If you’ve watched my coverage of Puyo Pop Fever for the Gamecube, the weird slime-annihilating
puzzlefest that somehow got Sega and Atlus in bed together, then the chances are you’re
already familiar enough with the concept.
But this DS version puts the heralded puzzle action into your pocket, where the best puzzle
action belongs.
Like I.Q.
Mania on the PSP, which we never got here in the States, and I’M TOTALLY NOT BITTER.
But anyway.
Some have expressed that the weird sideways panning and strange camera effects of the
GameCube version rubbed them the wrong way.
Well, this DS outing can’t be arsed.
Sure, the “Set ‘em up and knock ‘em down” Fever mode remains, but without the
nausea-inducing visual effects.
Seriously.
It was like Puyo Puyo meets Laugh-In.
The Puyo Pop Fever spread to most consoles in Japan and Europe, while here in the States
we only got the GameCube and this DS version.
That said, this portable offering serves up pretty much everything its console cousin
did: Story modes of varying difficulties, mission mode, fever mode, a classic endless
mode, and... a shrill girl in a giant Puyo-shaped hat who keeps exclaiming that things are “WICKED”
like she’s at a Pats game.
Rather unfortunately, her vocal performance - as well as the voices of everyone else she
happens to run into while enacting her cute, slimy kill-wish - are included, so you might
want to turn the audio down if you don’t want to constantly have your ears blown out
by...
well, this.
But audio inconvenience be damned, it’s still a portable Puyo and it’s still an
entertaining game.
This is one of those evergreen puzzle series, that with just a new coat of paint is ready
to go for a new generation, because the mechanics are, were, and will continue to be tight and
sound.
But what the DS adds is - Say it with me - DOWNLOAD PLAY.
Yes, the most awesome part of the DS.
You can broadcast the download to your nearby friends, and not have to worry about not having
enough GameCube controllers.
It’s a boon to any puzzle game like this, and really it’s the only thing that the
DS offers the Puyo experience.
Throughout most of the game, the bottom screen just shows the faces of the characters involved,
or maybe some statistical information if you’re doing a challenge mode.
All the action takes place up top, preventing a split through the middle of the playfield
like Mr. Driller inflicted.
So put on a podcast or two, turn down the sound, and keep your eyes on the next puyos
to fall, because I got a fever, and the prescription is... 200 mg ibuprofen, a cold compress, and
plenty of fluids.