it can be played with 2 players, where no chain sends garbage to the opponent. The four modes are shown below:

Note: As you select level difficulty, for Action and Wild, garbage intensity increases. For Level 1, it's minimal, though it can be major for Level 5. It varies and is random for each level preset.

The Mega Drive version is the only version to not have the Endless mode.

References

  1. ↑ Puyo Puyo 2 - MobyGames
  2. ↑ "DoReMi Fantasy and Puyo Puyo 2 Now Available on Wii Shop Channel!". Nintendo of America. 2008-03-10. Retrieved 2009-09-09.

External links