Tetris and Puyo Puyo are both classics. One focuses on creating rows of tessellating shapes, and the other on joining 4 or more “Puyos” to win. Both are iconic in their own right, but what would make them more iconic? A fusion of both. This is precisely what Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S on Nintendo Switch 2 by longstanding legends SEGA set out to do, connecting it all with flying colours.

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S sounds like a classic puzzle game with a cute Japanese twist. However, it’s way faster-paced than I initially anticipated, requiring quick thinking and swift planning to crush your opponents. In Adventure Mode, two realms merge: the worlds of the colour-chaining game Puyo Puyo and the block-stacking classic Tetris. Encountering many friends and foes, Ringo and Tee seek to solve the mystery of their merging worlds and learn why everyone in it seems to be heck-bent on battling it out in Tetris and Puyo Puyo, and of course, some world-saving antics are in order.

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S presents an adorable cartoon style and a quintessentially charming anime-inspired story, with quirky characters and witty dialogue that just works. What else works is the seamless merging of Puyo Puyo and Tetris gameplay, where characters face off in one or the other, sometimes Puyo Puyo vs. Tetris, and even battles where both players are jumping between simultaneous games of Puyo Puyo and Tetris. It’s challenging and addictive, and even solo, I found myself hooked on beating the surprisingly competent CPUs and my personal best.

There are many stages, too, which was overwhelming, but it meant more gameplay time for me. The story and dialogue sometimes felt dragged out, but that wasn’t enough to break my gameplay streaks. For speedrunners, dialogue can be sped through or skipped if they wish. To up the ante, players have access to different abilities and stats in some stages, which comes in handy when playing solo against bots in the various game modes, especially when diving into multiplayer modes.

With local and online multiplayer options for up to 4 players, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S is perfect for parties and casual gaming sessions. With game modes including Versus, Skill Battle, Swap, Party, Fusion, Big Bang, and Challenge, there are many ways to play, each an absolute delight. With a cast of 40 characters (including SEGA’s own, Sonic the Hedgehog), all look entirely different and are fully voiced with lovable personalities and their stats and abilities.

It makes facing off against friends much more strategic than expected, especially when chaining combos or recovering from a hefty hit from an opponent. Friends can join forces in 2 v 2 battles against other friends/online or against CPUs. There’s never a dull moment; there’s undoubtedly a lot of intense ones, though.

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S runs flawlessly, with fast load times and vibrant, sharp graphics both docked and handheld. It’s great on the go, too, so I could fuel my new addiction wherever I go.

The transition between upbeat music into a remixed Tetris theme while characters yell out various taunts and themselves up, topped with the trill of matching Puyos or completing a row or the ultimate, TETRIS (completing 4 rows at once), was immensely gratifying and another reason I was hooked.

Easy to pick up and difficult to put down, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S is a light-hearted puzzle game that’s challenging enough to require skill but accessible enough for new players to quickly adapt to if they’re up to the task.

For the skilled veterans of Puyo Puyo and Tetris, there’s enough to switch it up for each gaming session. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S is a sweet and satisfying title perfect for picking up the Nintendo Switch 2. It is not a bad title for Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox owners either.

Written by: Yasmin Noble