Puyo Puyo (rule)
| Puyo Puyo | |
|---|---|
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| Margin time | N/A (96 in Sega-developed games) |
| Target points | 70 |
| Offsetting | None |
| All clear bonus | N/A |
Puyo Puyo rule, also informally known as the "Original rule" or "OPP" (Original Puyo Puyo) rule in international circles, is Puyo Puyo in its purest form. The Puyo Puyo ruleset has almost no unique gameplay mechanics of its own, and is perhaps better known for the fact that it lacks certain Tsu rule mechanics.
Gameplay mechanics
Five colors
The original versions of Puyo Puyo rule use five colors in both single- and multiplayer, though the practice stages only use four. Sega's implementation of Puyo Puyo rules uses the Tsu-standard four colors.
No margin time
The original versions of Puyo Puyo rule do not feature margin time; play could theoretically continue forever with the only possible gameplay change being the automatic drop speed. Sega developed games introduce a 96-second margin time, perhaps in consideration of online play.
No double rotation
Puyo Puyo rule does not feature double rotation. If a player's currently-controlled pair of Puyo is sandwiched between two columns, the player cannot flip the pair under any circumstance. The only exceptions are the Nintendo Switch port of the 1992 Puyo Puyo, and the version of Puyo Puyo featured in Sonic Mania's Chemical Plant Zone Act 2 boss battle.
1-pair preview window
The preview window only allows the player to see one pair of upcoming Puyo.
Nuisance tray visuals
The Nuisance tray is only capable of displaying Nuisance Puyo in units of 1, 6, and 30.
1991 Puyo Puyo mechanics
Puyo Puyo (1991) utilizes six colors. In the MSX2 and Famicom Disk System versions, no more than 30 Garbage Puyos can be sent on a single chain; the Famicom cartridge version allows players to adjust the cap to bring the game closer mechanics-wise to Puyo Puyo (1992).
Additionally, when Garbage Puyos drop into the field, the game will check to see whether there are enough rows to drop Garbage Puyos into each column; if a column is full, the excess Garbage Puyos will be reallocated to a different column. For example, if 30 Garbage Puyos (five rows by six columns) are sent, and one column only has two free spaces including the hidden row, the remaining three Garbage Puyos from that column will be moved to a smaller column.
Strategy
Unlike Tsu rule and beyond, there is essentially one viable strategy to employ in Puyo Puyo rule.
- Keep the third-from-left column as clear as possible.
- Become the first player to build a chain that generates at least 60 Nuisance. In most instances, a 5-chain will do.
- Stall by using repeated rotations until victory is obtained.
High-level chains are discouraged; if two players create a chain at the same time, the player who finishes second will receive garbage before the player who finishes first, while the first player has valuable time to stall before they receive a set of garbage.
Difficulty levels
Arcade
The arcade version does not feature difficulty levels.
Console
- Very Easy
- Slowest automatic drop speed
- Easy
- Slower automatic drop speed
- Normal
- Standard
- Hard
- Faster automatic drop speed, three rows of Nuisance
- Very Hard
- Fastest automatic drop speed, five rows of Nuisance
Sega-developed Games
- Very Easy
- The player plays with 3 colors.
- Easy
- The player plays with 3 colors and starts out with 2 rows of Nuisance Puyo.
- Normal
- The player plays with 4 colors.
- Hard
- The player plays with 5 colors.
- Very Hard
- The player plays with 5 colors and starts out with 2 rows of Nuisance Puyo. The player's Puyo also falls slightly faster.