Puyo Puyo
Front cover of the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis version.
Developer(s)	Compile
Publisher(s)	Various
Platform(s)	MSX, Arcade, NEC PC-9801, Famicom, SNES, Game Boy, Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System, Game Gear, PC-Engine CD, N-Gage, Virtual Console, Windows 95
Release date(s)	Arcade JP 1991 MSX JP 1991 TurboGrafx-CD JP 1994 Sega Mega Drive JP 1992 Game Gear JP 1993
Genre(s)	Puzzle
Mode(s)	Single player, 2-player versus

Puyo Puyo (ぷよぷよ, Puyopuyo^?) is the inaugural game in the Puyo Puyo series originally released in 1991 by Compile for the MSX2^[1]. Since its creation, it uses characters from Madou Monogatari (魔導物語, Madō Monogatari^?). It was created by Masamitsu "Moo" Niitani, the founder of Compile, who was inspired by certain elements from the Tetris and Dr. Mario series of games.

[edit] Versions

The original MSX2 release was soon followed by a version for the Famicom Disk System called Puyo Puyo Disk Drive. A cartridge version for the Famicom would be released later in 1993. All of these versions are mostly one-player games with an Endless mode and mission modes, in which the player must eliminate all Puyos from the game field by using limited pieces.

A year after the MSX2 version, Sega released an arcade version, which heavily expanded the previous versions by including a one-player story mode and a competitive mode. Ports from the arcade version have been released for many different systems, including Super NES/Super Famicom, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC-Engine, Game Gear and Game Boy. However, most of these ports were only released in Japan. The Sega Mega Drive version was re-released for the Wii Virtual Console in Japan on December 2, 2006.

Before being branded as Puyo Pop internationally, the first game saw release outside Japan in 1993 as Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Game Gear, and Master System (The SMS version was released in Europe and Brazil), and two years later as Kirby's Ghost Trap (European Super NES version) and Kirby's Avalanche (North American Super NES version).

The game was also ported to Amiga by request of Amiga Power magazine and was featured on a cover disk under the name Super Foul Egg. It was then ported to RISC OS on Acorn by Owain Cole (and featured on an Acorn User cover disk), and finally ported to Java. In late 1995 it was ported to the Apple IIGS by Bret Victor^[2].

The N-Gage version of Puyo Puyo stories becomes different, however. The character's colour is different than the original. The stories about Arle save the world from Satan's grasp turn into a little girl (Arle's counterpart) that lost her way home. The characters are nameless and some opponents in some stages are replaced (though Schezo, Minotaurus, and Rulue don't appear in the N-gage version, they're replaced by the stronger version of Sukiyapodes and Harpy with different colours).

[edit] Game modes

The main game of Puyo Puyo is played against at least one opponent, computer or human. The game itself has three modes, Single Puyo Puyo, Double Puyo Puyo, and Endless Puyo Puyo.

[edit] Double Puyo Puyo

In this mode, two players play against each other. In exactly the same fashion as before, by out-chaining one another, the player tries to fill up their opponent's grid. Since the rules of sending so many garbage blocks made games short-lived, no matter how many chains are sent, Compile added the rule of Sousai in Puyo Puyo TSU and onwards. This enables players to counter opponents' attacks with chains of their own, sending any garbage blocks back to them as a result of overflow.

[edit] Single Puyo Puyo

In this game, the player takes on the role of Arle Nadja, a 16 year old female spellcaster that has the pleasure of foiling Satan's plans. Satan wishes to take over the world, and Arle stands in his way (as the games' series develops, the plots get even more twisted). Arle must first however battle her way through 12 opponents before facing Satan, and unlike Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, with the exception of Rulue, they are not under Satan's control, nor were they created by him (for Rulue, she was brainwashed by Satan due to her own reasons). Once Arle has beaten Satan, the world is saved, so she can return home.

As in all main Puyo games, the story mode consists of playing Puyo matches against a fixed sequence of characters in one of three courses. The characters faced are listed below.

[edit] Characters

Arle Nadja (アルル・ナジャ, Aruru Naja^?)

The heroine to the series; she loves Carbuncle/Kaa-kun (her pet) more than anything. She is also a sorceress, and can manipulate fire, ice, and lightning among other things. During chains, she can be heard yelling, "Fire!" and "Ice Storm!" in a Japanese accent.

Carbuncle (カーバンクル, Kābankuru^?)

Arle's beloved pet, one Satan tries to steal away from her. A fun-loving, curry-eating, bunny-like creature that turns out to be one of the strongest players of Puyo later in the series. He is more of a helper in Puyo Puyo. He is called Has-Bean in Mean Bean Machine.

[edit] Beginner levels

Skeleton T (スケルトン-T, Sukeruton Tĩ^?)

A skeleton that takes a liking to herbal tea (He sometimes calls it a potion which will make him virtually invincible.) His skills are among the weakest, and is usually one of the first opponents that you face.

Nasu Grave (ナスグレイブ, Nasu Gureibu^?, lit. "Eggplant Grave")

An eggplant who wears square glasses. He mainly bounces up and down, as his stubby legs cannot run that fast.

Mummy (マミー, Mamī^?)

An Egyptian mummy who seems to be over-wrapped in bandages.

[edit] Normal levels

Draco Centauros (ドラコケンタウロス, Dorako Kentaurosu^?)

A female human-dragon hybrid who wishes to be the greatest rival to Arle, not just in Puyo Puyo. She, like a dragon, possesses the ability to breathe fire (shown in Puyo Puyo Sun). She has quite a fiery temper, and aggressively challenges other girls to beauty contests.

Suketoudara (すけとうだら, Suketoudara^?, lit. "Alaska Pollock")

A large fish with muscular arms and legs. He is very proud of these and tries to use them in any way he can. For some reason, whenever he's around, nearby people begin to crave fish.

Sukiyapodes (スキヤポデス, Sukiyapodesu^?)

A sciapod (one legged monster) who looks quite young and/or baby-faced.

[edit] Normal & Difficult levels

Harpy (ハーピー, Hāpī^?)

An angel like monster who sings enchanting songs (mostly out of tune, and very high-pitched.)

Sasoriman (さそりまん, Sasoriman^?, lit. "Scorpion Man")

A guard dressed like a scorpion.

Panotty (パノッティ, Panotti^?)

A sprite who plays panpipes. He likes to see people dancing to his music (or wants to.)

Zombie (ゾンビ, Zonbi^?)

A zombie which looks like it was put together with spare parts.

Witch (ウィッチ, Wicchi^?)

A witch dressed from head to toe in blue. She also gets the giggles at random moments.

Zo-Daimaoh (ぞう大魔王, Zō Daimaō^?, lit. "Elephant Great Demon King")

An Indian elephant with a mighty strength. He's provoked easily, as if insulted.

Schezo Wegey (シェゾ・ウィグィィ, Shezo Wigwī^?)

A swordsman who longs for Arle's magic powers (or perhaps something else?).

Minotauros (ミノタウロス, Minotaurosu^?)

Rulue's bodyguard and a bull with a scar over one eye.

Rulue (ルルー, Rurū^?)

A girl with magic powers, like Arle, and has a liking to Satan, and will do pretty much anything he says. She is also a skilled martial artist, although her magic skills are not very good.

Satan (サタン, Satan^?)

The comical villain of the Puyo Puyo series. He, like Draco, has dragon horns and cape wings. He also takes a liking to Arle and Carbuncle, but mostly Carbuncle. He is known as "Dark Prince" outside of Japan for obvious reasons.

[edit] References

1. ^ MAWS - showing resource: puyo
2. ^ http://worrydream.com/iigs/#puyopuyo

[edit] See also

• Puyolin

[edit] External links

• Puyo Puyo at the Killer List of Videogames
• Hardcore Gaming 101 - Puyo Puyo Details the entirety of the series and all of its spinoffs
• Puyo Nexus, a website about Puyo Puyo, including a Wiki.