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Puyo Puyo (Arcade)

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Title Screen

Puyo Puyo

Developer: Compile
Publisher: Sega
Platform: Arcade (Sega System C2)
Released in JP: October 1992
Released in US: Unknown (1992?)
Released in EU: Unknown (1992?)


SoundIcon.png This game has unused sounds.
RegionIcon.png This game has regional differences.
Carts.png This game has revisional differences.


Unlike the MSX2 and Famicom Disk System games of the same name, the arcade Puyo Puyo focuses exclusively on competitive play, which would prove to be the franchise's ticket to success.

Hmmm...
To do:
  • Add more images.
  • Look for unused graphics in both Japan and World versions. Getting complete graphical data requires interleaving .ic34 and .ic33 files.
  • The English version has an unused "Winners Don't Use Drugs" message.

Regional Differences

The English version (labeled "World" in MAME) was, for years, one of the greatest Puyo Puyo-related mysteries. Much of the information regarding its release has been lost to time, and international fans initially assumed that it was a bootleg. Its inclusion in the Sega Ages series for the Nintendo Switch confirms that it is an official translation, and a couple of 1990s developer interviews allude to a European version with name changes, but when, how, and precisely where this version released is completely unknown. Regardless, the English version features some aesthetic changes.

Copyright Notice

The Japanese versions display a copyright notice on boot. World doesn't have an equivalent notice, and instead goes straight to the title screen.

Puyoarc export.png

Title Screen

World's title logo is slightly different in style. However, it goes through the same stretching animations as the Japanese version.

Japan World
Puyoarc j.png Puyoarc e.png

Voice Work

The voice work was redone in English for the World version, with Carbuncle's catchphrase being the only voice sample that survives the transition. The World version has fewer samples overall; two samples used in the final sequence (いっきま~す at the start of the character reel and おしまい at the end of it) have no English equivalents, while other samples are used multiple times. For example, the "Puyo Puyo!" from the title screen is also used for a 5+ player chain.

Name Changes

A vast majority of the characters' names are changed. The four-letter abbreviation above each character's preview window is changed accordingly, with the exception of Arle, whose abbreviation becomes "YOU."

Japan World
Arle Nadja [ARLE] Silvana [YOU]
Skeleton-T [SKEL] Skeleton [SKEL]
Nasu Grave [NASU] Blue Ghost [GOST]
Mummy [MUMY] Mummy [MUMY]
Draco Centauros [DRAC] Dragon Woman [DRAG]
Suketoudara [TARA] Goby Captain [GOBY]
Sukiyapotes [POTE] Small Foot [FOOT]
Harpy [HAPY] Dark Elf [ELF]
Sasoriman [SCOP] Scorpion Man [SCOP]
Panotty [PANO] Johnny [JONY]
Zombie [ZOMB] Zombie [ZOMB]
Witch [WICH] Witch [WICH]
Zoh Daimaoh [ZOH] Elephant Lord [LORD]
Schezo Wegey [SHEZ] Devious [DEVI]
Minotauros [MINO] Max Minotaur [MINO]
Rulue [RULU] Lulu [LULU]
Satan [SATN] Dark Prince [PRIN]
Carbuncle Carbuncle

Most of the name changes are exclusive to this version; only Dark Prince would be used in later games.

Harpy / Dark Elf

World removes Harpy's wings and flying animation, and also changes her dress's color from white to a dark shade of green. This is reflected in both her cutscene sprites and her battle portrait.

Japan World
Puyoarc harpy.png Puyoarc elf.png
Japan World
Puyoarc harpy2.png Puyoarc elf2.png

Other Graphical Changes

World slightly modifies the cutscene choreography, resulting in two animations (Draco's laughing animation and Satan's initial reaction to Arle calling him "Santa") going completely unused. The animations are still in the game, just never referenced.

Unused "Double" Diacute Voice Sample

Normal Diacute Double Diacute

The Japanese versions contain an alternate, unused version of Arle's "Diacute" spell where she stutters the first syllable. This is a reference to the Madou Monogatari games, where the damage-doubling Diacute causes Arle to stutter the name of her next spell; in this case, it behaves as if she casted Diacute twice.

The following MAME cheat forces the game to play the double Diacute for any and all voice sample calls. Using an index of 05 will instead play the singular Diacute sample that is used in normal gameplay.

<cheat desc="D-D-Diacute Voice Lock">
	<comment>The game will play the double Diacute for all voice samples.</comment>
	<script state="run">
		<action>maincpu.pb@e0b0c5=04</action>
		<action>maincpu.pb@e0b008=04</action>
		<action>maincpu.pb@e00155=04</action>
	</script>
</cheat>

Sixth Puyo

The MSX2 and Famicom Disk System Puyo Puyo contains six Puyo colors, and if this prototype footage is any indication, the Mega Drive version almost did as well. (P1's top Puyo at 5:45 never appears in the final game or any Puyo game.) As it turns out, the sixth Puyo does indeed exist in the arcade version, can be placed on the field with easy modifications to Mamecheat.co.uk's Puyo Puyo cheat files, and (aside from being visually broken) is fully functional.

Mamecheat intentionally skipped over the sixth Puyo for each of their Puyo-setting cheats. For example:

  <cheat desc="Select Perm. Next Top Bubble PL1">
    <parameter>
      <item value="0x00">Red</item>
      <item value="0x01">Yellow</item>
      <item value="0x03">Green</item>
      <item value="0x04">Purple</item>
      <item value="0x05">Blue</item>
    </parameter>
    <script state="run">
      <action>maincpu.pb@FFE127=param</action>
    </script>
  </cheat>

Adding the sixth Puyo as an option is a simple matter of filling in the unused slot.

  <cheat desc="Select Perm. Next Top Bubble PL1">
    <parameter>
      <item value="0x00">Red</item>
      <item value="0x01">Yellow</item>
      <item value="0x02">Sixth</item>
      <item value="0x03">Green</item>
      <item value="0x04">Purple</item>
      <item value="0x05">Blue</item>
    </parameter>
    <script state="run">
      <action>maincpu.pb@FFE127=param</action>
    </script>
  </cheat>

There are unrelated parts of the game that are affected by these cheats, so it is recommended to only activate them during battle.

Revision Differences

Rev. A of the Japanese version includes a bug where the AI loses its ability to manually drop Puyo if its joystick is held to the left or right. (P2 joystick if the player is on the P1 side and vice versa.) The effect is most easily seen with Suketoudara, who starts a match by manually dropping four full rows of Puyo, and Harpy, who starts a match by quickly lining her left and right columns. Players cannot move their Puyo laterally and simultaneously manual drop; it is likely that the developers forgot to completely disable the left/right input check for AI opponents.

Rev. B fixes this bug. However, neither World, nor the nearly 1:1 Mega Drive port, nor even Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine inherited said fix.