YMMV / Puyo Puyo 2

• Even Better Sequel: 2 was a massive improvement over the 1992 Puyo Puyo in terms of gameplay, increasing Puyo Puyo's popularity and viability as a competitive game, while also improving the single-player part of the game, with even more characters. Tellingly, the "Tsu" rules would become the standard ruleset for the series going forward.
• Fan Nickname: The "Tsu" mode that puts you on a 36-battle gauntlet is often called the "Rally" mode.
• Franchise Original Sin: Puyo Puyo Sun earns contempt for introducing gimmick Puyos that most players felt are obstructive to the gameplay. Truth is, this Franchise Codifier installment already introduced them, like Hard Puyos and Point Puyos, the latter even boosting the Puyo chain just like Sun Puyos in Sun. The difference is that in Puyo Puyo 2, these had little to no effect on the competitive game because they were either exclusive to single-player mode or locked behind specific options. In the arcade version, Point Puyos only appear when you active Rule Henka in the operator option menu, so most players don't even know they exist. In Sun, these gimmick Puyos appear by default even in the Versus mode, making them much harder to ignore. Puyo Puyo~n doubled down on it by making its gimmicks impossible to turn off, which ended up working against its own reputation.
• Heartwarming Moments: The ending cutscene after you beat Rally Mode, particularly the beginning. You've beaten all 36 opponents, and Arle feels on on top of the world. Name a moment where Arle sounds just as adorable as she reels in the ecstasy after winning.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: A port of this game was released for Nintendo's Super Famicom, the prime competitor to Sega's Mega Drive. Sega would later acquire ownership of the Puyo Puyo franchise.
• Older Than They Think: SEGA 3D Classics Collection is not the first time Puyo Puyo 2 was released in the west. It was predated nearly two decades ago with the release of Puyo Pop on the Neo Geo Pocket and later a release of the Mega Drive version of Puyo Puyo 2 on the Wii Virtual Console service.
• Play-Along Meme: Who the heck is Masked Satan? Surely not reoccurring villain Satan wearing a fancy eyemask, right? Well, that can't be, because he has his own slot in the playable roster in the PC-Engine port!
• Polished Port: Every version of 2 after the Mega Drive version includes more features, such as the return of cutscenes from the first arcade game, full voice acting, a beginner course, Expert (aka "Rally") Mode, and Mission Mode. The Switch Online version of Super Puyo Puyo 2 in particular is the first time that Tsu has ever received netplay outside of Japan. The standalone 3D Classics release (which didn't leave Japan) and Switch Sega Ages release are also noteworthy in that M2 managed to rig up an Expert mode from the original System C-2 version, though it obviously lacks the cutscenes from the 90's console ports.
• Porting Disaster: Puyo Puyo CD 2 on the TurboGrafx-CD. The gameplay itself works like intended, but the game suffers from the bizarrely low quality sound effects and music, and lacking certain graphics such as frames of animation and backgrounds during matches. This is especially jarring since its predecessor Puyo Puyo CD is considered a Polished Port. However, it does have a bit of a legacy; the classic voice cheat for Puyo 1's ruleset in the anniversary titles comes from this game, which gave a unique voice to every character (even if it's so compressed it's difficult to make out what they say).
• Tough Act to Follow: 2 firmly established itself as king of the competitive falling-block match-the-colors puzzle games in Japan. All of its sequels have been unable to replicate its commercial and community success, with their attempts to bring new things to the table being perceived as trying to fix what isn't broken.