Rumor: SEGA trademarks “Puyo Puyo Champions”, possibly hinting at Puyo Puyo eSports localization


Puyo Puyo eSports has been available for awhile now for Japanese, Korean, and Chinese markets for both the Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4. The game has garnered quite a lot of success, notably being a top charting title on the Japanese eShop. However, it seems like SEGA is not yet finished with the game, as they have recently filed a new trademark possibly hinting at a renaming and global release. The new trademark is simply called “Puyo Puyo Champions”, not to be confused with SEGA’s periodic official tournaments of the same name.

The trademark in question was originally registered on October 24th 2018 and made public on November 6th 2018, with the trademark covering multiple aspects related to a video game, including formatting, hardware, music, and recording. While the trademark may be for SEGA’s Puyo Puyo Champion tournaments, what hints at a possible localization for Puyo Puyo eSports is the name being entirely written out in English, an oddity as the series traditionally uses hiragana and/or katakana for registering trademarks and titles. Whether or not this will be the case, or even if it will be used, remains to be seen. Though reminder SEGA was “seriously considering” a localization according to professional Puyo Puyo player Tom Nadja, so it’s a possibility the trademarks are just a first step.

[Source: J-Plat Pat]

Puyo Puyo eSports now available for Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch, discounted till late November

Puyo Puyo eSports has finally dropped for the Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4, available as a download title on the Nintendo eShop and Playstation Network respectively. This bite sized version of Puyo Puyo contain the bare essentials, 24 playable characters, two main modes with the traditional Tsu and Fever rules, and a streamlined presentation so it’s easier for both spectators and players to follow matches. Overall the goal of the game is to be a straightforward Puyo Puyo experience that anyone can easily obtain on modern systems.

Puyo Puyo eSports is currently available for Japanese, Korean, and Chinese markets. For those that want to download the game outside of these three regions, the game is readily available for anyone on both the Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch, due to a lack of region locking. All that’s needed is to create an appropriate account for one of the three respective regions. However to sweeten the deal, SEGA has also discounted the game from it’s initial ¥1999 pricing to a mere ¥500, effectively only asking for 1/4 of the original price. This heavy discount will be active from today to November 30th, so it’s recommended to buy it as soon as possible.

No word if Puyo Puyo eSports will get a localization outside of these three regions, but we will keep up on any future developments. Until then, the game is still easily obtainable for anyone curious enough to try it out, especially with the discount making it quite a bargain.

Puyo Puyo E Sports Officially Announced – Coming to PS4 and Switch on October 25th

Puyo Puyo E Sports has been previously been rumored multiple times, both by Puyo Puyo producer Mizuki Hosoyamada on social media and a Korean ratings board. Now however we have official confirmation from SEGA themselves.

Puyo Puyo E Sports is effectively a simplified version of Puyo Puyo that heavily focuses on a competitive scene. This includes a new tournament mode where players pit against each other in a classic bracket 1 vs. 1 fashion, up to 8 players being able to participate. Unlike past games where there’s a focus on multiple different modes, Puyo Puyo E Sports simplifies it to the recurring Tsu Rules and Fever Rules only.

Puyo Puyo E Sports is slated for both the Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch, with a planned Japan release on October 25th, notably being the the franchise’s 27th anniversary. It’s unknown at the time of this writing if it will be available outside of Japan. Due to the minimal content and recycled assets, the pricing is slated to be only ¥1999 (roughly $18), a lot lower than a typical game.

[Source: Official Website]

SEGA shows off what they have in store for SEGA Fes 2018

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SEGA will hold a big event, partly to celebrate its history as a gaming company and another part to show off what they have in store for the future. SEGA Fes 2018 is mean’t to run from April 14 to 15 in Tokyo. One of the big events they will be holding is allowing vistors to play SEGA Mega Drive classics on a big Mega Drive controller. The big Mega Drive controller play will take place on the first day of the event.

April 14 games playable:

  • 10:00-13:00 JP time: Sonic the Hedgehog
  • 13:15-16:00 JP time: Puyo Puyo
  • 16:15-19:00 JP time: Bare Knuckle II (aka Streets of Rage 2)

On April 15, you will be able to replay these games on the big Mega Drive controller, but they will start in backwards (Streets of Rage 2 at 10, ending with Sonic the Hedgehog at 18:00). But that isn’t all, this is just one floor, the next floor they have is the ‘SEGA logo monument floor’.

Puyo Puyo is officially recognized as a eSports title in Japan

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Puyo Puyo has been added to the list of video game series recognized as a eSports title by the Japan eSports Union. If you missed our story about the Japan eSports Union, basically its being headed by SEGA’s Hideki Okamura and its not a surprised he finally got around to adding a SEGA title to the list of ‘approved eSports games’.

On the other hand SEGA will launch the first Japan eSports Union (JeSU) tournament, titled Puyo Puyo Cup, at the SEGA Fest 2018 next month. The idea behind the union, which was discussed when it was announced, was to make video game eSports a Olympic sport, could we see Puyo Puyo as a Olympic eSports game in the future? Who knows.

[Via Siliconera]

Puyo Puyo Anniversary TV Show 2018 broadcast announced, could reveal new title

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SEGA has announced that they will be holding a Puyo Puyo event titled “Puyo Puyo Anniversary TV Show 2018“, which will go live on February 4 at 20:00 JST. According to the blog post about the broadcast: “During the broadcast, we will introduce new information on [smartphone game] Puyo Puyo Quest! Of course, we will also announce Puyo Puyo series news, so please look forward to it.” 

Check out all the SEGA & Atlus’ merchandise for Tokyo Game Show 2017

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Its that time of year again, when SEGA of Japan loads up Tokyo Game Show with a ton of amazing SEGA merchandise that makes us westerners scream, “Take my money!” I would say that SEGA’s Tokyo Game Show 2017 lineup is actually really good compared to last year, so expect a ton of great merchandise to follow. SEGA is not only set on bringing you merchandise for upcoming games like Sonic the Hedgehog,  Yakuza, Puyo Puyo, Hatsune Miku, and a ton more. But they are also doing Retro SEGA console merchandise which is very appealing. To add the cherry on top SEGA will also be selling Atlus merchindise including Persona 3, Persona 4 and Persona 5 stuff!

So lets get into it:

Japan Racing Association x Puyo Puyo collaboration “UmaPuyo” announced

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SEGA and Japan Racing Association have teamed up for a new collaboration called UmaPuyo (literally “Horse Puyo”). The Japan Racing Association being Japan’s horse racing division since 1954, hence the association with horses. While the collaboration may seem random, SEGA has had a history with horse racing games, notably the Starhorse series of arcade game, so there’s some logic to something like UmaPuyo.

There are two minigames for UmaPuyo. First is a racing game called UmaPuyo Race where you can select your character and horse and race off. The objective is to get first place by clearing out Puyo consecutively, the more Puyo cleared the faster your horse will run.  UmaPuyo Jump is a jump platforming game where you guide a Puyo using your mouse cursor and collect horses. There are a total of 20 horses, each one based on a real-world horse that appears in the Japan Racing Association horse races. You can play both on the official Umabi website.

While on the surface there’s nothing special about this collaboration, the former game UmaPuyo Race has a contest associated with it. Every time the player wins a race, the player will get a raffle. To enter, the player needs to follow @Umabi_Official and share their victory on Twitter. Once entered, they will have an opportunity to win a cash prize of  ¥50,000 ($455.00). 5 winners will be chosen at an unspecified later date.

Special thanks for @AFKei with help translating this information.

[Source: 4gamer and Umabi.jp]

Puyo Puyo Tetris Review – A Fun Combination (Nintendo Switch/Playstation 4)

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A Puyo Puyo game, released in the west. Such a strange sentence to type out in the context, due to the Puyo Puyo franchise being one of those notorious cases of a series being stuck in Asian shores with maybe the rare localized title or import title that quickly comes and goes. The last time a major Puyo Puyo game was in American and European territories was the 2004 title Puyo Pop Fever, and since then the series has been quiet. Aside from the occasional table scraps like the port of Puyo Puyo Tsu on the Wii Virtual Console, the version of Puyo Puyo Tsu in SEGA 3D Classics Collection, and the Puyo Puyo 39 minigame in Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX, the series has otherwise been absent.

But that all changed with Puyo Puyo Tetris, a game that has existed since 2014 on multiple systems. Unlike other Puyo Puyo games prior, Puyo Puyo Tetris gained notable attention in western territories for years. It might be a case of a silver lining in an otherwise rough year for SEGA or the controversial practices the Tetris brand has been associated with, or just it being a very fun game, but regardless Puyo Puyo Tetris was requested for localization for quite a while. But now it is 2017 and we finally have the game in western shores, more specifically for the popular Playstation 4 and Nintendo’s recently released Nintendo Switch.

After such a gap between the game’s original launch in 2014 and the 13 years since the last time a major Puyo Puyo title was released in the west, is Puyo Puyo Tetris the comeback that has been long overdue, or was there a reason why western fans were were denied Puyo Puyo for so long?

Puyo Puyo Tetris demo live today

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As previously reported, the PAL eShop accidentally dropped information about a free demo for Puyo Puyo Tetris. But now with the Nintendo Direct today it is officially confirmed that the demo will be live, and will be available for play today on the Nintendo Switch. This demo will provide players a sample of how Puyo Puyo Tetris plays, providing a limited selection of options for both solo and multiplayer. All you need to do is go on the Nintendo Switch eShop and download it, free to play and as much as you want.

Please try out the game for yourself to see if Puyo Puyo Tetris will be up your alley when it drops April 25th (North America) or April 28th (Europe).

Nintendo Switch PAL eShop mentions Puyo Puyo Tetris demo [UPDATE]

Puyo Puyo Tetris Screenshot 2017-04-10 12-35-05

Back in Japan, the Nintendo Switch port of Puyo Puyo Tetris S got a demo that allowed players to play a bit of game for free and as long as they wanted. A common question is if western territories will also get the demo to try out the game for themselves, but now we might finally get an answer. On the PAL eShop it mentions that Puyo Puyo Tetris has a free demo, which at the moment is not available as of this writing. Presumably this will be like the Japanese eShop demo, where players have a limited selection of characters and options to choose from but can play up to 4 players with different controller configurations.

Interestingly, the American eShop makes no mention of having a free demo. Only PAL regions do, implying that either the demos will be PAL only, or more likely the PAL eShop mentioning it having a demo earlier then intended was a fluke. It’s also unknown if the PS4 version of Puyo Puyo Tetris will also have a demo, though considering that version is exclusively physical, that might not be the case. But regardless, stay tune for a likely Puyo Puyo Tetris demo to be officially announced in the meantime.

[UPDATE]

New Puyo Puyo Tetris footage shows off gameplay modes

New Puyo Puyo Tetris has been released and uploaded, courtesy of Perfectly Nintendo. This nearly 25 minute video shows off matches between the five multiplayer modes, Versus, Fusion, Swap, Party, and Big Bang.

  • Versus: Players pick either Puyo Puyo or Tetris and try to knock out the other players. Tetris based on Super Rotation System while Puyo Puyo based on Puyo Puyo Tsu rules.
  • Fusion: Players use both Puyo and Tetrimino on a single board, utilizing character specific dropsets. Clearing rows or popping Puyo does not interrupt controls, allowing players to continuously chain and create combos between Puyo and Tetrimino clearing.
  • Swap: Change between Puyo Puyo and Tetris, swapping to the other playstyle after a set time limit. Any Puyo or Tetrimino in the background when swapped will still create chains, potentially creating a combo if utilized at the right time.
  • Party: Players choose Puyo Puyo or Tetris, utilizing power blocks that hamper the opponent or benefit the user. The objective is to score the highest amount of points within a time limit, getting knocked out costing you points.
  • Big Bang: Players pick Puyo Puyo or Tetris, utilizing preset boards in order to power up. Successfully clearing a chain extends the next one, while failing to clear a chain reduces the next one. After the time limit is done, players attack each other, the strongest chain hitting all other opponents and reduce their health. This continues until all other players are knocked out, the last one standing being the winner.

In addition, for those that are curious about the English voices, you can hear those from Ringo, Tee, Amitie, Arle, and Ess extensively. Puyo Puyo Tetris is due for a western release on April 25th in North America and April 28th in Europe for both the PS4 (physical only) and Nintendo Switch.

 

Puyo Puyo Tetris gets a new trailer and release dates

Puyo Puyo Tetris is going to be released soon on both the Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4, and to help promote SEGA has released a new trailer highlighting several of the game’s modes. This includes the single player Adventure mode, along with the multiplayer modes Swap, Versus, Fusion (aka PuyoTetMix in the Japanese version), Big Bang, and Party mode. In addition, SEGA has confirmed release dates for both USA and Europe. Puyo Puyo Tetris will be released on April 25th in the USA, while in Europe it will be released on April 28th. You can pre-order Puyo Puyo Tetris today on both Playstation 4 and for Nintendo Switch.

For official descriptions for the modes, read on!

SEGA News Bits: Puyo Puyo Tetris Coming West

January 2017 saw the reveal of the Nintendo Switch, and following the live event several announcements were made. One that was of interest to SEGA fans was the reveal that Puyo Puyo Tetris would be coming west to the Switch and the Playstation 4. On this SEGA News Bits, George and Barry are joined by SEGAbits.com writer and resident Puyo Puyo expert FlareHabanero to explain what we can expect from the upcoming game.

If you enjoy our SEGA News Bits segments and want to support us, give us a sub. If you are already subscribed you can always like the video.

Official English Yakuza and Puyo Puyo accounts for social media live

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Well this is a surprise! SEGA has made a lot of announcements and we’re expecting releases of games like Puyo Puyo Tetris and Yakuza 0. But are you worried that you might get lost in the sudden torrent of announcements? SEGA has got your back, as now there are official social media accounts for Puyo Puyo and Yakuza. Not only are these designed to promote upcoming games like the aforementioned Puyo Puyo Tetris and Yakuza 0, but also the respective franchises in general, possibly for future announcements.

If you want to show your support, please follow these accounts to stay updated with both franchises, and maybe for the occasional fan engagement.

Puyo Puyo

Yakuza