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Puyo Puyo is both a 1991 computer puzzle game
by Compile and the generic name of that specific video game concept. There
are many different games with the same concept under a variety of different
names, though most have the word Puyo at least once in the title.
Game play
Two Puyos fall from the top of the screen in a pair. The pair can be
moved left and right and rotated into one of four configurations. The Puyo
pair drops until one Puyo falls onto another Puyo of the bottom of the
screen. The pair then breaks, so the other Puyo is free to fall until it
falls onto another Puyo or the bottom of the screen.
Groups
Four Puyos of the same color form a group when they are connected
horizontally and/or vertically, but not vertically. For example, the A's
form groups in grids 1 and 2, but not 3:
When four or more Puyos are connected in a group, they disappear. All
Puyos above those Puyos then fall until they land onto other Puyos or the
bottom of the screen.
Combos
A combo is made when either more than four Puyos form a group or more
than one group is formed at one time. All the Puyos in a combo are cleared
at one time. For example, grid 4 has a 5 combo, grid 5 has two groups of 4
for an 8 combo, and grid 6 has 3 groups of 5 for a 15 combo.
Chains
A chain is made when a group is formed after Puyos fall into a space
where a group was cleared; i.e., gravity forms a group. After that group
clears, gravity kicks in again, making chains of length 3, 4, 5, and so on
possible. For example, grid 7 will form a 2 chain, grid 8 will form a 3
chain, and grid 9 will form a 5 chain.
Losing
The real Puyo Puyo playing field is 6 Puyos wide and 12 Puyos high (not
the 5x8 in my example grids). If a Puyo reaches the top in one of the two
center columns, you lose. Puyos can reach the top of the two end columns on
either side, though.
Opponents
The main game of Puyo Puyo is played against at least one opponent,
computer or human. Whenever a player completes a chain or combo, garbage
Puyos are dropped onto all the other players; the larger the chain or combo,
the more Puyos are dropped. These garbage Puyos cannot be formed into
groups. The only way these Puyos can only be cleared is by clearing normal
Puyos next to them. A player wins when all the other players have lost.
Brief History
Puyo Puyo was originally released by Compile in 1991 for the MSX2 under
the name Puyo Puyo. It was soon followed by a version for the Famicom Disk
Drive called Puyo Puyo Disk Drive. Puyo Puyo featured characters from the
1989 RPG Madou Monogatari, also made by Compile.
Puyo Puyo only really became popular when it was released as an arcade
game in 1992. This was the first version that included a one player story
mode, in which the human player plays against computer opponents of
increasing difficulty. This feature was an immediate success because it
allowed players to play by themselves. Future versions of Puyo Puyo for
console systems also included this feature.
Many versions of Puyo Puyo have been released for many different systems,
including MSX2, SNES, Game Gear, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, Windows, Macintosh,
et al. However, most of these ports were only released in Japan.
Of the ports actually released in the United States, most have non-Puyo
names: Kirby's Avalanche, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, and Candy Crisis
to name a few. There are exceptions, however, such as Puyo Pop for the Game
Boy Advance.
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