Are you a fan of Puyo Puyo and Tetris? Then you’ll be happy to hear that SEGA has brought us a game that mixes both classics into a single game! Puyo Puyo Tetris mixes and matches the gameplay from both releases into a very fun puzzle package for the PS4. Want to learn more? Then read our Puyo Puyo Tetris review!
The characters for the game are modeled after the seven tetrominoes, the classic puzzle pieces from Tetris, which gives the game a unique feel. Along with its colorful look and cute characters, the game has a ton of modes to offer! Along with the Adventure Story Mode, there are six solo arcade modes and six challenge modes as well as Puzzle League and Free Play! There is also a Multiplayer Arcade option with an online component, and you’ll be able to invite friends or look for some random online matchmaking.
Let’s talk a bit about some of the game’s modes:
VS:
Players can select a character and then choose to play Puyo Puyo or Tetris boards. You attack your opponents with Tetris Lines or groups of four of the same color Puyo Puyo. The more you clear, the bigger the points you get, and you can earn big points by performing a TETRIS which is a group of four lines wiped out at once. You can do similar sort of damage with Puyo Puyo by creating huge chains – the bigger the chains, the bigger the points.
You harm your opponent by sending him/her garbage – that’s white Puyo or white Tetris blocks. The more you clear, the more garbage your opponent will get until the whole board fills up and you get a victory screen, and your opponent get’s a sad animation.
You can rotate the pieces with the X button and do hard drops with the UP directional button. With Puyo Puyo, you can do hard drops with the DOWN directional button.
There are two modes to enjoy: in Endurance, you basically have to keep going and beat as many opponents as you can – this applies to every mode in Solo Arcade. In Battle you can choose to play against 1-3 opponents and win two rounds for two stars, again Battle mode is also available in all modes across all six Solo Arcade modes.
FUSION:
This is a fun mode, and it is exactly as it sounds: you play on a board with both Puyo Puyo and tetrominoes. You can earn mixed chains and line clears consecutively, and the tetrominoes can be used to squash away any garbage and give you a fighting chance at winning. This mode has a lot of variety and is certainly a must-play mode.
SWAP:
At the start of the game, you will get an option to choose Tetris or Puyo Puyo. The aim of this mode is to get as many clears or chains as possible before the timer runs out. The boards will swap over, and then you rinse and repeat with clearing lines, chaining until time runs out, then the boards swap over again. Whichever player has the garbage fill up to the top loses.
BIG BANG:
This is my favorite mode! The Puyo Puyo are in Fever mode and the tetrominoes are in Lucky Attack mode. You must clear preset puzzles to win, and each character has a health bar. Whoever loses all of his/her health will taste defeat. Each player is given a stack of tetrominoes or Puyo Puyo and must use that to clear the boards. You’ll need to create chains in as few moves as possible, and the same applies to tetrominoes.
You are given a specific shape, and you must fit pieces in the correct places to create TETRIS or All Clears. It’s a fast and furious mode, so you have to be quick to win. When the timer runs out, all the garbage will form a Big Bang that will do great damage, shattering the playing field.
PARTY:
Party is an interesting mode. In this one you have various items that drop on your board, and by clearing lines or chains you can hinder the other player or improve your score. It’s a mode where you roll the dice and see what happens. Maybe something good that will help you win the game, but sometimes you will get something that won’t do a lot of good. The player who has the most points at the end wins the match.
In the Solo Arcade section, you also have a series of challenges, and old classics are back such as Ultra, Marathon, and Sprint.
SPRINT:
Clear 40 lines as fast as possible
MARATHON:
Clear 150 lines with the highest score possible.
ULTRA:
Get the highest score possible – you only have three minutes!
ENDLESS FEVER:
Exactly the same as Big Bang, but in an endless version variant.
ENDLESS PUYO:
A timeless old classic. How long can you last?
TINY PUYO:
Exactly the same as Puyo Puyo classic, but with tiny versions of the Puyo Puyo. A very fun take on the classic!
As for the online section, you have Puzzle League where you can compete with other players from around the world. As you win games, your rank and global rating will improve. You can play Tetris or Puyo Puyo, but the modes are completely random, you won’t know the mode you play until you start.
There is a variety of greetings you can offer your opponents like Let’s be friends, or a simple Hello, and more will unlock as you progress in the game. Free Play is also available, but as expected, the rooms are not as packed as they should at the time of this writing since the game is not as populated as you’d expect – this is normal since the game has not been released to the public yet.
Last but not least is Story mode. Amitie, Arle, Carbuncle, O and all favorites are back, and this time there is trouble when tetrominoes start falling out of the sky. Amitie and Carbuncle are transported to a spaceship where O and Tee are waiting. They all agree they have to work together to solve the mystery of why the tetrominoes are falling out of the sky.
Adventure Mode has around 80 or so levels of fun, but some are quite challenging! Most are timed, while others have you beating other characters for high scores. All of the aforementioned modes are included and serve as the tutorials for the main modes. For some of levels, I would strongly advise you fully understand the concept of chaining as that will be a requirement in later levels. As you require more points, you will need to clear levels by being more proficient by doing high chains. Tetrominoes are part of the mix, and they make everything more fun.
Overall I have had an absolute blast playing the game, for my Puyo Puyo Tetris review. All my memories of playing Tetris and Puyo Puyo came flooding back, and the game has been well worth he wait. Puyo Puyo and Tetris go so well together, and the great number of modes available for play make this a must have for puzzle fans and fans of both series. This is a must-have puzzle game you should get on PS4 ASAP!
Disclaimer
This Puyo Puyo Tetris review is based on a PS4 copy provided by SEGA.
