Puyo Pop Fever

"Yes Indeedy!"

The puyo have done it again!

Each Puyo game that comes out brings something new and fun to the Puyo world. The second game in the Puyo Pop series to reach America, Puyo Pop Fever, is one of the greatest additions yet.

Myself and fellow Puyo fans were hesitant about this game (the fifth in the main series) because Sonic Team was doing the project all on their own -- and they were doing it strangely with all new characters. While the new characters aren't nearly as funny as the old ones, they still are great and tons of fun when you get to know them.

The story this time around follows Amitie, a girl in magic school (sound like anyone you know?) who has to find her teacher's lost cane. Along the way, she runs into many classmates, fiends, and weirdos that get in her way, and some way or another, you're challenged to a game of Puyo POP.

Puyo Pop's puzzle engine runs the same as normal -- the puyo pop when you attach four of a like color... but there are whole new game aspects that make the game five times more exciting. The new fever mode and 3- and 4- piece dropsets will keep you entertained for hours... not that any Puyo Pop game wouldn't do that anyway.

Gameplay

The game plays out with falling puzzle pieces that drop, and it's your job to move them and drop them in to match the colors and pop them. You can set up massive chains and combos, sending nuisance puyo to the opponent's playfield.

Any Puyo Pop fan will know what that's like, but now the Puyo Pop game has a cool new twist: Fever mode! To enter fever mode, you must offset the nuisance puyo that your opponent sends to you by popping puyo before the garbage has a chance to fall. The problem is, not only does this get you closer to fever mode, but it adds to your opponent's fever time so they can stay in fever mode longer than you!

During fever mode, the screen will glow and pre-made chains will appear on your screen. You have one chance to pop the right set and set off a huge chain to rack up points and sent tons of nuisance puyo to your opponent. Once you pop, any chains you caused will occur, and then the screen will clear and go to another set-up chain for you to try. You can only spend a limited time in fever mode, so you have to work quickly. All the while, your opponent can offset all this garbage that you're sending and get into fever mode themselves. Sound fun and addicting? It is!

Puyo Pop Fever probably has the most addicting, exciting, and fun gameplay of any puzzle game I've played... and as a huge puzzle game fan, that's saying a lot.

Graphics

Puyo Pop's graphics are a little quirky. The characters are all cut-outs (like those in Paper Mario) and the backgrounds are all crazy 3-D places. The problem with the background is, though, that sometimes the nuisance puyo (which are clear) can blend in and appear to be a green puyo (when they're in the grassy corner of certain environments). This is rare, and after a while of playing, you learn to tell the difference anyway, and it really doesn't take away from the game. It's just annoying in the beginning.

Sound

Puyo Pop Fever features hilarious voices in both Japanese and English. The characters say really funny stuff and it encourages you to create bigger chains just to hear what your character has to say about it. All of the cute voices are accompanied by the game's quirky, cute soundtrack which fits the game perfectly. The Puyo Pop Advance battle song is remixed for the multiplayer game, too!

Overall

This is one of those perfect "I don't feel like playing an involved game" games, but it's also something to keep you entertained for hours at once. The best part is, the 2-player game is very exciting and you could sit around, passing the controllers all night. The game never gets old, and you'll no doubt love this game if you like anything puzzle or cute or fun. I suggest that any GameCube owner purchase a copy of Puyo Pop Fever. You never know when the mood will strike you to have some fun!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 09/02/04