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Well
first off, this is not normally the type of game that you would find me playing,
let alone reviewing...but my wife and I were in search of another good two
player game... having logged literally dozens upon dozens of hours with Blast
Chamber, we were in search of something new. So, here I am shuffling through
the game store display when Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo catches my eyes...
It seems that Capcom decided to put together a nifty little puzzle
game based loosely on the legendary Tetris puzzler. To spice things up a bit,
they choose to throw in some super deformed versions of their characters from
Street Fighter and Dark Stalkers games...mix in some relentless non-stop
action...goof on their own Street Fighter series name and poof! Out pops this
little two player gem...
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Super
Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (SPF2T for short) is an action based puzzle game in the
same vein as Tetris.
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The
first thing you will probably notice is the funny looking versions of your
favorite Street Fighter characters. It's a regular riot watching them in
action...but I'm getting off track here. Okay, the graphics in SPF2T are very
nice and functional. The gems are colored brightly and explode quite
convincingly when prompted...but the real eye candy comes in the form of the
characters. Those wonderful sprite based, hand drawn super deformed
masterpieces that are constantly catching your eye when you are trying to focus
on the business of smashing gems. The artwork and animation of these characters
are amazing.
I'll try to paint you a picture...the screen is basically broken up
into three sections. On the left (player 1) and right (player 2) side of the
screen is the playing field with all of the gems falling...in the middle are the
characters duking it out as the gems explode...The backdrop is also wonderfully
drawn and fully animated . There are various backgrounds that are displayed,
depending on which character player one selects.
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The
music is cute and catchy. Actually, some of the tunes are the type that get
stuck in your head and you can't stop hearing them until you pop another game in
or divert your attention to something else...even then...
For each background screen in the game that every character possesses,
there is a representing song. Depending on the character selected the tune is
either light, bubbly and sickeningly sweet or somewhat eerie. Each song is
presented in Qsound and delivers a nice punch to your sound system if you are
listening to the game in stereo or Dolby. The music is basically just there as
a background filler and really doesn't add much to the intensity of the game.
The sounds however, are a different matter entirely...Your character
makes all of the standard Street Fighter noises; including grunts, shouts,
cries, taunts and threats...all in Japanese! It is really kinda funny listening
to some of the things they say...Some of the words sound suspiciously like
English, but are delivered at a time that makes no real sense. Just hearing
Sakura yell out what sounds like "Jerry" always makes me laugh. You
know your opponent has put together a good string of "hits" when you
hear their character yelling, following by the corresponding sounds of your
character getting the crap knocked out of him.
The sounds of the gems exploding is also nicely executed. Putting a
large string of exploding gems together sounds like several pane glass windows
breaking one after the other. Very nice!
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The
whole issue of playability can basically be summed up in one word "addictive"!
It's somewhat rare these days to come across a game that has you constantly
popping it in, not to reach another level, but just for the joy and challenge of
playing. Things can get really crazy in this game, really quick...
The whole premise behind SPF2T is to link the same colored gems
together to form larger gems. Every few turns a spinning wheel comes into play.
Match the color of the wheel to the color of the gems you have been building
and they will explode on contact. This causes gem blocks to be dropped onto
your opponents screen. Fill your opponents screen to the top and you take a
win.
Sound easy? Well, it's not. There are a wide variety of strategies
that can be implemented during the gameplay to really shake things up. Gems can
be placed in such a manner that causes chain explosions. The more chains you
put together, the more devastating your attack is. There is nothing more
satisfying then putting a 5-chainer together and watching the look on your
opponents face when there screen goes from empty to full in a matter of seconds.
Here's a little description of how the game is played:
Gems begin falling from the top center of your screen. Gems are
linked in two's...they can be the color, two different colors or a gem and a
spinning circle. As they fall you can turn the gems to line them up wherever you
like on your playing field...pushing the down directional button causes the gems
to drop quicker. The more gems you combine of the same color, causes to gems to
grow. The larger the gem is when it's exploded, the more disaster you cause to
your opponent. The colored wheel will only explode when it comes into contact
with a gem of the same color. It's important to learn how to strategically
place these falling circles to cause the chain effect. To make matters worse,
with each explosion your opponent executes, they send colored blocks your way.
These blocks have a colored number in them that corresponds to the color of the
gem they will turn into, once the number reaches zero. The blocks normally
start with the number "5" in them and count down in increments of one,
each time you drop a gem onto your playing field. Each character has a
different pattern for the gem blocks they will drop. Getting to know your
opponents pattern is crucial to success. It really pisses me off when I have
two or three huge colored gems ready to explode, when my challenger dumps a
bunch of blocks over them. When this happens, you need to think quickly, and
begin placing the spinning circles over or next to the same colored
blocks...when the block number reaches zero, the circle will explode the newly
created gem. If you are lucky and several of the same colored blocks are linked
and reach zero together, the circle will explode all of them at once.
Every 25 or so turns a spinning diamond drops in...whatever colored
gem of block it touches when it lands, cause all of gems and blocks of that
color to explode at once. As you can tell, for the most part, diamonds are our
friends...
While all of this is going one, the characters are acting out the
battle in the center third of the TV screen. I often found myself watching
their antics with amusement, only to look back at my screen to see it filling up
with blocks...damn those little deformed bastards!
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As
a two player game SPF2T has limitless replay value. It's a great party game
that will have your guests on the edge of their seats. It even shines as a one
player game...the computer AI is brutal and there are a good number or character
to play against...as well as some hidden characters to uncover.
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TOM |
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GRAPHICS: |
Good |
Well,
to wrap things up...Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo is a thoroughly enjoyable
game. It scores big points as a two-player title and holds it's own in the
one-player field.
It takes the classic gameplay elements of Tetris and transforms it into
something new and exciting. And hell, any company that has a good enough sense
of humor to poke fun at themselves (the games title says it all), is all right
in my book...Nice job Capcom! Now where the hell is Resident Evil 2......
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SOUND: |
Good |
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PLAYABILITY: |
Brilliant |
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VALUE: |
Brilliant |
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OVERALL
9/10 |
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JIM |
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GRAPHICS: |
Average |
Hey
guys, great news - this is a game that your wife (or girlfriend) will actually
WANT to play with you!
They say that the simple ideas are the best and this
game proves it. If you have played many different games of this type, then it
may not offer enough new challenges, but if you are new to this genre, BUY IT
NOW! |
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SOUND: |
Average |
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PLAYABILITY: |
Brilliant |
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VALUE: |
Good |
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OVERALL
8.5/10 |
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MARTIN |
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GRAPHICS: |
Brilliant |
It's
hard to find fault with Puzzle Fighter, so I will sing it's praises instead.
Great idea to incorporate the Street Fighter characters within the game, superb
graphics, challenging single player mode and a two player game that will have
you falling out with your family for weeks. The best puzzle game on PSX - bar
none. |
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SOUND: |
Brilliant |
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PLAYABILITY: |
Brilliant |
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VALUE: |
Good |
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OVERALL
8/10 |
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JIM |
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GRAPHICS: |
Good |
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SOUND: |
Brilliant |
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PLAYABILITY: |
Brilliant |
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VALUE: |
Good |
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OVERALL
9/10 |
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