‘Puyo Puyo Tetris’ Review: Stack And Match On The Switch

Has there ever been a more addictive game than Tetris? I mean the game has become as ingrained in the pop culture lexicon as much as Pac Man, and it’s a game that most people have played at least once in their lives, in some version or another. Puyo Puyo is another addictive game that has stolen the time of gamers everywhere. So, what happens when SEGA takes both games and fuses them together as Puyo Puyo Tetris, putting both games into one neat package? You get an overly addictive time thief that plays well on the Nintendo Switch, and serves as a perfect example of the grab-and-go sensibility of the hot new Nintendo handheld/console hybrid.

Puyo Puyo Tetris gives fans of both games plenty to do here. If you are a Tetris only player, there’s a full featured Tetris game with multiple modes. If you only like to match colors in Puyo Puyo, it’s here in all of its glory. But for fans of both, Puyo Puyo Tetris takes things a step further by integrating both games, and players can even Switch (see what I did there?) between the two games in one particular game mode, to keep things relatively fresh.

Puyo Puyo Tetris has a Puyo Puyo game and a Tetris game, with time attack and head-to-head match ups with the CPU or human players, both in couch co-op and online, but it also has a peculiar Adventure mode, that gives the player some perspective in how these two franchises came together, using the cutesy characters of Puyo Puyo and the Tetris universes to tell one strange, but useful story. The story in Adventure mode is a perfect way to indoctrinate players to each game — and the different game modes — in Puyo Puyo Tetris. But once the silly story is completed, there is still so much to do, as Tetris and Puyo Puyo are two games that never seem to get old, no matter how much you play.

For a puzzle game, Puyo Puyo Tetris is just packed with stuff to do, and will challenge even the most veteran players of either franchise. The Fusion mode challenges the brain, and forces the player to stay on their toes. In fact, all of the modes have something good going on, making this Switch game a must own for puzzle game fans.

The cutesy characters and the colorful Puyos and Tetriminos really pop off the screen, either the TV or the Switch’s screen. The backgrounds for each game mode also create some fun eye candy for fans of the respective games. The controls work well for the Joy Cons or the Pro Controller, giving players a solid choice in how to play the game. The music is mostly generic, though I admittedly liked the new version  of Classic Tetris arrangement here. It stirred some fun nostalgia of playing my GameBoy system back in high school.

Puyo Puyo Tetris is the almost-perfect party game, because most people are so familiar with one or both games independently. And that works to the Nintendo Switch’s strengths, as four players can play together. Even if you know someone who has never played either game before, once they do, the hook will be in and you will have to wait your turn, just like everyone else.

Puyo Puyo Tetris is a full featured title for the young Nintendo Switch that challenges players and fans of both games and offers some new and interesting twists in the way the two franchises are fused together. As a party game, right now, there is nothing else like it on the Switch, and it is sure to bring together friends and strangers in new and exciting ways. The cute, colorful graphics and whimsical, if not generic music serve to create the gaming mood, and Puyo Puyo Tetris proves to be just as addictive as either of the two franchises that it brings together. And that is a win in my book.

Puyo Puyo Tetris is available on April 25 for the Nintendo Switch in both retail and Nintendo eShop versions, and on the PS4 in a retail-only version. This review is based off a Switch review code provided by SEGA.