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»Capcom Puzzle World
"Come for the Puzzle Fighter, stay for the...Puzzle Fighter."
Back when this game was first announced early last year, I always had a
problem with its title. Capcom Puzzle World. Excuse me, Capcom? Three games a
world does not make. All the same, I was still excited because it had
exactly what I wishing for - a PSP version of Super Puzzle Fighter II
Turbo, which I had been praying for ever since the PSP was first
announced and after having played the badly-designed GBA version. I could hardly
wait for September November December February.
Ever since it was first delayed from September to November, I was
worrying that this game would end up being another Mega Man Mania -
just another piece of vaporware. But thankfully, my worries have been
put to rest.
First up, is my favorite part of the collection - Super Puzzle Fighter
II Turbo. This classic game mixed in Tetris-influenced puzzle gameplay
with super-deformed Capcom characters from Street Fighter,
Darkstalkers, and even an entry from the obscure Cyberbots (you know,
the series that Jin Saotome came from?)! There are a few new features
and tweaks that both improve and detract from the gameplay. The bad
news is that Street Puzzle Mode is gone. Instead, most of the game is
unlocked from the very beginning, aside from the sound test, which has
been taken out all together (though Sakura’s special song still exists
in the image viewing mode).
On the flip side, we get two new game modes, in addition to the
original (dubbed “Super Puzzle Fighter II X”), we get “Super Puzzle
Fighter II Y” and “Super Puzzle Fighter II Z”, which put new spins on
the games. Y is basically a Columns clone (without the crash gems),
which is great in my book, while Z is somewhat like Tetris Attack!,
only instead of simply grouping the climbing blocks, you also have to
destroy them with the crash gems.
Next up, we have Block Block, which previously appeared in Capcom
Classics Collection Remixed. This game is essentially to
Breakout/Arkanoid what Puzzle Fighter was to Tetris/Puyo Puyo/etc. It’s
the same exact game that we saw last year in Remixed, though without
the unlockables, it feels like there’s less incentive to play it.
Finally, we have a port of the Buster Bros. Collection, as originally
seen on the PlayStation. The collection itself is a compilation of the
three games in the Buster Bros. series (Buster Bros., Super Buster
Bros. and Buster Buddies), although all three games are pretty much the
same. The point of the games is to burst all of the bubbles in each
stage with your grappling hook/spear gun. However, each time you hit
the bubble, it splits into two smaller ones, which also split until
they get small enough to be destroyed. If any of the bubbles touch you,
then you die. Certain bubbles drop power-ups when dropped, including a
shield that protects you for one hit and the ability to fire two spears
at once, among other things. Buster Buddies adds a bit more variety,
allowing you to choose from 4 different characters, each with their own
special ability (such as the ability to shoot two spears at opposite
45° angles), though the only collectible power-ups in the game are food
items and shields.
Honestly, you won’t get much play out of Block Block, and the Buster
Bros. games run together, so the main draw for this game is probably
Puzzle Fighter. Unfortunately, this game also has another problem: at
certain points, there is a barely noticeable lag, which, while it
doesn’t affect the gameplay much, it is still quite an annoyance.
If you’re expecting to be blown away by the graphics, then you’re
setting yourself up to be disappointed. Think about it - all three of
the games in this collection are old games, two from the PlayStation
era and one that’s even older. Everything’s perfectly ported, but the
games have definitely shown their ages.
The sound quality in this game is great, considering the source
material. Everything is nice and clear, and the remixed soundtracks are
a nice addition. However, for the most part, the games’ soundtracks are
pretty bland, especially in Block Block’s case.
Replay is where most puzzle games generally shine; this is generally
true for puzzle collections. Unfortunately, in Capcom Puzzle World’s
case, neither of these traits hold true. Sure, Puzzle Fighter’s plenty
of fun, even with its problems, but that only constitutes a third of
the collection. The Buster Bros. games offer a bit of replay, but Block
Block’s got nothing. In the end, if you’re looking for a good version
of Puzzle Fighter, and are willing to cough up the 30 bones, then go
for it. Otherwise, don’t bother.
Article by: Wolfdogg
Posted on: Feb. 9th, 2007 |
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Review Recap |
| Gameplay |
| The main draw is Puzzle Fighter, but there are a few problems with this port. The other games, on the other hand, generally only offer a mild diversion, but at least are perfectly ported. |
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Graphics |
| All the games in this collection show their age, but the conversions are for the most part perfect. |
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Sound |
| The music and effects are clear, and the remixed soundtracks are a nice touch. Still, the soundtracks themselves aren’t exactly the best. |
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Replay Value |
| Puzzle Fighter’s bound to bring about hours of replay, due to the game’s fun factor. Block Block and Buster Bros., not so much. |
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Comments |
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March 24, 2007 |
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I thought Puzzle World was one of the greatest games for the PSP... Its only my opinion but I was a fanatic of the original Super Puzzle Fighter Turbo and that is the main reason why I bought Puzzle World.
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