Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S Review

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Fast Facts

Starting the Stack

Five years ago, something big happened that impacted the gaming industry in a surprising way. Of course, we’re talking about Puyo Puyo Tetris 2…what else would it be? Now, with the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, we’ve been blessed with another entry in the franchise…well, kind of. This is Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S, essentially Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 but exclusive to the Switch 2.

Puzzle Piece Polish

If you’ve played any Puyo Puyo Tetris game, you know what to expect here – Sega’s trademark chaotic charm. The new-era character designs are backed by a soundtrack that could slot right into any of their high-energy arcade classics. There’s a huge cast of characters, each with loads of fully voice-acted dialogue lines. It’s honestly impressive how much effort has gone into the audio design for a puzzle game. The sound effects themselves are joyful, though they can get a little repetitive over time.

Visually, it boasts impressive 2D artwork with some charming in-game animations. It won’t be winning any visual awards anytime soon, but it’s still a pleasant-looking title.

Dropping Blocks and Popping Blobs

So what exactly are we looking at? Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 combines Puyo Puyo and Tetris (shocking, I know), letting players face off against opponents in either game – or even both at the same time.

Without diving too deep, Puyo Puyo tasks players with matching coloured blobs in groups of four or more to score points and send hazards to their opponent. Tetris, as always, involves creating full lines using falling blocks. In either game, if your pieces reach the top, it’s game over. There’s more strategy here than you might expect, and the skill gap between newcomers and veterans can be brutal.

Somehow, Sega has managed to squeeze in a story mode, revolving around the worlds of Puyo Puyo and Tetris colliding. To fix this, players battle CPU opponents across increasingly difficult and varied modes. It’s a fun way to experience different gameplay types, supported by a quirky, lighthearted story. Not exactly Shakespeare, but cute nonetheless. Each battle has different star rankings to achieve depending on win conditions, giving completionists plenty to aim for.

Outside story mode, you can face CPU opponents in any of the available game modes. These range from straightforward Puyo Puyo or Tetris to “Swap,” which makes you play both at the same time (serious brain strain territory). “Big Bang” is another mode where you clear preset blocks each turn, and whoever makes the most mistakes loses. There’s a huge variety here, and it’s impressive how much Sega has packed into this title.

New to the Switch 2 version is a “Doubles” mode, letting players share a game board and get in each other’s way – perfect for couch co-op chaos. Considering the Switch 2’s multiplayer focus, it’s a neat inclusion. Combine this with gameshare features and camera functionality, and it’s shaping up to be a strong party game. They’ve even managed to include mouse controls.

Online versus returns as well with all its features. But there’s a catch – you can only play against others who own Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S. Players with the original Switch version of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 can’t matchmake with you, which is a major flaw.

Final Clear

This is a tough one to recommend. On the surface, it’s great: fun gameplay, solid visuals, and an energetic soundtrack. Puzzle fans will have a blast. However, there’s little to distinguish this from the version already available on the original Nintendo Switch. Since that version is fully playable on Switch 2, it’s arguably the smarter buy. Sure, you’ll miss out on doubles mode, camera features, and slightly faster loading times – but you’ll also save money and have a larger online player base.

It’s a shame Sega didn’t release a true sequel and instead opted for this minor upgrade. Coupled with the fact that it’s a game key card (which is another topic entirely), there’s just not enough here to make buying this version a smart choice. Save your money and grab the original Switch version instead.

Rapid Reviews Rating

2 out of 5

You can buy Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S here