For those who knew the joy
of dropping quarter after quarter in the addictive coin-op classic Super
Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, boy do I have a game for you. Sure, Capcom
Puzzle World joins the ranks of their two Collection compilations for
the PSP that resurrects familiar Capcom classics, but when the star of the show
is Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo and is followed by four other puzzle
games, non-puzzle fans will wonder if it’s worth the purchase price. Then again,
this is Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo we’re talking about and it’s been
formatted perfectly for your PSP along with the likes of Block Block and
Buster Bros.
For those of you who don’t
remember Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, it’s a competitive hybrid of
Tetris and Columns with colorful jewels and Street Fighter/Dark
Stalkers characters tossed into battle. You pick from a short list of
familiar characters like Ryu or Chun-Li and clear stages by clearing each bin
from colored jewels. That means you’ll be manipulating falling jewels and match
them with similar colored jewels the way you would in a game of Tetris or
Columns. The only difference here is with each jewel or combination of
jewels you’ll clear; your character will land a blow against their opponent.
The best part is that
there are three ways of playing Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo aside from
the usual Arcade mode, whether you play the X version (create chains and power
gems), the Y version (destroy stacks of three gems of the same color) and the Z
version (rotate gems to create power gems to send your opponent’s gem to the
top). It’s great stuff, indeed, and if you loved the classic original you’ll
love this version that controls nicely thanks to the ability to use either the
analog nub or the D-pad.
Then there’s Buster
Bros. and it’s far superior sequel Super Buster Bros. Both games
feature two brothers on a quest to save Earth from the evil Bubble King. The
object of both games is to burst giant bubbles sent down to Earth with one of
your brothers’ wire gun. The trick here is that the bubble bursts into tinnier
bubbles until you rid the screen of said bubbles. If this sounds simple to you
that’s because it is and the sequel manages to mix things up a little but
otherwise both games play the same way. There’s also Buster Buddies, a
sort of spin-off game that doesn’t features the two brothers but rather four
zany thieves like Don Paco or a cat named Pink Leopold.
The final game is Block
Block, a most obvious knock off of the old Atari classic Breakout.
The game feels incredibly dated and despite the fact that you can move the
paddle with either the analog stick or the D-Pad, there’s not much to this game
except break bricks and hope to catch a power-up. This is actually the weakest
game in this collection and one gamers won’t find too fun for long periods of
time.
Capcom Puzzle World
does add some interesting features
worth mentioning. For starters, the game’s wireless multiplayer works
magnificently and helps make even games like Block Block more fun to
play. A second player can join you in a co-op match of Block Block for
extra help while in the Buster Bros. games another player can take the
role of the second brother. Even Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo was made
for multiplayer. Then there’s the ability to “capture” a screenshot in games
like SPFII Turbo and save them to your memory stick to use as wallpaper
for your PSP or to show off for bragging rights. You can even unlock
illustrations from each game.
Many of the games are even
easy on the eyes with the Buster Bros. games looking amazing thanks to
the visual improvements. The backgrounds for these games really stand out and
the character models look sharp and pleasing to the eyes. Even games like
Block Block look pretty good on the PSP. The game’s sound isn’t bad either.
There’s some good music for each game and the sound effects aren’t so bad
either.
Capcom Puzzle World
for the PSP will not overwhelm
gamers with a wealth of different puzzle games but the ones featured here are
still loads of fun for any puzzle game fanatic. The great news is that many of
your old favorites like Buster Bros. and Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
have been slightly improved and thus made all the more addictive. If you’re
Ok with these few selections and some interesting PSP extras, this is a game you
might want to consider buying.
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Gameplay: 7.5
Despite the repetitive nature of the
Buster Bros. games and the dated gameplay of Block Block, the
games feel right at home on the PSP thanks to the fact that you can use the
analog stick of the D-pad to fit your comfort level. The real treat here is
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, which is practically flawless on the PSP.
Graphics: 7.6
With the exception of Block Block,
all the games look sharp, colorful and downright pleasing to the eye. The
Buster Bros. games alone sport some beautiful backgrounds and Super
Puzzle Fighter II still retains that old-school charm when it comes to the
cute renditions of Street Fighter characters.
Sound: 8.0
The music found in the game is
totally charming and upbeat and works throughout your playing experience. If you
thought the music in LocoRoco was cute wait until you hear the music that
plays during the Pictures and Screens menu. Oh, and the sound effects are pretty
decent too.
Difficulty: Medium
The usual puzzle game challenges
that apply to virtually every puzzle game out there can be found in these games
as well. Expect colorful jewels, balloons or balls to move faster and faster the
longer you play. Expect to be challenged no matter what game you play in this
collection.
Concept: 8.0
Five games don’t really make up a
world but then again these games aren’t anything to sneeze at and since games
like Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo have been improved upon these games
will definitely keep puzzle fans more than happy. There are some excellent PSP
features here and wireless multiplayer is handled beautifully.
Multiplayer: 8.0
Games like Super Puzzle Fighter
II Turbo were meant to be played with a second player so you will most
definitely want to share the fun with a friend. It’s even more fun having a
friend break blocks with you in Block Block so you will definitely
appreciate the help.
Overall: 7.5
It’s quality and not quantity that
makes Capcom Puzzle World such a delightful package that should please
puzzle fans looking for more puzzle goodness for their PSP. Yes, it’s great to
see Block Block again and even the wacky Buster Buddies but you
can’t help but wishing for more. Then again, you find it hard to resist these
slightly re-tooled classics.
