Tag: Sega Ages

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Sega Ages: Puyo Puyo 2’

by Josh Jackson

It’s not often that Puyo Puyo gets recognition as its own franchise here in the West. Often taking other forms such as Kirby’s Avalanche and Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, it wasn’t until recently that it was embraced for the weird Japanese puzzle game it is. Thanks to Sega Ages, Puyo Puyo 2 is here for the Switch. This arcade port of what many feel is the best game in the series might be a little too faithful to its original release, but makes up for it with some modern additions that work with varying results.

For those who are deeply invested in the plots of their puzzle games, Puyo Puyo 2 puts you in control of Arle, who is tasked with climbing a tower filled with a variety of demons in a quest to take down Satan himself. There might have been more going on, but I wouldn’t know. The in game text is untranslated, so unless you can read Japanese, be prepared to mash the A button whenever text pops up.

How does Arle hope to do take down the ultimate evil? Through the power of Puyo! Best described as a cross between Tetris and Nintendo’s Puzzle League series, two multicolored interlocked blobs descend from the top of the screen. Rotating them in certain positions allows you to stack them in ways to set up combos that builds up hard to break trash blocks to send to your opponent’s field. When thee or more Puyos of the same color connect, they disappear, destroying adjacent trash and collapsing anything on top of them. The name of the game is to create large combos to flood your opponent to the point where they can’t respond. Fill up their new block spawn zone and you’ll send them packing. 

Each stage consists of multiple opponents, where a roulette selects one at random. Arle builds up points depending on performance with a certain goal in place. If she reaches it before all the opponents are defeated, she’ll skip them and move on to a new set. If not, she’ll come face to face with a boss once everyone else is gone. If she STILL hasn’t gotten the points, it’s a game over.

Sound cheap? Believe me, it is. This game constantly reminds us that it was originally an arcade game, with lightning fast AI, the EXP mechanic and trash that always happens to find that one spot to fall that will screw up that big combo you’ve been building up towards. And that’s in the early stages. This game is punishing and you will die A LOT! It was designed to eat your quarters and it shows.

Alongside the standard mode are the marathon and time reverse modes, with the former putting you against the entire enemy roster as opposed to having an EXP requirement to bypass a stage. The latter can be used in any single player mode and allows you to rewind to previous turns and correct mistakes. The biggest new feature however, is its online mode, which pits two players against each other with various settings. The options are appreciated, but each of my games were noticeably laggy. In a game where fast reaction time is vital, it makes its potentially best feature moot.

Ultimately, it’s tough to recommend Puyo Puyo 2. It’s a perfectly acceptable port, but its insane difficulty serves as a reminder of how arcade games were essentially microtransactions before the term was around. The untranslated story makes it hard to get invested in the campaign and the side modes don’t do much to extend the game’s life. Local multiplayer is where this game really shines, but playing online is hurt greatly by lag issues that kill a fast paced game like this. At its core, it’s a great game. There’s a reason why the series has endured for three decades. Thankfully, that means there are three decades of games that play much better and are more worth your time. But when it comes to Puyo Puyo 2, while the good narrowly outweighs the bad, its supplemental modes ultimately let it down.

Final Score: 3/5

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Sega Ages: Sonic The Hedgehog 2’

by Josh Jackson

There’s a reason why Sonic 2 is considered by many to be Sonic’s peak. It introduced so much that is considered a series staple, from the addition of Tails and Robo Sonic to the iconic spin dash, the unlockable Super Sonic and flashy stages like the Casino Zone. It’s no wonder why it’s been released on nearly every console imaginable in one form or another, with the Switch now joining that massive list. As part of the Sega Ages series, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 arrives with some extra bells and whistles to make it a more worthy purchase, but is it enough to warrant another spin (dash)?

During its time, Sonic on the Genesis stood out as a game that focused on speed and style as opposed to the precision that other platformers typically build themselves around. Sonic 2 still holds up as the game that refined this gameplay style. Taking place across 10 stages that are divided into two or three acts, every one is completely unique, constantly introducing new mechanics, obstacles and enemies to keep you from stopping Dr. Robotnik, (or is it Eggman? Does a port override that?) The good doctor faces you himself at the end of each stage, with progressively difficult fights that make it harder to hold on to your rings. Get hit with no rings and you’re dead.

Thankfully, with the addition of Tails, fighting the good fight can be made a little bit easier. Sonic 2 was the game’s first attempt at multiplayer, where a second person can control the two tailed fox independently from Sonic, (but can never move beyond the screen’s borders without getting moved back). Acting as a conduit for endless punishment, the sidekick can gather hard to reach items without fear of death, even being able to take down Eggman with little to fear. When playing solo, Tails follows closely behind Sonic and tries his best to mirror the hedgehog’s moves. The AI isn’t as helpful as a person, but landing a stray hit or collecting an accidental ring are welcomed side effects. 

But as great as Sonic 2’s main game is, the bonus stage is one aspect that has never left my memory, serving as the best mini game in the series as far as I’m concerned. Running down a 3D half pipe, (which was the coolest thing in 1992), Sonic and Tails aim to collect a certain amount of rings as they avoid bombs that drop their total. Accomplish this seven times to collect the Chaos Emeralds and you get Super Sonic, a ring depleting form that gives Sonic super speed, limited flight and invincibility. It’s incredibly rewarding to beat these tough mini games and be allowed to plow through the bad guys for your troubles. In the past, this would have to be accomplished in a single run, but thanks to save states, you can try (and fail) as many times as you need until the emeralds are yours. Modern technology really is good for something!

Other additions include a 100 Ring Challenge, where players race to meet the clearly stated goal as fast as possible and share their scores on worldwide leaderboards. Other challenges include a ring streak challenge, where you try to collect as many rings as you can without getting hit, and the entire Knuckles campaign that was exclusive to the magic of “Lock-On” technology once upon a time. Knuckles with his gliding and climbing abilities make it feel like a different game, giving you two ways to play for the price of one!

This is essentially a perfect port of Sonic 2 that runs as smooth as always in either handheld or TV modes, so if you want to fall back in love with peak Sonic alongside his feature film debut, than this does its job exceedingly well. The addition of the Knuckles campaign was a welcomed surprise, allowing us to play twice with a completely different approach. With that said, if you want more than just the second game, there are more cost effective ways out there to get the whole series, while those who wanted some extra incentive to buy the game again won’t find a whole lot if they’re not into leaderboards. But if you wanted that nostalgia trip on your Switch or you’re a new player who wants to discover what all the commotion was about before the days of Warehogs and being best friends with Mario, then you’ll want to run to the eShop at sonic speed.

Final score: 4.5/5