Puyo Puyo Tetris NS2 Review
Summary: A lack of an upgrade path for Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 players puts a downer on this otherwise feature packed puzzler
3
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S is a tricky sell. If you missed it on the Switch, then it’s the best way to play this fantastic, feature-packed puzzle adventure that effortlessly mashes two of my favourite franchises in the genre together.
However, if you’ve already got it on the Switch, there is little point spending your hard-earned Switch dollars on 2S; it’s the same game, with a few new features designed to show off the Switch 2’s new functions. How much you care about these additions will see your mileage vary wildly.
When Hugh reviewed Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 back in 2020, he called it “a bombastic, joyous package” with a “wacky cast of wonderful characters” with “a boatload of fun game modes.”
That’s still the case with the Switch 2 version; however, 2S only adds one additional mode to the mix: Puyo Tetris Doubles, which sees players partner up for 2v2 battles where they have to work together to organize Poyos and Tetriminos on the same board. The blocks and blobs can also bash into each other, so you need to communicate effectively to make sure the blocks fall in the right place and don’t get knocked out of the way by your partners.
Overall, though it’s a minor addition, limited to only Versus, Party, and Fusion mode, and needs several extra players to be any fun. As Kyle Reese famously said about CPU players, or Terminators (They’re basically the same, right?), it can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop…getting in the way when you’re trying to get that T piece into that tricky spot at the end.
That just leaves the Switch 2-centric features, which are a mixed bag. It certainly runs smoother, and the enhanced resolution and improved load times are welcome. There’s also GameChat and GameShare support, so you can play multiplayer either locally with one copy of the game, a fantastic feature of the Switch 2 that should be lauded.
However, the support for the camera and mouse is a combination of pointless and plain bad.
First up, you can use a camera to superimpose your face onto the game board while you play. Fun enough, but ultimately pointless.
Then there’s the terrible mouse controls. Somehow managing to be simultaneously both overly sensitive and imprecise. You waggle your hand around trying to get the blocks in the right place, a slight hand adjustment sees your block come to a comfortable rest where you didn’t want it to be, you’ll accidentally tap R and rotate them at the last minute. Try and speed up their descent by pulling the mouse towards you and see them land several columns over
Some games are made to be played with a D-pad, and Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S is one of them.
The most egregious and baffling element of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S, though, is the fact that there’s no way to upgrade to the Switch 2 version.
If you have Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 on the Switch already, there’s no point buying this, especially not for $40. It’s barely any different from the original release. To be fair, this is something SEGA has decided to do with all their Switch 2 games from Sonic x Shadow Generations to Raidou Remastered. However, it doesn’t stop it from being nonsense, especially when they offer free PS5 upgrades on all their PS4 titles.
Final Thoughts
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S is, at its core, a brilliant, feature-packed puzzle game with plenty for fans of the genre to sink their teeth into.
However, if you already own the Switch version, there’s practically nothing here to justify a double dip for Switch 2. A $5 upgrade would have been an easy sell. However, $40 for one extra mode, tacked-on mouse controls, and no cross-play with the previous gen version is not something I can recommend.
If you’re a newcomer or skipped the Switch version, and you have a hankering for some classic puzzle action with a twist for your shiny new Switch 2, by all means, this is a fantastic package and an addictive commuting game that is guaranteed to make you miss your stop.
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