Puyo Puyo's PC-98 Switch port gets a new gameplay trailer

D4 Enterprise has released a new gameplay trailer for the PC-9801 version of Compile's Puyo Puyo, highlighting the puzzle game's story cutscenes and Nazo Puyo modes on Nintendo Switch. The game originally launched on the Switch eShop in August 2025 as part of the EGG Console lineup. This new footage gives a closer look at how the 1993 microcomputer release actually plays on modern hardware.

A different flavor of Puyo

Puyo Puyo was originally released by Compile in 1991 for the MSX2, but the 1993 PC-9801 release shown here is the version that really solidified the visual style and competitive ruleset that defined the series going forward. The core concept is simple. You match four colored blobs to clear them, but the real strategy comes from building massive chain reactions. When your chain resolves, it dumps colorless garbage blocks onto your opponent's board.

The PC-9801 version has a few quirks compared to the console ports most people played in the west (often disguised as Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine or Kirby's Avalanche). It lacks voice acting during matches. It doesn't have unique enemy AI routines for the different opponents. Instead, it makes a few interface changes that actually improve the experience. The warning indicators for incoming Ojama Puyo (the garbage blocks your opponent sends over) are stacked vertically on the left and right edges of the screen. This layout is extremely clean. It makes it much easier to read the board state at a glance during a fast-paced match.

Pixel art cutscenes play between matches. Arle Nadja and Draco Centauros trade insults before the board drops in. The character art looks fantastic on the PC-98 hardware, retaining that specific 16-color dithering style that defined early 90s Japanese computer games. I am always impressed by how much personality Compile managed to squeeze out of these limited palettes.

Standard modes and puzzles

The EGG Console release includes the standard suite of options. You get the single-player campaign against 13 opponents, two-player versus, and an endless mode. There is also Nazo Puyo, a puzzle-focused challenge mode.

Instead of just surviving against an opponent, Nazo Puyo forces you to clear specific conditions on pre-arranged boards. You might have to clear five red Puyo at once, or trigger a three-step chain reaction using only a limited number of pieces. It's a great training tool for learning how to set up complex chains in the main game.

These EGG Console releases are mostly straight emulation wrappers for the Japanese ROMs, so don't expect full English localization here. The menus and story text are entirely in Japanese. Fortunately, falling block puzzle games don't require much reading comprehension once you get past the title screen. You drop the blobs, you match four colors, and you ruin your opponent's day.

D4 Enterprise has been steadily porting these old microcomputer games to the Switch for a few years now. The PC-9801 version of Puyo Puyo is a very specific slice of 1990s computing history, but the core competitive mechanics haven't aged a day. You can still ruin friendships over a well-timed chain reaction just as easily now as you could in 1993.