Game: Capcom Puzzle World
Console: Sony Playstation Portable
Developer: Capcom
Release Date: 6th February 2007
Capcom Puzzle World is a collection of 5 puzzle games made by Capcom, released previously for consoles and arcades and collected together for the PSP. 5 games may not seem like many to collect together, especially considering Capcom's PS2 arcade collections but they pair together well to offer some enjoyable gaming experiences which weren't previously available together. I'll take a look at each game separately and then gather my thoughts on the collection as a whole.
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
Probably the best known of the puzzle games on this collection, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo appeared on the Playstation and Sega Saturn originally as well as in arcades. Players battle one on one as one of eight characters through a gem matching puzzle game with Street Fighter twists. There are three types of gameplay featured in the game; X, Y and Z, similar to the -isms in some street fighter games. In type X players place double gem blocks in an attempt to make squares of the same colour which will turn into a super gem, and can be removed with a crash gem. Although any number of blocks can be removed with a crash gem, removal of a super gem sends gems onto your opponent's side and contributes towards their game ending.
In type Y players place double gem block in an attempt to make three of the same colour in a row, column or horizontally. Combos send gems onto your opponent's screen and really this mode is more like a 2 block version of Columns. In type Z players rotate a square of blocks in order to match gems in a similar way to type X. In the mode however, gems are raised up from the floor, a little like Pokemon Puzzle League.
Overall there's some fun to be had with both the puzzling featured in the game and the Street Fighter theme. While it's not strictly necessary, it's at least a point of interest and makes battling different opponents much more fulfilling than simple level progressions in similar games. The controls of the game are simple and work well, and all 3 modes are pretty easy to pick up. Graphically SPFII Turbo is very similar to Columns, save for the Street Fighter characters in the middle of the screen. The game music is a little more forgettable than most of the series tunes, but it's not a big issue.
Rating: 7.5/10
The next game would be Block Block, but I've covered it before in a Capcom Arcade collection, so I'll summarise by saying that it's a breakout clone which isn't particularly impressive or inventive.
Rating: 4.5/10
Buster Bros
Buster Bros is an interesting game, though I wouldn't personally have filed it in the puzzle genre, but rather as an arcade action game. Players roam the bottom of the screen (unless there are ladders) and attempt to pop large bubbles down into smaller bubbles and eventually into non existence. With each new level there are obstacles for the bubbles to bounce off, locations featured in the background and different weapons and upgrades to help players get through.
While the core gameplay is fairly simple and doesn't take much getting used to, there's a pretty wide array of upgrades available to players including the ability to shoot more than one tether at a time, making a solid tether which pops the next bubble to touch it, a gun to shoot bubbles with, dynamite to blow everything to smaller bubbles, a freeze clock, invincibility, more time on the overall clock and presumably more.
Graphically the game looks nice and colourful, especially the locations featured behind the actual gameplay. While there's not much in terms of technical prowess, it's evocative of its release era and good for nostalgic play. Musically the game excels with some great themes behind gameplay, on the continue? screens and elsewhere. The soundtrack enhances the overall experience and gives the game a light hearted feel.
Overall it's probably not the type of game that players will want to complete all the way, since stages will end up getting repetitive after a while, but there's a good amount of power-ups and level layouts to keep things as interesting as possible, and once the controls and general concept has been mastered, it's worth spending some time with Buster Bros.
Rating: 8/10
Super Buster Bros
Having just reviewed Buster Bros, it seems a little redundant to go through the entire game concept again, or even to change my review any for the Super version. It's like a level expansion pack with some clever bits, another world tour mode and perhaps the best feature; Panic Mode which allows players to play on a single screen with more and more bubbles until they are hit by one and lose a life. Other than this it's pretty much the same game as Buster Bros, so if you liked that you'll like this.
Rating: 8.1/10
Buster Buddies
The third game in the series however is well worth talking about as it adds all the features you might expect from a true sequel to Buster Bros. There's more characters to choose from, each with their own advantages and disadvantages, more power-ups than in the first game, and a more coherent plot involving gathering art, which is displayed behind each level.
While the gameplay is much the same, it's interesting to explore how each level plays with the four characters provided. Especially fun is the 2-way 45 degree shot of the thief character, as it makes dodging multiple bubbles far easier. As for the levels themselves, they're about the same level of inventiveness of both the other games.
Rating: 8.5/10
Overall Capcom Puzzle World features some interesting games; Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo is a competent and well rounded Columns-esque game, with multiple modes and features. Block Block is a fairly poor Breakout clone and the Buster Bros. series is fun if a little repetitive after 3 full instalments. It's a shame that there are only 5 games included, especially as there's very little else of note, save for some artwork that can be accessed in the extras menu. Because of this, the collection's only really worth getting if you truly want to play one or more of the games included.
Rating: 63/100
Grade: C
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