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Context VideoGame / PuyoPuyon

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1[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/puyonboxart.jpg]]
2 [[caption-width-right:300:FallingBlocks and {{Limit Break}}s at a CircusOfMagic.]]
3''Puyo Puyo~n'', commonly abbreviated as simply ''Yon'', is the fourth mainline entry in the ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' series. In a departure from previous mainline entries, the game was the first in the series to be developed from the ground up for consoles; the lead version in this case is the [[Platform/{{Dreamcast}} Sega Dreamcast]] release. The title is [[PunBasedTitle yet another pun]], with "Yon" being one of the Japanese words for "four".
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5Most versions of ''Puyo Puyo~n'' remove the Sun Puyo gimmick from [[VideoGame/PuyoPuyoSun its predecessor]]. In its place is the "Super Attack" mechanic, where characters gain [=SP=] by making chains and, when they have enough, can unlock a character-specific ability by sacrificing their current pair of Puyos. The single player mode of the Dreamcast version features a singular gauntlet, with each stage having unique field gimmicks and the story scenes more closely resembling a visual novel than in previous games. The game in general moves much slower than previous games, between the drop speed, Super Attacks, and aforementioned field gimmicks.
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7Though Creator/{{Sega}} owned the ''Puyo Puyo'' series at this point, the deal that Creator/{{Compile}} made with Sega allowed Compile to continue to use the series as they saw fit; as a result, the game was ported to consoles that Sega was directly competing against at the time (and while this was nothing new for the series or even some of Sega's other series, this particular instance resulted in the company's own name, "Sega Enterprises, Ltd", to be listed on the competitor's hardware via the game's title screen and end credits). The Platform/PlayStation and Platform/Nintendo64 versions are similar to the Dreamcast version aside from each having a unique gameplay mode and other quirks, while the Platform/GameBoyColor port is a [[ReformulatedGame radically different game]] built on the engine of ''Pocket Puyo Puyo Sun'' that features Sun Puyos, different Super Attacks, playable characters not included in the console versions, and a different story beyond the base premise.
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9The Dark Prince has started a circus, which Arle Nadja and Carbuncle decide to attend. For one of his magic tricks, he makes Carbuncle disappear. While entertaining at first, the show concludes with Carbuncle still nowhere to be found. Thus, Arle conducts a search for him, battling familiar opponents along the way.
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11!! Tropes present in ''Puyo Puyo~n'':
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13* AllJustADream: Arle's search for Carbuncle in ''Pocket Puyo Puyo~n'' turned out to be a daydream. He was returned to her completely fine at the ending.
14* ArtShiftedSequel: ''Yon'', for the most part, trades in the SuperDeformed style of its predecessors for more traditional anime-styled art. ''Pocket'' adverts this, keeping the same chibi-esque designs as previous entries.
15* TheArtifact:
16** Sun Puyo were retained in ''Pocket Puyo Puyo~n'' despite the plot having nothing to do with the sun.
17** Much like Rulue in ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo1992'', Minotauros doesn't have voice acting in ''Pocket Puyo Puyo~n'' because he wasn't playable in ''Sun'' or console ''Yon'' where the rest of the voice acting is pulled from.
18* CircusOfMagic: A visit to the Puyo Puyo Circus headed by the Dark Prince kicks off the plot.
19* ComebackMechanic: Most of the Super Attacks in console versions are defensive in nature, made obvious when the CPU ''repeatedly'' uses its Super Attack as it nears defeat.
20* ConsoleCameo: The SEGA Dreamcast's iconic orange swirl appears in the Nuisance Puyo cache at a high enough amount in ''Yo~n''. Strangely this would be kept in the later Playstation and Nintendo 64 versions.
21* DarkerAndEdgier: Downplayed. This game adapts a different art style with a more subdued color palette and realistic designs, and takes a small step back from the comedy for a slightly more serious story similar to ''Madou Monogatari'' games.
22* DivergentCharacterEvolution: This is the first game in the series that attempts to give each character their own gameplay characteristics; previously, the choice only mattered for aesthetics.
23* EasterEgg: Attempting to put the game into a CD player will have Arle freak out, [[https://twitter.com/PinkGeekNeni/status/1587903970366087168 alerting you to not put the game in a CD player.]]
24* FakeLongevity: The game's main single-player mode takes way longer to complete than any of its arcade-based predecessors. It doesn't get there by way of additional content, however; it takes longer because many of the game's unique quirks are designed to slow the game down. [[ReformulatedGame The Game Boy Color "port"]] ditches almost all of said quirks in favor of a single player mode where nearly half of the opponents are optional.
25* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: Carbuncle doesn't appear on the playfield at all, while all other games have an area set aside for Carbuncle to play around in. Subverted in the original Dreamcast release, where Carbuncle DOES appear... on the VMU's screen!
26* HoistByTheirOwnPetard: The final boss in ''Yo~n'', [[spoiler:Doppelganger Arle]]. They did not have to put the blocks to summon a million garbage blocks on ''both'' sides!
27* ItsAllUpstairsFromHere: [[spoiler:Inverted in the console versions' final stage. The player has to dig their way through high-health Hard Puyo in order to reach one of two 500k Point Puyo, which generates enough nuisance to bury the opponent dozens of times over.]]
28* LaterInstallmentWeirdness: This game, being Compile's final mainline game, has an ArtShift, ToneShift, {{Limit Break}}s, and [[spoiler:a final boss who isn't Dark Prince]].
29* MetaTwist: [[spoiler:Dark Prince is not the final boss for the first time in the series. The antagonist is instead Doppelganger Arle.]]
30* ReformulatedGame: ''Pocket Puyo Puyo~n'' is a much more loose port of ''Puyo Puyo~n'' than its Game Boy predecessors are to their respective arcade games; in an twist, it does so by being a MissionPackSequel to ''Pocket Puyo Puyo Sun'' (down to utilizing ''Sun's'' entire soundtrack) instead of directly copying the changes of its Dreamcast big brother. The game has an almost completely different set of Super Attacks that, unlike the console game, are not character-locked. The cutscenes are different, there are no field gimmicks in story mode, and the player is given limited control of the number of opponents that they face. Most prominently, the game utilizes Sun Puyo by default, though the player is given the option of disabling them.
31* RocketTagGameplay: [[spoiler:You can easily squish Doppelganger Arle via snatching the 500k Point Puyo on your side first, and vice versa.]]
32* VictorGainsLosersPowers: Unlike the console versions, where Arle can only borrow a Super Attack from one of her "party members" (Draco, Serilly, Witch, Chico), ''Pocket Puyo Puyo~n'' lets her obtain any character's power by defeating them.

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