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»Puyo Pop
"Once you pop, the fun don’t stop! ...yeah, I’m not even trying anymore."
You know, as much as people may have complained
about the number of fighters on the NGPC, I’m surprised there weren’t
nearly as many who complained about the number of puzzle games made for
it. I mean, seriously, it’s amazing to see the similarities between the
two genres on this system. Sure, there were a few original puzzlers
(the Puzzle Link series and the Japan-exclusive Delta Warp), but for the most part, it was ports and remakes – like Bust-A-Move Pocket, Crush Roller, and the subject of this review: Puyo Pop.
Simply put, Puyo Pop is a port of Puyo Puyo 2,
a Japan-only arcade game that saw numerous releases on home consoles –
Super Famicom, Megadrive, PC-Engine, Sega Saturn and the original
PlayStation, to name a few – but was never released in the States…until
Puyo Pop was released on the NGPC. As such, it retains the storyline of PP2.
Basically,
players take on the role of Arle Nadja, a 16-year-old sorceress who’s
adept at foiling the evil plots of Sat…err, the Dark Prince. After
being foiled in the first Puyo Puyo, the Dark Prince devises a plan to
steal Arle’s heart, as well as capturing her beloved pet, Carbunkle:
he’s set up a tower, filled with numerous opponents bent on defeating
the spunky spell caster. Can Arle make it to the top of this dreaded
ziggurat and defeat the Dark Prince once more?
Puyo Pop plays pretty much like ever other incarnation of the Puyo Puyo
series. Basically, pairs of multi-colored Puyos drop in typical
“stack-‘em-up” fashion, and in order to eliminate these Puyos, four or
more Puyos of the same color have to be arranged contiguously. Puyo.
Of course, there’s also the standard garbage block system – in this
case, the garbage blocks can be destroyed if they are bordering on a
set of eliminated Puyos – as well as an extreme emphasis on chain
attacks.
There are three
game modes in all. First, there’s the standard single-player mode,
which pits players against an onslaught of computer opponents, each
with their own quirky appearances, gimmicks and voices. Next, there’s
Versus mode, where players can match wits with a friend, provided that
friend has access to a NGPC, another copy of the game and a link cable.
Finally, there’s Self-Development mode, which in itself is split into
two modes. While both modes allow players to hone their skills in an
endless-type game mode, there are some other obstacles. In 1P mode,
various groupings of garbage blocks will drop at random time intervals
and it’s up to the player to counter them with Puyo chains. Then
there’s Exam mode, which gauges one’s skills, based on how they react
in a 3-minute time limit. This is all very nice, but I wish there were
just a plain old Exercise/Endless mode on here as well. Oh well.
Overall, Puyo Pop
is a pretty good game, and in the context of a NGPC puzzle game, it’s
definitely a great game. On the other hand, looking at this game as one
of the games in the Puyo Puyo series, it kind of falls short in
certain areas. Well, it doesn’t so much fall short, as other
incarnations have additional features. Take for example the GBA Puyo Pop – a game that has a different look and storyline, but retains the engine from PP2
– which boasts an amazing four-player versus mode. Needless to say, the
NGPC version just can’t stack up – no pun intended. Still, it delivers
the classic PP gameplay and is a great addition for any NGPC puzzle game aficionado.
Moving
on, I’ve got mixed opinions based on the graphics. Sure, they look
decent for the most part: the coloration’s good, everything looks
pretty clear and the fact that there are options regarding the shapes
of the Puyos are all stellar qualities. Unfortunately, these nice
visual features are downplayed due to a graphical choice extremely
common in NGPC games – blank screen. Yes, like many other puzzle games
on the Neo Geo Pocket, the backgrounds in this game is mostly occupied
by blank space, and it’s a little disappointing. I mean, a simple color
inset would’ve made the game look a whole lot better in some areas.
Alas, another game succumbs to what I call “blank screen syndrome”.
As for sound, well, actually it’s pretty good. I personally enjoyed PP2’s
soundtrack and the Neo Geo Pocket’s sound card delivers a downgraded
arrangement, while only losing very little (if any) of the original’s
charm. Of course, what really impressed me would have to be the voice
acting. Yes, that’s right, you read correctly: the voice acting. Those
who read my review of CFC know that the little sound bite on the title screen really impressed me, but Puyo Pop
blows that out of the water. There are numerous voice samples in the
game, from numerous characters, and they all come out crystal clear.
Amazing, simply amazing, especially considering how early in the NGPC’s
lifespan this game was released.
As I said earlier, Puyo Pop
is a well-made port of PP2, which maintains the original’s charm for
the most part. Add in the facts that Puyo Puyo’s a great puzzle game to
begin with, there are three different game modes, and one of them is a
multi-player versus mode, and you’ve got a solid game. Still, there is
one reason that I’ve docked a point or two, and it’s a fairly petty
one: there are better incarnations around today, like the
aforementioned GBA version with its four-player versus mode or Puyo Pop Fever
for the DS (which allows up to eight [!!] players). Still, if you’re
looking for something a little simpler or a little more classic in your
puzzle game, Puyo Pop for the NGPC could be the game you’re looking for.
Article by: Wolfdogg
Posted on: Oct. 1st, 2007 |
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Review Recap |
| Gameplay |
| Considering the fact that this game is based on a five-year-old (well, at the time) arcade game, it still holds up fairly well on the Neo Geo Pocket. |
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Graphics |
| Eh, some of the graphics look okay, but the coloring’s a little dull. Worse yet, this game suffers from blank screen syndrome, like most other NGPC puzzlers. |
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Sound |
| Great music, and I’m impressed by the number and clarity of the voice samples. |
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Replay Value |
| The three game modes each offer their own spin on the gameplay. Besides, it’s Puyo Puyo. |
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Comments |
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Comment Posted on: April 8, 2008 |
abdusalam |
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kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
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Comment Posted on: April 8, 2008 |
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