History VideoGame / PuyoPuyo1992

An English version was produced for the European market, but was so obscure that almost all information regarding its release was lost to time; in fact, when UsefulNotes/{{MAME}}'s contributors first discovered and dumped the game from bootleg hardware, fans assumed that the localization itself was a bootleg, a misconception that lasted all the way until the release of ''Sega Ages Puyo Puyo'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch. This English version changes almost all of the character names, replaces the original ''Madou Monogatari 1-2-3'' voice acting with English equivalents, censors Harpy ("Dark Elf" in this version) by removing her angelic wings, and adds a different story where Arle Nadja (now Silvana), battles the Dark Prince (Satan) and his Black Kingdom. The only lasting impact of this version is the {{Bowdleri|se}}zation of Satan to Dark Prince, which extends to most other English releases; the next localized ''Puyo Puyo'' game, the Neo Geo Pocket Color port of ''2'', uses every other characters' original names. Curiously, the Game Gear port has an English version named ''Puzlow Kids'' that appears when the game is loaded into a non-Japanese system, despite the game never officially being released outside of Japan.

Thus the 1992 arcade game ''Puyo Puyo'' came into existence. Built for the Sega System C-2 (think a [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Mega Drive]] with better sound hardware), the game was unique among puzzle games at the time for completely lacking a solo play mode where players survive for as long as possible. Instead, the game's single-player mode involves a gauntlet where players battle 3, 9, or 13 opponents and attempt to outplay them by sending garbage Puyos to their end of the field. Naturally, the game included a PlayerVersusPlayer mode as well. In a further attempt to make the game stand out, Compile decided to delve even further into their roster of ''Madou Monogatari 1-2-3'' characters for more aesthetic flavor; each single-player battle is preceded by a scene where protagonist Arle Nadja engages in silly banter with the upcoming opponent, starting with ''Madou Monogatari'' {{Mooks}} and progressing until reaching primary antagonists Schezo Wegey, Minotauros, Rulue, and Satan.

The game would become a hit, especially once it was ported to the Mega Drive and [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Famicom]], and [[AdaptationDisplacement completely supplanted the 1991 game as the one commonly referred to as the "first" game]]. More importantly, it would set the stage for a sequel, ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo2'', that would put the competitive puzzle sub-genre on the map.

The game would become a hit, especially once it was ported to the Mega Drive and [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Famicom]], and [[AdaptationDisplacement completely supplanted the 1991 game as the one commonly referred to as the "first" game]]. More importantly, it would set the stage for a sequel, ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyoTsu'', that would put the competitive puzzle sub-genre on the map.

An English version was produced for the European market, but was so obscure that almost all information regarding its release was lost to time; in fact, when UsefulNotes/{{MAME}}'s contributors first discovered and dumped the game from bootleg hardware, fans assumed that the localization itself was a bootleg, a misconception that lasted all the way until the release of ''Sega Ages Puyo Puyo'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch. This English version changes almost all of the character names, replaces the original ''Madou Monogatari 1-2-3'' voice acting with English equivalents, censors Harpy ("Dark Elf" in this version) by removing her angelic wings, and adds a different story where Arle Nadja (now Silvana), battles the Dark Prince (Satan) and his Black Kingdom. The only lasting impact of this version is the {{Bowdleri|se}}zation of Satan to Dark Prince, which extends to most other English releases; the next localized ''Puyo Puyo'' game, the Neo Geo Pocket Color port of ''Tsu'', uses every other characters' original names. Curiously, the Game Gear port has an English version named ''Puzlow Kids'' that appears when the game is loaded into a non-Japanese system, despite the game never officially being released outside of Japan.

** The arcade version only utilizes one button (though pretty much all of its ports add counter-clockwise rotation) and reduces the color count to five. The games default to four colors starting with ''Tsu'', though they often come with the option to use 5 colors via handicap settings.

In 1991, Creator/{{Compile}} released the first ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' game. A simple puzzle game about stacking the ''VideoGame/MadouMonogatari'' series' resident CuteSlimeMook, it released on the [=MSX2=] and as a magazine pack-in for the dying Famicom Disk System and came and went with very little fanfare. By 1992, fighting games had become all the rage thanks to the breakout hit ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Street Fighter II: The World Warrior]]''. Compile, as well as longtime friend of the company Creator/{{Sega}}, saw potential in retooling the simple FallingBlocks affair into a competitive game to capitalize on the fighting game trend.

** ''Puzlow Kids'' runs into this in its Quest Mode. The mission objectives range from the technically correct but awkwardly-phrased "Eliminate 10 [[DubNameChange p-kids]] at a time" (clear ten Puyo at the same time) to the even more awkwardly-phrased "Eliminate 3 groups of p-kids" (perform a 3-chain), to the flat-out wrong "Let 20 paire [sic] drop in." (Drop 10 pairs; in other words, 20 Puyo.) The Scenario mode endings have correct English, but, as they're based on the English arcade game's endings, [[CutAndPasteTranslation suffer from different issues]].

* LongSongShortScene: All 3 cutscene themes go for way longer than the game allows.
** The most notorious case is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyHM6C_z14Y Memories of Puyo Puyo]], which plays during Stage 1-8’s pre-battle conversations. The song, which was previously used as the ''Madou Monogatari I'' dungeon theme, is fully remixed; however, almost none of the game's conversations last longer than 15 seconds when the song is actually closer to 2 minutes long. Amusingly enough, ''Mean Bean Machine'' features a cover of the song in a place where it can be fully appreciated... only to remove the last bit of the melody.
** [[https://youtu.be/06tH5Qosjrc Brave of Puyo Puyo]]. While shorter than "Memories", the full theme still doesn't play.
** [[https://youtu.be/MzA6G1LSaCs Dark Prince's theme]], which ''almost'' plays the full song, but not quite.

* LongSongShortScene: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyHM6C_z14Y Memories of Puyo Puyo]], which plays during Stage 1-8’s pre-battle conversations. The song, which was previously used as the ''Madou Monogatari I'' dungeon theme, is fully remixed; however, almost none of the game's conversations last longer than 15 seconds. Amusingly enough, ''Mean Bean Machine'' features a cover of the song in a place where it can be fully appreciated...only to remove the last bit of the melody.

* LongSongShortScene: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyHM6C_z14Y Memories of Puyo Puyo]], which plays during Stage 1-8 pre-battle conversations. The song, which was previously used as the ''Madou Monogatari I'' dungeon theme, is fully remixed; however, almost none of the game's conversations last longer than 15 seconds. Amusingly enough, ''Mean Bean Machine'' features a cover of the song in a place where it can be fully appreciated...only to remove the last bit of the melody.

*** Harpy becomes [[{{Bowlderise}}Dark Elf]].

** Rulue does not have a vocal catchphrase in any version except ''Puyo Puyo CD'' (which features new voice work) because she [[NonActionBigBad is not actually a boss encounter]] in the original versions of ''Madou Monogatari 1-2-3'', where almost all of the vocal samples come from.

** The first arcade game only utilizes one button (though pretty much all of its ports add counter-clockwise rotation) and reduces the color count to five. The games default to four colors starting with ''Tsu'', though they often come with the option to use 5 colors via handicap settings.

* EasyModeMockery: Once you clear the Beginner course, Dark Prince dismisses the accomplishment before flying off.

The game would become a hit, especially once it was ported to the Mega Drive and [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Famicom]], and [[AdaptationDisplacement completely supplanted the 1991 game as the one commonly referred to as the "first" game]]. More importantly, it would set the stage for a sequel, ''Puyo Puyo Tsu'', that would put the competitive puzzle sub-genre on the map.

In 1991, Creator/{{Compile}} released the first ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' game. A simple puzzle game about stacking the ''VideoGame/MadouMonogatari'' series' resident CuteSlimeMook, it released on the [=MSX2=] and as a magazine pack-in for the dying Famicom Disk System and came in went with very little fanfare. By 1992, fighting games had become all the rage thanks to the breakout hit ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Street Fighter II: The World Warrior]]''. Compile, as well as longtime friend of the company Creator/{{Sega}}, saw potential in retooling the simple FallingBlocks affair into a competitive game to capitalize on the fighting game trend.