So what was the story behind them releasing Puyo Puyo like this? Were they scared it wasn't going to sell?
So what was the story behind them releasing Puyo Puyo like this? Were they scared it wasn't going to sell?
So what was the story behind them releasing Puyo Puyo like this? Were they scared it wasn't going to sell?
anime bad
You can always sell more copies when you attach sonic to something. That’s why Sega still exists.
Puyo Puyo had a catastrophic unmodified English release that ended up a very limited distribution in Spain, the same localization was renamed "Puzlow Kids" for the Game Gear but the multi-language cartridge was never released outside Japan.
Meanwhile Sega of America approached Compile with a deal to make a stripped down version of the first game in English with Sonic characters for the Sega Megadrive, then Nintendo was jelly and wanted the same for the SNES version with Kirby characters, then Disney wanted to license it for a Timon & Pumba minigame compilation (but it was removed from the SNES version, possible licensing issues w/ Nintendo)
Sega, Nintendo, and Disney offered lucrative deals for this Japanese million seller. Compile accepted the short term profits and completely missed on building IP recognition in the west (unified title, licensing policy, consistent mascots, etc). They started localizing them after Sega bought Compile (starting with Puyo Puyo Tsu on the Neo Geo Pocket) but it was too little too late.
Oh, Compile
They just kept fricking up everything up for themselves didn't they.
They were stupid.
Nintendo renamed Tetris Attack to Yoshi's Panepon (Panel De Pon) for its Japanese versions on SNES (Satellaview) and Game Boy. For Nintendo's SNES version of Tetris they bundled it with Dr. Mario, and GungHo bundled Puzzle & Dragons (original version) with a Mario themed version for the Western 3DS localization.
Conversely when Nintendo of America was trying to bury Panel De Pon in the west they were removing the branding from everywhere they could, even bonus optional backgrounds in the soulless DS games.
Puyo Puyo might have had a very different fate had they insisted that the reskinned versions offer an optional mode with the original title and characters. Then they might have been actually able to release anything other than the first game (Tsu, Sun, etc).
I would love to see what a modern day Complie would make, maybe Madou Monogatari would have evolved like the SMT series.
I just read that apparently the original English release of Puyo Puyo is actually available on the eShop under the name, "Sega Ages: Puyo Puyo," so I just bought it lol.
Correct, and it's around that time that interviews surfaced by Sega staff referring to the English version as "the one from Spain", before that its official status was unconfirmed and the version in MAME was thought to be a complete mystery, possibly a bootleg with the translation copied from elsewhere.
I wish some internet detective could find where it was first dumped and then see if the dumper still has the arcade cabinet.
Puyo Puyo been Puyo Puyi in the west long enough that i dont think the 5 years lost of being Kirby's Avalanche and Dr. Robotnik really effects how popular Puyo Puyo is currently. As in, it's popular, but not huge. I think the genre's just not that popular here.
Even Nintendo rarely focuses on Dr. Mario and that never had a brand confusion. Although Dr. Mario sucks compared to puyo and panel de pon
Also, 7 year old me probably would like anime girl Panel De Pon or Puyo Puyo, but thanks to kirby and yoshi, im a big fan of the both franchises. Maybe they were doing the right thing
>I think the genre's just not that popular here.
Puzzle games will always be popular pick up and go games. The problem is that one hits the right spot for all skill levels of people while Puyo Puyo requires a lot more commitment to learn than something like Tetris. Coupled with the fact that it's a versus game.
This isn't true at all you can three star the story campaign just with stairs pattern.
Most people picking the game up and playing it the first time will be connecting four of the same color. There's a lot more set up in it over something like Tetris.
Less scared and more the thought that slapping something popular on it would make it sell more
Sonic and Nintendo characters print money
The Kirby version was my personal favorite
The music sucks dick, though.
Compare Poyo Poyo's versus theme:
with Mean Bean's superiour bgm:
But Kirby Avalanche has one of the best rendition of Butter Buiilding
Tbh, "mean bean machine" sounds better than Puyo Puyo.
Too Japanese for westoids
Shitty game that's always been shitty inferior Tetris. Ofc they were desperate to sell their shit so they attached waifus to it
sounds like you just suck at chaining lad
I'm stating factual information that's backed up by the games themselves.
You just did some shitty projection based on emotion, go jerk off to your waifus.
Go back to Ganker with you shit flinging, moronic zoomer.
It sold so well in Japan? Why? It's not that good is it? Tacking popular characters onto a decent but unexciting game like this seems like a reasonable thing to do.
It's a puzzle arcade game that people liked and had the marketable (to Japan) cute characters to go along with it.
Then they decided to make an office suite.
Sonic and Kirby IPs were more marketable. You can potentially sell more copies when you attach a familiar face to a product, especially a niche puzzler like Puyo Puyo.
Same reason Panel de Pon got released as TETRIS Attack in the West and got a Mario makeup. Yoshi was more recognizable than that fairy (Lip, I guess?), and so was the Tetris' brand name.