Puyo Puyo Tetris (NSP, XCI) ROM + v1.1.1 Update

Puyo Puyo Tetris is a 2014 puzzle video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. The game is a crossover between the Puyo Puyo series and the Tetris franchise and features various gameplay modes incorporating both aspects. The game includes characters modeled and named after the seven Tetrominos, which are different puzzle pieces each made of four blocks.

Puyo Puyo Tetris was the first Tetris-related title published by Sega since the PlayStation 2 game Sega Ages 2500: Tetris Collection, an installment in the Sega Ages series, in 2006.  Puyo Puyo Tetris adopts the guidelines used in contemporary Tetris games. So the rotation patterns and colors of the Tetrominoes differ from Sega’s previous releases.

Puyo Puyo Tetris was released for the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation 3 in Japan in February 2014, followed by versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in December of the same year, and Nintendo Switch in March 2017. The Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 versions were released outside of Japan in April 2017, marking the first English localization of a Puyo Puyo game since Puyo Pop Fever in 2004. A Windows version was released in February 2018.

A sequel titled Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 was released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in December 2020 and for Windows in March 2021. Puyos and Tetriminos clash in a thrilling four-player puzzle crossover! Tetris, a gaming legend with a rich history, joins forces with SEGA’s Puyo Puyo to craft an exciting, high-speed, and unique party game experience. With an array of gameplay options, from solo Adventures and Challenges to intense four-player Arcade battles, it’s a fusion of Tetris and Puyo Puyo that promises endless fun.

GAMEPLAY

Puyo Puyo Tetris centers around the combination of two main gameplay styles, Puyo and Tetris. In the Puyo Puyo style, colored blobs known as Puyos will fall from the top of the screen and can be rotated before being placed down. The Puyos can be popped by matching four or more of the same color next to each other. By carefully arranging the Puyos, players can perform chain combos in which additional Puyos are matched and popped as they fall into place, earning more points as a result. The Tetris style, on the other hand, has players placing shaped blocks known as Tetrominos down on the playing field.

Successfully filling a complete horizontal line of blocks on the field will make it disappear, and additional points can be earned by clearing multiple lines at once. In Puyo style, the game ends if a Puyo reaches the X mark. In Tetris style, the game ends if Tetrominos pile up over the top of the playing field. Using these two gameplay styles, Puyo Puyo Tetris features five main game modes, each of which can be played with up to four players, both locally or online, or against computer opponents.

Except for Swap and Fusion modes, each player can independently choose between Puyo and Tetris styles. Versus mode is a standard match in which players face off against each other with their chosen style. By performing chain combos in Puyo style or clearing lines in Tetris style, garbage is sent over to the player’s opponents, which appears as Garbage Puyos in Puyo style and added lines in Tetris style. In most cases, players are eliminated once their playing field is filled over the top, and the last player (or side) standing wins the round. Party mode throws in power-ups that can give the player benefits or hinder opponents.

The player who has the highest score at the end of a time limit wins the match, and players won’t be eliminated from filling up the board in this mode. Swap mode has the players periodically alternate between Puyo and Tetris styles, each on its board. Players are eliminated when one of their boards becomes filled. Fusion mode combines both Puyo and Tetris styles onto one board, with Tetrinimoes sinking below any Puyos when placed. Finally, Big Bang mode combines Fever mode from Puyo Puyo with Lucky Attack from Tetris.  Depending on the style, players must quickly clear waves of pre-arranged Puyos or Tetris blocks, aiming to clear as many waves as possible within a time limit.

After each time limit, players are dealt damage depending on how much slower they were against the leading player. Players are eliminated if they run out of health, and the last player (or side) standing wins the match. There is also an Adventure story campaign consisting of various battles against computer opponents and mode-specific challenges, and six single-player Challenge modes: Endless Fever, Endless Puyo, and Tiny Puyo for the Puyo style; Sprint, Marathon, and Ultra for the Tetris style. Playing through each mode earns credits that can be spent in an in-game shop to unlock different art styles for Puyos and Tetriminoes and alternate voice packs.