Puyo Puyo Tetris (Switch) Review

Puyo Puyo Tetris is an interesting concept, and one that I wasn’t sure would work when it was first revealed for both the Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4. Both games themselves are arguably mainstays of the video game world, although Tetris is probably better known in the Western world. I wasn’t quite convinced that the teams at SEGA could successfully meld the two into something truly playable, but for the most part they’ve been successful. The overall package of Puyo Puyo Tetris feels complete and as polished as ever, and it’s myriad of modes and playstyles is bound to appeal to any player of puzzle games.

Puyo Puyo Tetris bombards you with colourful options from the get-go; those wanting to launch a quick game of Tetris, Puyo Puyo or the Puyo Puyo Tetris mode can do so from easily selected icons on the title screen. These are a god-send for players looking to jump into the action while out and about with little fanfare. Delving deeper into Puyo Puyo Tetris’ menus offers a wealth of new modes that mix up the otherwise standard formula of these games.

Tetris is simple, all you do is arrange falling blocks in a manner that creates lines at the bottom of the screen to clear them. Puyo Puyo also features falling objects, but these ones will only disappear when you line up at least four (in any formation). The differences don’t end there. In Puyo Puyo, any cleared blobs will allow blobs above them to fall into place to chain together combos. In Tetris, this doesn’t happen – clearing items underneath a block won’t move it, you’ll have to work something out to create a line to clear it yourself. It sounds confusing when you put it to text but seeing it all in motion and come together (quite literally) makes heaps of sense.

Both games are similar in terms of concept but differ so fundamentally that it’s a joy to have both together in a comprehensive package like Puyo Puyo Tetris. What sets them apart, however, is how many ways and opportunities you are given to play both these games with a comprehensive suite of modes.

There are a few standard modes here – Versus allows you to play either against a player or the CPU but adds an aggressive twist. Cleared blocks sends “garbage” blocks to the other players play area, potentially ruining any combos or simply cluttering their play area closer to your own victory. Party mode is a less serious variant of the Versus mode, offering up random items and objects to obscure your enemies vision or prevent them from rotating their blocks. It’s a mode that sacrifices fairness for unpredictable amusement, but one that also can break up the monotony of standard play.

The brunt of Puyo Puyo Tetris’ more interesting modes is in the Swap, Fusion and Big Bang. Fusion is the weirdest of them all – it lets you lay both Puyo Puyo blobs as well as Tetris blocks together, but each has a unique characteristic. Tetris blocks, using their weight and solid build, can squish through Puyo Puyo blobs to the bottom of the play field. It’s very hard to wrap your head around at first, but once you play a few matches it becomes just as second nature as both Tetris and Puyo Puyo can be separately.

My two favourite modes are easily the Big Bang and Swap modes. Big Bang mode gives you a preset play field and one block, and asks you to clear the highest score with it. The twist here is that it’ll give you multiple in a row, so you’ll essentially have to race against your opponent to clear as many as possible without messing up your block or puyo placement. It’s a hectic, tense and incredibly fun mode to play against someone and easily one of my standouts in the Puyo Puyo Tetris package.

The other is Swap, which is what I initially thought Fusion would be. Essentially, you’ll control a Puyo Puyo field and a Tetris field in this mode. Every few moments, your control over one will stop and you’ll resume controlling another. Sometimes, if you get a good combo in one field during a swap over, the effects will move over to the other field. It’s a great mode that once again lets you play to your strengths – a stuff up on your Tetris side can easily be remedied by strong play on your own Puyo Puyo side. Without a doubt Swap is the most enjoyable mode of the package, bringing together the best of both sides.

Adventure mode is the most questionable addition. Consisting of a set string of levels, it follows a group of stereotypically cutesy characters as they try to come to terms with the idea of Puyo Puyo blocks encountering Tetris blocks. I’ve done an incredibly simplified and dumbed down summary of the plot here because it feels largely ineffectual. Adventure Mode is just a string of levels with different modes and different play styles strung together by pointless cutscenes with cringeworthy voice acting. I’m impressed that these moments are voiced, but even more impressed that they even bothered.

Except for Adventure mode, you can even jump online to play each of these modes with up to three other friends as well. If you’re more of a lone wolf, there is a ranked league that you can work your way up. Otherwise private matches provide very easy and streamlined ways to jump into a match with friends. The addition of online is appreciated but is only useful if it works. Thankfully, no matter who you’re playing with (national or international) Puyo Puyo Tetris performs immaculately online, almost discernible from local play too.

All of this is wrapped up in a very colourful and clean style of presentation. Those who are fans of games like Smash Bros. and Kid Icarus will be right at home navigating the menus of Puyo Puyo Tetris which are as intuitive as they are beautiful. Whether playing on your television or on the screen of the Switch, the visuals are bright and vibrant too, and even better, you can use credits earnt in-game to customise their look and appearance. The lack of difference in visual fidelity between Television and Handheld modes isn’t necessarily impressive but is appreciated too.

Puyo Puyo Tetris feels like the definitive puzzler for the Nintendo Switch. Both Tetris and Puyo Puyo share similarities and feel right at home together here, but the overall package feels incredibly complete and comprehensive. There’s enough here to do no matter how you want to play and who you want to play with, online or off. The price is bound to be a talking point here, but given how solid and polished the Puyo Puyo Tetris experience is, it’s hard to fault it for much.

Rating: 4 / 5