Puyo Puyo is a classic puzzle franchise. Tetris is an even more classic puzzle franchise. The two games are similar but share distinct differences and each have massive fans and amazing to watch tournaments. So, the idea of combining the two makes more sense that one might think because of the mechanics that they share. That said, I am more a Tetris fan than a Puyo Puyo fan, as I’ve only really played the first Puyo Puyo game which was turned into Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine on the Genesis. I, like many, was all about Sonic as a kid even though I had a Nintendo. It was a different time and Sonic was actually cool and didn’t consist simply on cringe content.

What I love about Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is how simple and silly it is. The main hook isn’t just battles between Puyo Puyo and Tetris players but the story that the games tries to weave about merging worlds with some wild characters. Puzzle games don’t normally have stories and that’s totally okay as that isn’t the point of them. They are the one type on game that relies solely on the gameplay. So, when you do try to put in a full-fledged story mode you have only really two options. You can either go balls-to-the-wall serious or you can write the stupidest thing you can image during a drug-induced fever dream. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 goes with the latter to its overall benefit.

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That said, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 doesn’t make a lot of sense in terms of existing. That’s all really down two the “2” in the title. If you played the original game then there is no reason to go out and pick this one up. Everything is essentially the same and this iteration is simply a refinement of what came before. But if you haven’t yet jumped into the series then it’s an excellent starting point thanks to the loads of in-depth tutorials that really help new players to the puzzle world or those only familiar with a single franchise. I understand Puyo Puyo but only on a surface level as I tend to play it like Tetris which is not the way to go. I actually learned quite a bit thanks to those tutorials, something rare with tutorials in games these days.

You have so many options in terms of how you want to play, something that has me coming back more than I would have thought. Sure, you could play the story and while silly, makes for a good number of hours of gameplay that jumps between the two playstyles and offers a pretty decent challenge. Characters are silly, fully-voiced, and the gameplay mixes itself up between Tetris, Puyo Puyo really well, and the swapping battles are always fun and frantic. I actually found myself caring about saving the two worlds that have merged and enjoying some of the charcaters a great deal. How on earth did a puzzle game make me care about characters? Hell, some large AAA games can’t even get me to love massively written characters. The game plays heavily on the story this time around which makes sense as the game is fundamentally the same as the first. There is simply more of what you love here in Puyo Puyo Tetris 2.

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The largest addition outside the story is the Skill Battle mode which freshens up the game a bit and should be the focus going forward. In this mode you select a team of characters to take in to battle, but the characters you select are important as they bring a number of abilities with them into the match. Activating an ability can completely change the course of a match and I found myself on the verge of defeat and flipping things around with a well-timed ability. That said, the opponent also has these perks which can lead to a real tug-of-war battle which keeps matches during this mode pretty tense. What keeps you coming back is unlocking new characters and ability cards during the special battles in Story mode which keeps the action fresh and interesting, allowing you to build your perfect team. When modes work together and play off each other that’s when you have something special.

Old modes also make a return including the fantastic Party Mode which tosses crazy items and effects at players and makes for a wild time with a group of friends. You also have the Big Bang mode which is all about clearing lines and runs as fast as possible and the classic challenge modes for both games to test your mettle. But the nicest addition is the ability to either choose Puyo Puyo or Tetris modes right from the title page before even diving into the menu. This means it’s a breeze to select a game of Tetris or Puyo Puyo without any of the other fluff, or trying to find some Classic Mode through a bunch of menus and options. The game offers players a lot of modes and I haven’t even touched on the Online Mode with its two sub-modes that feature a Puzzle League for hardcore players and a casual Free Play where you can just have some fun.

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Both Tetris and Puyo Puyo are classic games that have released in dozens of iterations and versions. That said, this merging of the two just might make for the ultimate puzzle gaming experience that can draw in fans from one game and expose them to the other, thus building each franchise even more. In fact, that might be the main reason this joint series continues to get new games, especially with the expanded tutorial mode in Puyo Puyo Tetris 2. That said, if you already have the first game it’s pretty hard to justify picking this one up as it’s more a refinement of the original and doesn’t add anything of core value to either game. The Skill Battle is fun but still needs a bit more meat and development to truely be great.

What ever small issues I may have still can’t take away that I simply adore this game. Even understanding and playing Tetris since the Game Boy, and experiencing Puyo Puyo since the Genesis, I managed to learn so much about each game’s more advanced features than ever before. How did I come away from this silly puzzle game becoming some weird Tetris and Puyo Puyo nerd who can spot gameplay techniques when I watch random YouTube videos of people playing? When a game can make you better without it feeling like I’m back in school again, you know you’ve done something right.

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Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 might just be the ultimate puzzle gaming experience and one that should not be missed if you skipped over the original.

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