Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first few matches remind you why Puyo Puyo has lasted: dropping pieces is simple, but building a chain while preventing the other side from doing the same becomes frantic almost immediately. Clearing Puyos sends Nuisance Puyos toward your opponent, so every successful chain is both an offensive strike and a chance to seize breathing room. That direct back-and-forth gives even standard matches a sharp competitive edge.

What makes 20th Anniversary compelling is how often it changes the context around that core. Standard Puyo Puyo, TSU, and Fever rules are all here, alongside returning modes and new gimmick variants. The range is a strength, especially if you already know the basics and want different ways to test your instincts. It can also be a lot to absorb at first; settle into a familiar rule set before bouncing between everything else, or the sheer choice can make the package feel more scattered than it is.

Pair Puyo is the best reason to gather other people around the game. Two teams of two battle until the opposing side has lost all its lives, shifting the mood from a private duel to a noisy shared scramble. Multiplayer supports up to four players, while the DS and 3DS versions extend that to eight. Whether you are coordinating with a partner or simply trying to survive the commotion, it gives this entry a different energy from the usual head-to-head format.

Graphics

The battle action keeps the important information front and center: falling Puyos, cleared groups, and the Nuisance Puyos headed toward the other side. Outside the boards, the 24-character cast gets extra personality through alternate costumes for some characters, while alternate voices add another small layer of variety.

Story

Story Mode is structured around individual eight-stage courses rather than one long uninterrupted campaign. You choose from 24 characters, then see their route contribute to the larger conflict as Ekoro rises again and throws the world into chaos.

That setup suits Puyo Puyo well. The story exists to give the matches a sense of progression and to let the cast take turns in the spotlight, not to slow the game down with a heavy narrative burden. Picking different characters is the practical reason to revisit it, since each has a separate course.

If you are coming from Puyo Puyo 7, Ekoro’s return gives the premise a useful point of continuity. Newcomers do not need that connection to enjoy the match-to-match flow, though; the eight-stage structure is easy to dip into whenever you want puzzle battles with a little character framing around them.

Overall Experience

Puyo Puyo: 20th Anniversary is a celebratory entry that understands what should remain untouched. The simple act of arranging Puyos and unleashing chains is still the center of everything, and the many rule sets give that foundation plenty of room to stay fresh. You may spend more time deciding what to play than in a leaner installment, but the payoff is a deep party-friendly puzzle collection.

Give it a chance if you want a competitive falling-block game with room to grow beyond the basics, especially if you can make use of Pair Puyo and the larger multiplayer options. Solo play has enough Story Mode routes to work through, while local battles are where the wide selection of modes really starts to justify itself.

It also fits neatly beside Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary: both celebrate the series through variety, but 20th Anniversary adds its own co-op-focused hook. For game-specific background and release history, see Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary. This is an easy recommendation for Puyo regulars and a strong, mode-rich place for curious puzzle fans to discover why chain-building becomes so addictive.

Retro Replay Score

8.3/10