Puyo Puyo~n
| Puyo Puyo~n | |
|---|---|
 Title Screen (Dreamcast version) | |
| Developer | Compile |
| Publishers | Sega (Dreamcast), Compile |
| Platforms | Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Game Boy Color |
| Players | 1-4 players |
| Release date | Dreamcast
Nintendo 64
PlayStation
Game Boy Color
|
March 4, 1999
Puyo Puyo~n (ぷよぷよ〜ん, also known as Puyo Puyo 4, and for the Nintendo 64 version, Puyo Puyo~n Party) is the sequel to Puyo Puyo Sun and is the final game set during the Madou-era in the main series. Continuing the trend of naming the games after puns, the name comes from a pun on yon, the Japanese word for the number four, but this time this is the only reference to the pun.
The gameplay in Puyo Puyo~n is similar to that of Puyo Puyo Tsu, but adds super attacks. Clearing chains now builds up a "charge meter" which allows players to use them. These powers however generally do nothing more than make the games a lot longer than necessary which can make the game very boring. The only other addition was a new game mode which could be played with a number of different field sizes, smaller or bigger than the standard 6x12, however, it removes several game modes that were present in Puyo Puyo Sun, i.e. the tournament, task and chain training modes. The art is also vastly different to the previous game in the series and of course the Fever series; this style was only otherwise used for Minna de Puyo Puyo.
Contents |
Courses
Puyo Puyo~n features two courses: a beginner mode and story mode. In its beginner mode, you fight the first 3 opponents of story mode without any cutscenes. Additionally, story mode is vastly different than other Puyo Puyo games. Each couple of stages have their own rules, such as Nuisance Puyo falling at most one row at a time and Point Puyo falling instead of Nuisance Puyo. This idea was only used in Puyo Puyo Tsu, Minna de Puyo Puyo, and in Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary (via a roulette).
As you progress through Story mode, you will get some characters to join your party, which will allow you to use their powers during battle. Since your opponent can use a special attack when you cannot, the game can be very difficult during the first new stages (notably Kikimora's stage, as her super attack allows her to eliminate all of the Nuisance Puyo on her field).
Due to the length of the Story Mode compared to other Puyo Puyo games (16 stages), and the fact that each stage generally takes more time than usual to due super attacks, the game saves after every stage. This allows you to quit and then start back on the stage without losing your progress.
Circus Stage - Standard Rules
- Stage 1: Skeleton T - Played with 3 colors.
- Stage 2: Archan - Played with 3 colors.
- Stage 3: Kikimora - Played with 4 colors.
Volcano Stage - Up to one row of Nuisance Puyo may fall at a time (compared to 5 normally.)
- Stage 4: Panotty - Played with 3 colors.
- Stage 5: Draco - Played with 4 colors. Draco joins your party when you beat her.
Water Stage - Puyo fall much slower than normal.
- Stage 6: Nohoho - Played with 3 colors. 50-Point Puyo fall instead of regular Nuisance Puyo.
- Stage 7: Seriri - Played with 4 colors. Seriri joins your party when you beat her.
Floating Stage - A multiplier is added to your score, depending on which row the Puyo is.
- Stage 8: Suketoudara - Played with 4 colors.
- Stage 9: Harpy - Played with 3 colors.
- Stage 10: Witch - Played with 4 colors. Witch joins your party when you beat her.
Ruin Stage - You start with Nuisance/Hard/Point Puyo already on your field.
- Stage 11: Dragon - Played with 3 colors.
- Stage 12: Chico - Played with 4 colors. Hard Puyo fall instead of regular Nuisance Puyo. Chico joins your party when you beat her.
- Stage 13: Schezo - Played with 4 colors. Hard Puyo fall instead of regular Nuisance Puyo.
Outside Circus Stage - Uses the rules from the Volcano Stage and Floating Stage.
- Stage 14: Rulue - Played with 4 colors.
Another Dimension #1 - Board wraps around horizontally. A Puyo in the last column will connect to a Puyo in the first column. You cannot use super attacks.
- Stage 15: Satan - Played with 5 colors.
Another Dimension #2 - Uses the rules from all of the above stages. You cannot use super attacks.
- Stage 16: Doppelganger Arle - Played with 4 colors. 4-Hard Puyo fall instead of regular Nuisance Puyo. Character powers are very weak. Use the 500K Point Puyo to beat her.
Game Boy Color
The Game Boy Color version of Puyo Puyo~n has some differences between other versions. This version uses modified version of the sun rule in the game in place of the varying rules from it's console counterparts. Super attacks are still present, but they are much less diverse than in the console versions. Instead of the small-sized characters in the middle of the screen, the game uses large dueling pixel arts, that hog the center of the screen when attacking, like in the Game Boy Color version of Puyo Puyo Sun. Additionally, music from previous games (notably Puyo Puyo Sun) is used, and not all of the Puyo Puyo~n music made it into this version. This surprisingly includes the Ruins theme, which was later recycled by Puyo Puyo 7, and Satan's theme, which was one of the unique stage BGMs from the console versions.
Finally, there are major differences in plot. At the beginning of the game, Arle goes to the Puyo Circus, as she does in the original. Satan, dressed as a ringmaster takes Carbuncle and uses him as a volunteer in his magic trick. He makes Carbuncle disappear. Arle becomes distressed for her friend and bumps into Pierrot. After battling Pierrot, she then proceeds to fight all of the foes from Puyo Puyo~n. Draco, Seriri, Witch, and Chico do not join the player, like in the console versions. After defeating Doppleganger Arle, Arle appears back at the circus, where the man makes Carbuncle appear again, implying that Arle was having a silly day-dream because of Carbuncle. The two reunite and go on with their lives.
Differing Courses
Level 1 (Game Boy Color exclusive)
- Stage 1: Pierrot - Played with 4 colors
Level 2
- Stage 2: Skeleton T - Played with 4 colors.
- Stage 3: Panotty - Played with 4 colors.
- Stage 4: Kikimora - Played with 4 colors.
Level 3
- Stage 5: Archan - Played with 4 colors.
- Stage 6: Nohoho - Played with 4 colors.
- Stage 7: Draco - Played with 4 colors.
Level 4
- Stage 8: Suketoudara - Played with 5 colors.
- Stage 9: Harpy - Played with 5 colors.
- Stage 10: Seriri - Played with 5 colors.
Level 5
- Stage 11: Witch - Played with 5 colors.
- Stage 12: Dragon - Played with 5 colors.
- Stage 13: Chico - Played with 5 colors.
Level 6
- Stage 14: Schezo - Played with 5 colors.
Level 7 Stage 15: Rulue - Played with 5 colors.
Level 8 Stage 16: Satan - Played with 5 colors.
Level 9 Stage 17: Doppelganger Arle - Played with 5 colors.
Challenge Mode
The Game Boy Color version also has a challenge mode (Not too dissimilar to the "Challenge Taisen" recently announced to be in Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary) where the player can face off against 23 characters under preset conditions and with a preset character, including Lagnus the Brave, Incubus, Honey Bee, Minotauros and Pierrot, none of whom were playable or fight-able in the console counterparts. The game records your wins and losses against each character. Once you begin playing, the only way to exit is to soft/hard reset the game.
Gallery
puyopuyo~n party package (N64)
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