HD Remix weighs in with the fast-and-furious gameplay the series is known for, complete with a new coat of paint.
The premise of Puzzle Fighter remains unchanged; battle against an opponent by busting gems in a similar way to Tetris. Gems descend in pairs from the top of the screen, and the goal is to create power-gems by matching like-coloured gems together. You can move them horizontally or rotate them as you like which is key to building these power-gems. When you’ve built some up, you’ll need a circular crash gem of the same colour to detonate it. It’ll disappear from your screen whilst dropping a ton of gems onto your opponent’s, the amount of which is determined by how big your power-gems were, chaining bonus, etc.
The formula is quite simple once you’ve played a couple of games, but there is a lot of depth for those who want it. You’ll battle as characters from the Capcom universe, which include Ryu & Ken of Street Fighter and Donovan & Felicia of Darkstalkers. Choosing a combatant is not a mere cosmetic decision, though. Each has a different counter gem pattern; this is the way in which gems are dropped onto your opponent’s screen after busting gems. It may appear to be a minor decision, but knowing both your own and your opponent’s pattern can be the difference between victory and defeat, particularly against the highest AI difficulty setting or in competitive play.
The formula described previously is known as “X dash” mode, but there are a total of four further modes of play. X mode is an arcade-perfect conversion, whilst X dash is a rebalanced mode that makes some of the weaker character more playable. In addition to this, there are the Y and Z modes. Y mode requires you to line up gems in rows of three or more to detonate them, rather than create power-gems. Z mode sees gems rise from the bottom of the screen rather than descend from above; instead of dropping gems, a 2x2 cursor allows you to rotate gems already on the field. You can play all of the game types in arcade against the computer (which is a challenge on the highest difficulty setting) or locally with a friend.
The variation in play that the Y and Z modes bring gives Puzzle Fighter an extra kick in terms of value, but online play is where your hours will be spent. Any of the game’s four modes can be played over Xbox Live in ranked or player matches. As you would expect, Puzzle Fighter has leaderboard support in a similar fashion to other XBLA games. On the whole, Puzzle Fighter plays well online. Lag is an unavoidable part of online gaming, but it’s rare in this game that it affects gameplay. Capcom has employed an unusual mechanism to combat trash talkers who may try to put opponents off their game; you have to hold down either trigger button to have the microphone pick up your voice. Some will welcome it, others will loathe it, but you can always set up a private chat if you don’t like having to hold the trigger.
It may have been dubbed “HD Remix”, but Capcom has only gone halfway on their promise. The gems and backdrops have been redrawn with a modern touch, but the character sprites have been maintained in their original form. The two characters stand in the middle of the screen and attack each other when large gem chains are detonated. These dated character models look out of place next to the modernised gems and backdrops, and it’s puzzling that they didn’t receive the same treatment as the rest of the game.
Surprisingly, the catchy soundtrack outshines the new-look visuals. The background music, in the menus and during the game, is very fitting. A lot of the tracks are fast-paced which heightens the tension in close matches. All the characters have the original Japanese voice-acting which is fortunate; there are no awkward-sounding battle cries, just the authenticity of the original voices.
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is a game all puzzle fans will want to check out. The action here is fast and furious, and it really isn’t over until it’s over; the ability to go from the jaws of defeat to the heights of victory in a blink of an eye is very exciting. It’s clichéd, but the gameplay is easy to learn and difficult to master. Casual and hardcore gamers alike will find a fun and addictive game, and the selection of game modes and online play means there is plenty to get addicted to.