Puyo Puyo Tsu

Infobox VG| title = Puyo Puyo Tsu
developer = Compile
publisher = Various
released = 1994 (1995 for Remix)
genre = Puzzle
modes = Single Player, Multiplayer, Endless, Puzzle Mode (some versions).
platforms = Super Famicom, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Mega Drive, Game Gear, Game Boy, PC and Virtual Console
media = Cartridge/CD

"Puyo Puyo Tsu" (ぷよぷよ通, also known as "Puyo Puyo 2", "Puyo Puyo Tsuu" or "Puyo Puyo 2: Tsuu") is the sequel to "Puyo Puyo", made in 1994 by Compile. [ [http://www.mobygames.com/game/puyo-puyo-2 Puyo Puyo 2 - MobyGames ] ] 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 on 12 domestic consoles, and on the PC. It was re-released for the Wii's Virtual Console on March 10, 2008 under the "Import" category, at a cost of 900 Wii Points. [cite news|title=Two Japanese Games Hit Wii Virtual Console|url=http://gamefreaks365.com/newsarticle.php?sid=2667|accessdate=2008-03-11]

The name of "Puyo Puyo Tsu" comes from an English pun, as "tsu" (meaning transmission, connection, etc.), when spoken aloud, sounds similar to the English word "two". Compile continued this pun for "Puyo Puyo SUN".

Game play

Just like the prequel, Puyos 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°. 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:

ousai

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. 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, you can set Rensa Sibari to 20, which makes impossible to send garbage. The most a player has sent in a game is 20 rensa.

An advantage with setting Rensa Sibari is that people can practice building more chains without having to worry about sneaky attacks from opponents.

Though the grid is still 12 high by 6 wide in size. You can add puyos over the top (see Double-Rotation) of current stacks. Though this is hard to do initially, it becomes easier once one has become more accustomed to the game.

Double-Rotation

A very good feature of this game is the ability to double rotate if you're stuck in-between columns. Like with all current games that used this rule, it wasn't used in the prequel, so Puyo Puyo Tsu revolutionised this feature. Say Player A has piece Red-Yellow falling from Column 3, and Columns 2 and 4 are filled to the top. In Puyo Puyo, you couldn't do anything about it except press down, but in Puyo Puyo Tsu, 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 ojama's 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 ojama's, 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 4Double 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.

Deciding Games

Like with the prequel, if the third column from the left fills up to the top, the game is over.

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.

ingle 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.

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.

Normal Rules

As the name implies, you play normal rules, where there are no special alterations.

Point Rules

This mode of game is the same as normal, except Point Puyos fall instead of normal garbage.

Hard Rules

This mode of game is the same as normal, except Hard Puyos fall instead of normal garbage.

2 to clear

This mode of the game is experimental, as you only need to group 2 puyos adjacently for them to clear (A pair of the same colour will erase as soon as they land, given they are still adjacent).

6 to clear

The same as two to clear, except you need to group 6 puyos adjacently for them to clear.

Edit Rules

Edit Rules is a special option in which the player can configure rules needed to play.

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 puyos it takes before they erase, this is configurable between 1 and 72. By default, it is 4.

ingle 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 of Multiplayer Puyo Puyo

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:

Level 1 - The player plays with three puyos (omitting Yellow and Purple).Level 2 - The player plays with three puyos, but starts with 2 rows of garbage.Level 3 - The player plays with four puyos (omitting Purple).Level 4 - The player plays with five puyos.Level 5 - The player plays with five puyos, 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.

Everytime 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:

4th place - 0 points.

3rd place - 3 points.

2nd place - 6 points.

1st place - 10 points.

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

Like 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:

Training - In this mode, it is pure Endless. No helper (helpers being Kaa-Kun and Bigpuyo) will help you in any of the level presets.

Normal - In this mode, helpers will help you at random times (except for Level 1, where either will help for that level only).

Action - In this mode, helpers will help you at random times, and garbage will form above the screen, in which you must use your chains to negate the garbage (Default setting). This tests out the Sousai rule for Endless mode.

Wild - In this mode, no helper will help you, but garbage will form above the screen.

"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."

Original version and ports

"Puyo Puyo Tsu" was originally developed by Compile and released by Sega for arcades in 1994. The success of the game prompted Compile to port the game in 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.

Most of these versions follow the gameset of the arcade version with their own variations. For instance, the Super Famicom version ("Super Puyo Puyo Tsu") adds, for instance, a 4-player mode, 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", 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. "Super Puyo Puyo Tsu Remix" also included the 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.

Brief history

When released in the Arcade in 1994, it became the biggest arcade game to have been played in Japan since the arrival of "Street Fighter II". After this massive success, Compile became more confident in releasing domestic versions, all of which were very successful indeed. The most successful of them was "Super Puyo Puyo Tsu" for the Super Famicom, which sold around 10,000 units in the first week of release, even though it was later than that of the "Sega Mega Drive" version. This was because it was Compile's first attempt at a 4 player game for a domestic console, and it proved to be a huge success.

The PC version of "Puyo Puyo Tsu" was the only version to include a separate "Nazo Puyo" quest, as the CD versions (more notably, "Puyo Puyo Tsu CD" for the NEC PC-Engine) 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 "Puyo Puyo Tsu PERFECT SET", which paid tribute to one of the most popular versions, the Sega Saturn version.

It has been integrated into "Puyo Puyo Fever" as its 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 NeoGeo Pocket, which was the first "Puyo Puyo" game released outside Japan. "Minna de Puyo Puyo" ("Puyo Pop" in North America) for the GBA however, used the same rules as "Puyo Puyo Tsu", and retained a single and multicart 4 player mode. For Multicart battles, each player could choose which character they wanted to be. It was severely cut for singlecart mode, but still featured the classic side of "Puyo Puyo Tsu". In addition, the game also featured many of the music themes from Puyo Puyo Tsu.

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. The North American release was not translated, and is identical to the original Japanese version.

References

External links

* [http://gameads.gamepressure.com/tv_games_commercials.asp?SEARCH=puyo A lot of Puyo Puyo tv spots] - gameads.gamepressure.com
*KLOV game|id=9164