Puyo Puyo Gaiden - Puyo Wars (Japan) (GBC)

Puyo Puyo Gaiden - Puyo Wars is a classic Puyo Puyo puzzle game released for the Game Boy Color system. The core gameplay of Puyo Puyo Gaiden - Puyo Wars revolves around matching four or more Puyo of the same color, either vertically or horizontally, to make them disappear. When Puyo disappear, the Puyo above them fall down, potentially creating consecutive chain reactions (combos). This is the key to winning the game.

The main objective is to defeat your opponent by sending "Garbage Puyo" (Ojama Puyo) to their screen. When you create a large combo chain, these Garbage Puyo will fall onto your opponent's screen, filling up their play area. If your opponent's screen becomes completely filled to the top row, they lose. Conversely, if your screen fills up, you lose.

The game features various play modes, including a Story Mode where you follow familiar characters like Arle Nadja and Carbuncle on a challenging adventure. Each character has unique dialogues and personalities, adding to the game's appeal. Additionally, there's a Free Battle mode allowing you to play against the AI at different difficulty levels, or a Vs. Mode if you can connect with another console.

Key strategies in Puyo Puyo Gaiden - Puyo Wars include "digging a well" to prepare for large combos, or "countering" opponent attacks by creating your own chains. The ability to foresee and plan multi-step combo chains is a decisive factor in becoming a good Puyo player. Despite being a GBC version, the game's graphics retain the distinctive and vibrant look of the Puyo Puyo series, along with fun and addictive sounds.