Puyo Puyo refers to a series of puzzle video games created by Compile and later Sonic Team. Puyo Puyo 4 - Car-Kun to Issho is the fourth game in the series.
Puyo Puyo, originally released by Compile in 1991, featured characters from the 1989 RPG Madou Monogatari, also made by Compile. Puyos were enemy monsters in said game, as the rough equivalent of the slime monsters from the Dragon Quest game series.
The series was the second and more successful attempt to combat the ubiquetous falling-block game Tetris, the first being Columns.
Puyo Puyo really became popular when it was released as an arcade game in 1992. This was the first version that included the aforementioned 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.
The object of the game is to defeat the opponent in a battle by filling their grid up to the top with garbage. Puyos, little gelatinous creatures with eyes, commonly fall from the top of the screen in a pair (although for Puyo Puyo Fever, they can fall in triplets, double pairs, and Bigpuyos). The pair can be moved left and right and rotated clockwise and counterclockwise 90°. (Bigpuyos, however, change color rather than rotate.) The pair drops until one puyo falls onto another puyo or the bottom of the screen, following the rules of gravity. The pair then breaks, so the other puyo(s) free fall until it (they) fall onto another puyo or the bottom of the screen.
The big attraction of Puyo Puyo was that it turned the whole falling block genre into a competitive affair (alright, the arcade Tetris had a two player mode, but it wasn't very good.) You were fighting against another player, someone who gets the same pieces as you do and tries to do smarter things with them. When you match four of the same colored blob together, they disappear. All of the blobs above it will fall down, potentially eliminating even more blobs. The catch is, when you create combos, little grey garbage blobs fall on your opponent's screen, thus messing up whatever plans they had in mind. Naturally, the bigger the combo, the more you'll flood the other player with useless bricks. So instead of simply trying to survive, you're trying to think faster and smarter than your opponent.
The biggest addition to Puyo Puyo 4 are the special attacks. These are all unique to each character, and can include getting rid of obstacle puyos, shaking the playing field upside down, or eliminating a certain color from your stack. While it's an interesting idea in theory, it really doesn't pan out. You're not allowed to use special attacks in the first stages of the Story mode (until you gain some allies and get their attacks), so it's unfairly difficult at the beginning. And they simply make multiplayer games long and drawn out, as players simply use their attacks over and over until they can't be charged up any more. This, combined with the slow speed in which the puyos fall, maybe Puyo Puyo~n feel very laid back compared to the other games. It's less manic, but at the same time, lets you formulate a strategy easier.
There's only one story mode path, but it's quite long. This is made up by a few extra single player modes, including a task mode similar to Nazo Puyo, and an option for a gigantic playing field. The biggest draw is that four player mode has once again returned, turning Puyo Puyo into one of the best party games around.
The game was also released for Dreamcast and Nintendo 64.
STORY:
Satan (The main boss of all Puyo Puyo games) has released an odd demon called Pierott (Clown looking person). Pierott invites Arle (The heroine of the game) and Carbuncle (Arle's rabbit looking pet) over to the “Puyo Puyo Circus”. All seemed to be just fine, Arle and Carbuncle went into a tent to watch a magic show, but Satan had Carbuncle volunteer for a magic trick he was doing. A magic trick? Or a trap? He puts Carbuncle on the stand, and casts a spell, which makes Carbuncle, disappear! Arle wasn't worried, she didn't even know what was going on, but later on, she couldn't find Carbuncle anywhere! She then has to start battling monsters and oddball characters in a match of Puyo Puyo to try to reach Satan, and get Carbuncle back!
CHARACTERS:
- Arle Nadja:
The heroine of the game, Arle is a young girl with magical powers. She's actually probably the only reasonably sane one of this whole bunch. Her spell attacks - "Fire!" and "Ice Storm!" (more like "FAIYAA" and "EYE-SOO STO-MU" with the Japanese accent) will etch themselves quite far in your brain after you play enough.
- Carbuncle:
This ridiculously happy little bastard is the mascot of the Puyo Puyo games. Known as Car-kun, he hangs around with Arle and has a tendency to wander off in search of adventure, thus creating many wacky situations. His primary purpose is to dance around his little box on the playing field, pop the balloon that starts each match, and just generally be goofy. He's also usually a hidden playable character, and despite his size/cuteness, he can fire a badass lazer from his forehead.
- Rulue:
Arle's main rival, Rulue is a powerful martial artist. She's madly in love with Satan, which means she'll pretty much do anything he says. Most of those orders involve hassling Arle, which she has no problem with, since she's jealous of her magical powers. Her servant is a huge minotaur who acts more like a pussywhipped sap than a ruthless bodyguard.
- Satan:
The main evil guy, who has an interesting in Carbuncle, as well as Hawaiian shirts. Given that the name "Satan" has the connotation of "goat slaughtering lunatics" along with it, he's known as "Dark Prince" in America.
Manufacturer's description:
Popular puzzle game Puyo [Station] along with a pocket-kun [Car] Introducing contain. In addition to the familiar mode, "Oh The curry and soft." "Puyo Ibaru mackerel, " and with the new. Drinking [Car] in conjunction with "Oh The curry and soft." Got it in the curry to give, I can see a variety of actions.
Features:
- First person perspective.
- 2D graphics
- Cartoon graphics
- Fantasy theme.
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