ぷよぷよ〜ん, Puyo Puyo~n Party Contents 1.Introduction 2.Translation Guide 3.Characters 4.Story Mode 1.Introduction Released for the N64 in Japan only on December 3rd 1997, Puyo Puyo~n Party is an arcade port of Compile’s classic puzzle game. It is the fouth title in the Puyo Puyo series, which the title jokes at Puyo-n sounds like Yon, or four in Japanese. It differs in tone and presentation to the other N64 release, Puyo Puyo Sun. This game is a little more series and the anime art style is more realistic and possibly based on the style used in Waku Waku Puyo Puyo Dungeon. This game was first released on the Dreamcast as Puyo Puyo 4 and was later released on the Playstation and the Game Boy Colour. The voice acting from the Dreamcast game was removed and the music was also changed. However it is possible to unlock more art work for the game with the GB Pak and a copy of the Game Boy game Pocket Puyo Puyo SUN. However it strangely does not support the Game Boy game Pocket Puyo Puyo-n!? Additionally the game features a sound test mode, which the Dreamcast and Playstation games do not. It was also announced for the 64DD but was later cancelled after the 64DD's unsuccessful launch. This was the first game in the Puyo Puyo series released by Sega, after Compile was forced to sell the rights to them after filing for bankruptcy in March 1998. This likely explains while the voice acting was done by "professionals" rather than Compile employees. It was not released in arcades, unlike many of the other Puyo Puyo games. Puyo puyo is an onomatopoeia which means “jelly like”. The player must rotate falling sets of coloured jellies to form groups of four or more of the same colour which then “pop” and disappear. If the third column from the left completely fills up with Puyo, then you will get a game over. The player can create chain reactions when Puyo fall into each other, this then send Nuisance Puyo to your opponents screen. Nuisance Puyo can only be erased if other Puyo are popped next to them. The number of Nuisance Puyo created is dependent on the length of the chain. The rules of this game are essentially the same as Puyo Puyo 2 but the new feature of this game are the character specials that activate after each character has collected a certain amount of points in their power meter. Numbered Puyo now appear that required a certain amount of attacks on them to make them explode. The titular Sun Puyo from the previous game were removed after fan backlash! However, while the SUN Puyo made the previous games too fast, the character specials in this game make it too slow! Most of the specials clear Puyo from the screen so you and your opponent are often just waiting for more to appear. Additionally the speed at which overhanging Puyo fall down is also far slower than previous games which slows down the pace of the game quite often (although it can be changed!). This character special system was not used in any of the other Puyo Puyo games as far as I know. The first Puyo Puyo game was reviewed well by the British publication, N64 Magazine who awarded it 80% saying “You didn’t buy your N64 to play this but it’s still rollicking fun. So if you’re rich, try it on for size.” Story Satan (Dark Prince in English) finds a black box in a magical library which suddenly opens...The next day, Arle and Carbuncle go to see the Puyo Circus which has arrived in town. There they meet a strange jester named Pierrot. Carbuncle disappears and Arle must play Puyo Puyo against many opponents in her journey to find him. 2.Translation Guide Controls 3D Stick / D Pad - Move the Puyo A Button - Rotate Puyo clockwise B Button - Rotate Puyo counter clockwise C Buttons - Activate your character special Start Button - Pause The controls can be changed in the options. Game Modes From the title screen you can select the following modes, from top to bottom Single Player Puyo Puyo Two Player Puyo Puyo Tokoton Puyo Puyo Tokoton Puzzle Puyo Puyo Puyo Puyo with everyone Bomb Puyo Puyo GB Gallery Options Single Player Puyo Puyo This is the story mode. You have three options on this screen, Practice (3 stages), Story (16 stages, see below) and Free Battle. In free battle you can play as any of the characters. Two Player Puyo Puyo Tokoton Puyo Puyo You can choose the size of the Puyo using the three options. From the top, big puyo, normal puyo (for beginners), and small puyo. Tokoton Puzzle Puyo Puyo Make chains to clear all the Puyo in this 1 player puzzle mode. There are multiple difficulty levels, from the top, extremely sweet, sweet, a little spicy (20 puzzles), spicy, extremely spicy! Puyo Puyo with everyone This is the 4 player mode. Bomb Puyo Puyo Bomb Puyo explode after a certain amount of time. Make sure you push the bombs to your opponents side before they explode! GB Gallery You can view pictures won in the Game Boy game Puyo Puyo Sun with the GB Pak in this mode. Options The following options are available Button Settings Difficulty Settings Number of games needed to win a multiplayer battle Turn off the dialogue between characters Sound - stero or mono Reset the options to the default setting Extras - Sound Test Go Back When you pause in game you are given three options, Return to the game, quit and Change the game type. 3.Characters Here are the characters and their special as listed on the character select screen. The shrine maiden, Chico is an original character who first appears in this game, and A-chan appears from the PC-98 version of "Great Magic Strategy Story". The first chain that you erase using a character special will not be added to your score or fill your special meter. Additionally if you erase two or more chains with a special skill, the multiplier will not be applied to the erasing bonus, and the next erasing bonus will stop. But if you use a feat to cause two or more chains, a multiplier bonus will be applied. Top Row Satan - Satan's Cross Erases the Puyo in the field in a cross shape, including connected Puyo. The chains have 1.25 times the attack power. Dragon - Gogagogogo! Changes the highest row and the puyo connected to that row to Puyo in the most present colour group. If the amounts are the same they will be randomised. The chains have 0.4 the attack power. Harpy - All Change! Randomly changes all the Garbage Puyo in the field into one of 4 colours. The chains have 0.4 times the attack power Kikimora Big Clean Up! Erases all Garbage Puyo. The chains have 1.25 times the attack power. Chiko Gaia Cube Changes the 4th and 8th rows and the Puyo connected to those rows to the Puyo colour group with the most colours. If the numbers are the same, the Puyo are randomised. The chains have 0.8 times the attack power. Nohoho - Nohoho Slot Machine Turns the field into a vertical rotation slot machine, which stops randomly. The chains have 1.25 times the attack power. Panottone - I'm going to do mischief! Erases all isolated Puyo. The chains have 1.25 times the attack power. Shenzo Areyado Special Erases the Puyo from the bottom of the field to the 6th row in an X shape, including all connected Puyo. The chains have double the attack power. Middle Row Witch - Foreign Thunder Erases the highest row and all the Puyo connected to that row. The chains have double the attack power Arle - Rui Panko Stops falling Garbage Puyo for 15 seconds. Draco - Draco Burning Erases all Puyo of the same colour as 1 Puyo 1 colour (including Gabage Puyo) in the highest row. The chains have 0.8 times the attack power. Seriri - Make friends with everyone! Changes Puyo in the least present colour group to Puyo in the most present colour group. If the amounts are the same they will be randomised. The chains have 2/3 the attack power. Bottom Row Leroux The True Queen of Boisterous Dancing! Turns the field upside down to erase all Garbage Puyo. A-Chan - Homing Shot Randomly erase 12 Puyo. The chains have 4 times the attack power. Skeleton-T - Super Dynamic Tea Bomber Each time you pile up Puyo without rotating, your attack power increases by 10% (up to 4 times). Rotating Puyo even once will end the special. Walleye Pollock - Finish Changes Puyo in the most present colour group to Puyo in the next most present colour group. If the amounts are the same they will be randomised. The chains have 1.25 the attack power. Hidden characters Doppelganger Arle - Void Hall Stops falling Garbage Puyo for 30 seconds. When used continuously, the length of time halves each time. Carbuncle Gugugu (Carbunclo beam) Randomly change all Puyo in the field into one of three other coloured Puyo. The chains have 2/3 the attack power. 4.Story Mode This time there is only one Story Mode character, Arle, and you cannot use her Special because of some story McGuffin. The Story mode has 16 stages, and each stage has a different rule set or condition. Usually you are given a different character to use and you can try out their special ability. You can save your progress through the story mode, so you can come back to the game later. Circus No effect 1 Skeleton-T 2 A-chan 3 Kikimora Volcano stage The maximum number of Garabage Puyo that can fall at one time is 6 (1 row). 4 Panottone 5 Draco Underwater stage The falling speed of overhanging puyo is considerably slowed down. 6 Nohoho - Garbage Puyo change to score Puyo 7 Seriri Aerial city stage Depending on the height of the field, the score when erasing Puyo is multiplied. The more you erase higher Puyo, the more points you get, and more puyo will fall onto your opponent. 8 Walleye Pollock 9 Harpy 10 With Ruins stage The bottom of the field is pre-laid with hard puyo and scoring puyo. If you breaking through to the scoring puyo at the bottom and use them, you can fill up your Special meter a lot. 11 Dragon 12 Chiko - Garbage Puyo change to hard Puyo 13 Shenzo - Garbage Puyo change to hard Puyo Astroman Stage The rows of Puyo on the left and right ends of the stage are connected to each other. Circus Entrance The maximum number of Garabage Puyo that can fall at one time is 6 (1 row). Depending on the height of the field, the score when erasing Puyo is multiplied. The more you erase higher Puyo, the more points you get, and more puyo will fall onto your opponent. 14 Leroux Different Dimension 15 Satan - Arial City effects are on. No other characters can be used. 16 Doppelganger Arle - All stages effects on. Garbage Puyo change to Hard Puyo. Spoilers for the ending below! When Arle finally defeats Satan he is freed from the curse of the black box and it's owner, who is revealed to be Pierrot. In a double twist Pierrot is revealed to be Doppelganger Arle, and they play Puyo Puyo to decide who will be allowed to exist! Arle wins and Doppelganger Arle fades away, Carbuncle reappears. The gem on his head starts to shine and suddenly a huge beam of light shoots from it, ending the game on a cliffhanger.