PuyoPuyo Fever (Sega (Sonic Team), Puzzle Game, DCast (+PS2 +GC)) Secrets FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) V1.4 9/15/04 Written by: Richard Uyeyama (ru e ama ru e ama best vwh net)* * Instances of the letter "y", the "at" symbol, and all periods have been removed (replaced with spaces) from the above e-mail address in order to prevent unscrupulous UCE (unsolicited commercial e-mail) bot processes from adding to the amount of e-mail I already get... The latest version of this file can be found at: DAKARA, watashi wa Santa de wa NAI!!! http://ruyeyama.best.vwh.net/puyopuyo/dwwsdwn.html Document formatting, organization, and wording Copyright 2004 by Richard Uyeyama. Permission granted by author to duplicate (unaltered) this document in its entirety for NON-PROFIT purposes only. All other rights reserved. Author reserves the right to rescind specific or general permission, if he sees a reason (such as loophole abuse) to do so. 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Note, however, that due to the amount of e-mail I get, I may not be able to reply to every query or request I receive (also note that the lack of a reply will NEVER constitute legal permission). GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com) has been granted permission to host this document. The following webpage contains the most recent version of the above copyright notice. If there is a discrepancy between the above copyright notice and the one located on my current webpage, the information on my webpage will be treated as authentic: http://ruyeyama.best.vwh.net/faqlegal.html PuyoPuyo Fever is Copyright 2004 by Sega. Copyright 2004 by Sonic Team / Sega. All rights reserved. "Tokoro de, chotto kikitain dakedo... Koko wa doko?" -- Arle Nadja Table of Contents: 0. Document History I. Basic Stuff 1. What is this document? 2. What is PuyoPuyo? 3. What's new in PuyoFever (compared to Puyo4)? 4. Terminology and notation? II. Characters and Stuff 1. How do I unlock Popoi? 2. How do I unlock Carbuncle? 3. Does character choice make a difference in gameplay? III. Gameplay and Stuff 1. Could you explain the puyo drop piece shapes in more detail? 2. Could you go over Fever Mode in more detail? A. Activating Fever Mode B. Fever Mode Chains C. Increasing Fever Mode Time 3. What does Zen-keshi do in PuyoFever? 4. Hey! How come the game won't record my Story Mode high scores? 5. Are there fewer/more puyo colors on certain Story Mode stages? 6. Help! Can you give me some tips on completing the Hard Course? IV. Codes and Stuff 1. Do you know of any codes for this game? A. Unlock everything B. 1P Story Mode character select C. Tokoton PuyoPuyo character select D. Increase CPU difficulty in 1P Free Taisen 2. Is there a soft reset command? V. Miscellany 1. How do you earn stuff in the Demo Viewer? 2. Is there really a way to change the in-game language? 3. What's this I hear about changing the DCast System Menu? A. System Menu PuyoPuyo background B. Real 3D System Menu 4. Is there an auto-save process? 5. Is the VMU screen used for anything interesting? VI. Thanks and Stuff ------------------- 0. Document History ------------------- (9/24/04: J version Windows (98SE/ME/2000/XP) PuyoPuyo Fever on sale) V1.4: 9/15/04 U/C GC version info added throughout document Zen-keshi out of Fever Mode, into Fever Mode: separate +2 bonuses Simple end of Fever Mode advice/strategy (Fever Mode Chains section) Detail and clarity editing in a few sections (7/24/04: J version GBA PuyoPuyo Fever now on sale) (7/20/04: U/C version GC PuyoPop Fever now on sale) V1.3: 7/17/04 Story Mode, playable Carbuncle, idle drop speed is faster than norm On Fever Mode activation, only current (and currently building) jama-puyos pushed to background For codes, analog knob can be used in place of d-pad For codes, START button can be used in place of A button Detail and clarity editing in a couple sections (6/24/04: J version Macintosh OSX PuyoPuyo Fever now on sale) V1.2: 6/18/04 More info on choosing the character (pattern) that's right for you PS2 note: Counter chain fragment Fever Time bonus is +2.00 More data on large chain zen-keshi time bonuses (Fever Mode section) Tokoton Fever notes added to Fever Mode Time section TokoFever and 2P battle notes added to puyo colors section Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert tactics added to Hard Course help Detail and clarity editing in several sections (4/24/04: J version XB PuyoPuyo Fever now on sale) V1.1: 3/25/04 0-continue Carbuncle conditions (Arc/DCast/PS2) corrected/specified PS2 note: Playing Replay files can unlock Carbuncle/Popoi Detail and clarity editing in a few sections (3/24/04: J version GC PuyoPuyo Fever now on sale) V1.0: 3/21/04 Launch version (2/27/04: EU version PS2/GC/XB PuyoPop Fever now on sale) (2/24/04: J version DCast PuyoPuyo Fever now on sale) (2/4/04: J version PS2 PuyoPuyo Fever now on sale) -------------- I. Basic Stuff -------------- I.1 What is this document? This document is an English language informational resource for PuyoPuyo Fever (which I shall hereafter refer to as PuyoFever, for brevity's sake), a puzzle game by Sonic Team (Sega). PuyoFever belongs to the "falling pieces" genre of puzzle game, probably best defined by, ummm... the PuyoPuyo series of puzzle games. ^^; In this document, I'll be covering codes and secrets and other such information which may be of interest to PuyoFever fans. This is a Secrets FAQ, and not a strategy guide, btw, so I won't necessarily be including game strategies, or chain setup patterns, or anything like that in this document... This document was written for the (J version) DCast version of PuyoFever, but some (though obviously not all) of the information contained herein (for example, the Carbuncle appearance conditions) may apply to other versions of the game as well... PuyoPuyo Fever basic info (DCJ): 1 Disc (HDR-0216) 1-2 Players Works with: Arcade stick, VMU (4 blocks, +26 blocks per replay (optional), +2 blocks for VMU icon (optional), +38 blocks for DCast System Menu PuyoPuyo background (optional)), Memory Card 4x (4 blocks...), PuruPuru Pack, VGA Box 4980 (y)en PS2 note: I've also gathered data from the (J version) PS2 version of the game. Information specific to the PS2 version of PuyoPuyo Fever will be preceded by the phrase "PS2 note" or "PS2 notes". PuyoPuyo Fever basic info (PS2J): 1 Disc (SLPM-65532) 1-2 Players Works with: PlayStation2 8MB Memory Card (49 KB, +70 KB per replay (optional)), DualShock, DualShock2 4980 (y)en U/C GC note: I've also gathered data from the (U/C version) GC version of the game. Information specific to the U/C GC version of PuyoPop Fever will be preceded by the phrase "U/C GC note" or "U/C GC notes". PuyoPop Fever basic info (U/C GC): 1 Disc 1-2 Players Works with: GameCube Memory Card (1 block, +3 blocks per replay (optional)) I.2 What is PuyoPuyo? PuyoPuyo is an amazingly successful puzzle game that was created by Compile around the early 90's (1991, I think). It was so popular in Japan, that it basically defined its own genre of games (how many games can you say that about? =) ). Indeed, one could argue that most "falling pieces" puzzle games today owe their very existence (some more obviously than others) to PuyoPuyo! ^^; PuyoPuyo has come a long way since its first appearance. But the PuyoPuyo series still ranks among the best (imho) puzzle games on the market... I.3 What's new/different in PuyoFever (compared to Puyo4)? (note: using DCast version of Puyo4 as comparison version) Fever Mode! Fever Mode is sort of like an alternate dimension, where chain setups are automatically given to you. After you set off a chain (any chain, even a 1-chain) in Fever Mode, the screen will reset, and another chain setup will be given to you. Setting off longer chains will get you longer setups, and setting off shorter chains will get you shorter setups. You will have a limited amount of time in Fever Mode before being returned to your previous field (which will be just as you left it). When you enter Fever Mode, all jama-puyos above your field, as well as all jama-puyos produced by your opponent's current chain, will (for the duration of the Fever Mode) be pushed into the background (where they cannot fall onto your field). Background jama-puyos can, however, be counterattacked while you're in Fever Mode, and any excess will be sent to your opponent. Fever Gauge. When your Fever Gauge fills up, you will be sent into Fever Mode. Your Fever Gauge can be filled by counterattacking jama-puyos (before they fall). Any chain (even a 1-chain) will prevent jama-puyos from falling. This is extremely useful if you're trying to stave off a huge attack, while working your way towards Fever Mode... Both column 3 and column 4 are danger columns (i.e. you lose if *either* column fills up), instead of just column 3. Puyo drop pieces of different shapes. Besides the original 2-puyo drop pieces, there are also 3-puyo (L-shaped) and 4-puyo (square) drop pieces as well. A maximum of 2 colors may be used for any single drop piece. Supers are gone, but character uniqueness is maintained via a character's drop piece pattern. Each character in the game has a unique drop piece pattern, which can be viewed on the character select screen. Due to varying drop piece patterns, both players won't necessarily be getting exactly the same pieces. New cast of characters. The only characters from previous PuyoPuyo games who appear in PuyoFever are Arle (playable initially, but is not the main character) and Carbuncle (hidden character, unlockable). Side note: Arle's drop piece pattern is all 2-puyo drop pieces, though Carbuncle's is not. Two Story Mode characters, instead of just one. Amitie is the protagonist for the Easy and Normal Courses. Raffine is the protagonist for the Hard Course. Continuing doesn't reset your Story Mode score to 0 (but will restore it to what it was at the beginning of your match). Instead, once your game is over, a multiplier will be applied to your score, making it smaller for each continue you used, up to a minimal multiplier of 0.20 (4 or more continues). All of the 1P Modes (Hitori de PuyoPuyo, Tokoton PuyoPuyo) can be played from the P2 side/controller (yay!). 3P and 4P taisen modes are gone. Tokuten-puyos and Kata-puyos are gone. There are giant jama-puyos now, however. Giant jama-puyos are made up of 4 normal jama-puyos (clumped together in a square pattern). As far as I can tell, giant jama-puyos have no special properties other than appearance (i.e. it's just like having four normal jama-puyos). Tokoton PuyoPuyo now has three modes: Fever (Fever Mode Tokoton, with limited (but extendable) time), Task (Tokoton NazoPuyo, with limited (but extendable) time, and infinite tasks), and Original (Puyo2 TokoPuyo (unlimited time), except with PuyoFever zen-keshi rules). There are some other new things as well, but those are the major differences... What's new/different in the DCast PuyoFever (compared to the PS2 version)? Counterattacks give opponent +1.00 sec Fever Time (per counterattack chain fragment), instead of +2.00 (which was probably a PS2 version bug). Codes (unlock all, Story Mode character select, TokoPuyo character select, Free Taisen CPU difficulty increase) have been added. Gameplay feels smoother due to the fact that it's now possible to rotate and/or move a drop piece *immediately* after it appears. Dynamic camera view of 2-chains and above is no longer available as an option. Puyos look slightly different (imho, slightly cuter), probably due to the fact that they didn't have to be modeled in 3D. When Game Difficulty (Options Menu) is set to Easy, the trigger color for Fever Mode chain setups will be the same color as the lower left puyo of your next drop piece. Carbuncle can be unlocked simply by meeting him; you no longer have to defeat him in battle. Blinking "REC" icon (in-game, middle of screen) has been removed. In general, load times seem to be significantly shorter. DCast System Menu wallpaper (38 blocks) and System Menu Real 3D Mode (2-block VMU icon) can be downloaded to your VMU. Again, there are some other new things as well, but those are the major differences... U/C GC notes: How the U/C GC PuyoFever differs from the J version DCast PuyoFever: The DCast version codes do *not* work. After a drop piece appears, there is a slight delay (compared to the DCast version) before it can be rotated/moved; the delay is about the same as in the PS2 version. Dynamic camera view of 2-chains and above *is* available as an option. Puyos look slightly different, probably due to their having to be modeled in 3D (for the dynamic camera view). Easy Game Difficulty no longer gives you a trigger color advantage in Fever Mode. To unlock Carbuncle, you must defeat him in battle. Blinking "REC" icon is back. =/ No System Menu extras. ... So, basically, the U/C GC version of the game is very much like the PS2J version, except with shorter load times, and without the "+2 sec Fever Time per counter chain fragment" bug... And once again, there are some other changes as well, but those are the major differences... I.4 Terminology and notation? Yep. Just so there's no confusion about things, here are definitions of terms and stuff that I may use in this document: Puyo1, Puyo2, Puyo3, Puyo4, PuyoFever PuyoPuyo, PuyoPuyo Tsuu, PuyoPuyo Sun, PuyoPuyo~n, and PuyoPuyo Fever, respectively. drop piece The piece consisting of 2-4 puyos that you drop onto your playing field. 2-puyo, 3-puyo, 4-puyo Drop pieces consisting of 2, 3, and 4 puyos, respectively. (o)jama-puyo A piece that doesn't disappear, no matter how many are adjacent. Jama-puyos "get in the way". =) attached All adjacent (diagonals don't count) puyos of the same color are considered to be attached to each other. unattached A color puyo which is unattached is one which is not adjacent to another puyo of the same color. r g b y p Red, green, blue, yellow, and purple puyo, respectively. rows Rows will be numbered from bottom to top, starting with row 1. The playing field has 12 rows. columns Columns will be numbered from left to right, starting with column 1. The playing field has 6 columns. puyo coordinates (x,y) coordinate notation refers to a specific spot on your playing field, where x is the column number, and y is the row number. >= Greater than or equal to. <= Less than or equal to. u d l r Up, down, left, and right on the d-pad, respectively. x(y) Input y while holding x. attack Setting off a chain to send jama-puyos over to (above) your opponent's field. counterattack (counter) Setting off a chain to destroy the jama-puyos (that your opponent has sent) above your field, before they fall. damage At times, I may use the word "damage" in reference to the amount of jama-puyos sent over to one's opponent... Easy Course, Normal Course, Hard Course RunRun Course, WakuWaku Course, HaraHara Course, respectively. zen-keshi Making *all* pieces (including jama-puyos) disappear from your playing field. ------------------------ II. Characters and Stuff ------------------------ II.1 How do I unlock Popoi? To unlock Popoi as playable, all you have to do is encounter him as an opponent in Story Mode. Popoi appears as the Stage 8 opponent in both the Normal and Hard Courses. You don't have to defeat Popoi to unlock him as playable; losing and not continuing, menu-quitting, or even soft resetting after you've encountered him will work to unlock him. II.2 How do I unlock Carbuncle? First off, yes, that is the same Carbuncle we know and love from previous PuyoPuyo games (all the way back to the original PuyoPuyo). Although he does seem to have grown significantly, for some reason; must be something in the food/water (or curry) in Amitie's world... ^^; To unlock Carbuncle as playable, all you have to do is encounter him as an opponent in Story Mode. Carbuncle will appear as the Stage 8 opponent in the Hard Course (Raffine's story) if, upon reaching Stage 8: Case 1: You've used no continues (in your current Story Mode game) and you've gotten <=4 or >=12 Fever Mode activations (i.e. any number of Fever Modes *besides* 5-11). Case 2: The total number of continues you've used (in your current Story Mode game) is a positive multiple of 7 (i.e. 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42...). (that's all that's necessary; no other requirements) (Side note: These are the same Carbuncle appearance conditions as on the arcade version of PuyoFever, so it's likely that they will remain consistent for all home versions of the game...) You don't have to defeat Carbuncle to unlock him as playable; losing and not continuing, menu-quitting, or even soft resetting after you've encountered him will work to unlock him. There is no special ending for defeating Carbuncle; the ending will be the same as for defeating Popoi (Hard Course). Using Carbuncle in Story Mode: If you use Carbuncle in Story Mode (see Codes section of this document for Story Mode character select code), you will find that Carbuncle's idle drop speed (how fast drop pieces fall if they are not acted upon) is faster than normal (it's about twice as fast as for "Hard" handicap in 2P or 1P Taisen games). Note: This only applies to Story Mode games; Carbuncle's idle drop speed will be the same as for any other character in all other game modes. PS2 note: Carbuncle is not playable in Story Mode (there is no character select code) in the PS2 version of PuyoFever... U/C GC note: (same as PS2 version note, above) Replay Save Menu bug: If you didn't get Carbuncle when you got to Stage 8, you can still face him. When your total number of continues is 7n-1 (i.e. one before a multiple of 7), lose against Popoi, then enter the Replay Save menu (side note: if you've lost count of your continues, you can just do this with every continue, and eventually (within 6 continues), you'll get to the right number). Exit the Replay Save menu (you don't have to save the replay, but you can, if you want), and you'll get the "Continue?" countdown. Continue. Because the game has to reload Stage 8 (you exited the stage to load the replay save menu), it apparently checks your Continue total, and, if it finds that it's a multiple of 7 (which it should, if you've kept track of your continues properly), you'll face Carbuncle instead of Popoi! Note1: An easy way to tell if you're facing Carbuncle or Popoi is to listen to the BGM. The Carbuncle BGM is a new version of a classic Puyo2 BGM that's also used for Arle (Normal Course, Stage 7). Note2: Use of the Replay Save Menu bug to unlock Carbuncle will neither show nor unlock the "Raffine meets Carbuncle" demo. PS2 notes: To unlock Carbuncle as playable, you must *defeat* him as an opponent in Story Mode. The Carbuncle appearance conditions are the same as in the DCast version. Do note, however, that the Replay Save Menu bug will not work. PS2 note: Unlocking via Replay files: A minor bug in the PS2 PuyoFever actually allows you to unlock the hidden characters (Popoi and Carbuncle) by playing back Replay files which mimic their unlock conditions. For Carbuncle: any battle in which he loses. For Popoi: any battle involving him (winning or losing), but only if Popoi is *not* on the same side as the controller you're using to Replay the battle (i.e. if you use the P1 controller to Replay the battle, Popoi must be on the P2 side, and vice versa). So if you're having trouble unlocking either (or both) of the hidden characters, and you're able to download memory card files to your PS2, and you're able to find a Replay file in which Popoi defeats Carbuncle... then you'll actually be able to unlock both hidden characters simply by playing back that Replay file. ^^; Of course, a more useful application of this bug might be: if you've already unlocked Carbuncle and Popoi, but your friend has not, instead of copying your main PuyoFever save file onto his/her memory card (which would destroy his/her high scores), or spending 20-30 minutes (or more, or less, depending on various factors) unlocking them the normal way, you could simply copy over a Carbuncle vs. Popoi Replay file in which Carbuncle loses, and play that. Setting up the Replay file: 1) Make sure you have >=70kb free on your memory card. 2) In 1P Free Taisen (or 2P mode, if you want), select Carbuncle, then select Popoi as his opponent (side note: if your friend has only one controller for his/her PS2, you may want to select Carbuncle for the P1 side, and Popoi for the P2 side (see Popoi replay unlock controller side restriction, above). 2a) I recommend that you select High difficulty (5 puyo colors) for Carbuncle, to make it easier for him to lose (fewer accidental 1-chains). 3) Once the battle starts, lose with Carbuncle as quickly as possible (just drop pieces straight down until he loses). 4) Save Replay. As easy as that, you've created a quick way for other people to unlock Carbuncle and Popoi; all they have to do is play back that Replay (from the proper controller side; see Popoi restriction, above) via their PS2 PuyoFever! U/C GC notes: To unlock Carbuncle as playable, you must *defeat* him as an opponent in Story Mode. The Carbuncle appearance conditions are the same as in the DCast and PS2 versions. Do note, however, that the Replay Save Menu bug (DCast) will not work. And neither will the "unlocking via Replay files" bug (PS2). II.3 Does character choice make a difference in gameplay? It sure does. The shapes of the drop pieces you get are not determined randomly. Each character has a unique, repeating, 16-shape pattern of drop pieces. These can be viewed (although they are printed somewhat on the small side) on the character select screen. For easy reference, I've compiled the drop piece patterns for all 16 characters, and listed them in the following chart (alphabetical order, by character name), along with information on how many actual puyos are generated by each pattern: Note1: 2 = 2-puyo 3 = 3-puyo 0 = One-color 4-puyo 4 = Two-color 4-puyo Note2: 16-piece patterns have been split into four groups of 4 for ease of viewing. Character 16-piece pattern puyo tallies total Accord 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 4 10 11 10 11 42 Amitie 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 0 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 4 9 10 9 10 38 Arle 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 8 8 8 8 32 Carbuncle 2 3 0 2 4 3 2 0 2 3 4 2 0 3 2 4 11 13 11 13 48 Dongurigaeru 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 0 2 2 2 4 9 10 10 10 39 Frankensteins 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 4 9 11 10 11 41 Hohow Bird 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 4 9 9 9 10 37 Klug 2 2 3 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 2 4 9 11 11 11 42 Onion Pixy 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 4 8 10 9 10 37 Oshare Bones 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 4 8 9 10 10 37 Popoi 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 2 0 2 0 2 4 9 9 11 12 41 Prince of Ocean 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 0 2 2 3 0 2 2 3 4 9 11 11 11 42 Raffine 2 2 3 2 2 0 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 2 4 9 10 9 11 39 Rider 2 2 2 3 2 2 0 2 2 3 2 2 0 2 2 4 9 10 9 12 40 Tarutaru 2 2 3 2 2 0 2 3 2 2 0 2 2 3 2 4 9 11 10 11 41 Yu 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 4 2 2 2 4 11 11 11 10 43 In general, the more puyos a drop piece pattern has, the quicker you can create a chain setup (more puyos in the same amount of time), but the more difficult it will be to arrange the puyos precisely how you want them (sometimes the extra puyos will get in the way of your setup, or will simply remain unused). Thus, you should try to select a drop piece pattern that has a "speed vs. precision" balance that both suits your style of play, and complements the chain setup patterns you tend to use most. For the purposes of pattern comparison, here are the 16 drop piece patterns listed in order of increasing number of total puyos: Character 16-piece pattern puyo tallies total Arle 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 8 8 8 8 32 Onion Pixy 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 4 8 10 9 10 37 Oshare Bones 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 4 8 9 10 10 37 Hohow Bird 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 4 9 9 9 10 37 Amitie 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 0 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 4 9 10 9 10 38 Dongurigaeru 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 0 2 2 2 4 9 10 10 10 39 Raffine 2 2 3 2 2 0 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 2 4 9 10 9 11 39 Rider 2 2 2 3 2 2 0 2 2 3 2 2 0 2 2 4 9 10 9 12 40 Popoi 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 2 0 2 0 2 4 9 9 11 12 41 Frankensteins 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 4 9 11 10 11 41 Tarutaru 2 2 3 2 2 0 2 3 2 2 0 2 2 3 2 4 9 11 10 11 41 Prince of Ocean 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 0 2 2 3 0 2 2 3 4 9 11 11 11 42 Klug 2 2 3 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 2 4 9 11 11 11 42 Accord 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 4 10 11 10 11 42 Yu 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 3 2 4 2 2 2 4 11 11 11 10 43 Carbuncle 2 3 0 2 4 3 2 0 2 3 4 2 0 3 2 4 11 13 11 13 48 Because of the difference in drop piece patterns, for the first time (iirc) in a PuyoPuyo game, both players won't be getting exactly the same pieces (except when both players select the same character), or even necessarily the same number of puyos. However, the game does still try to keep things relatively balanced by arranging for both players to get the same color sequence of puyos in the drop pieces they do get. Because one-color 4-puyos have been made distinct from two-color 4-puyos in the drop piece patterns, when a one-color 4-puyo appears, it necessarily must have one color. So if the opponent's equivalent piece has two colors, this can offset the pattern temporarily. The game will eventually bring the two patterns into color equilibrium, however. Example: (excerpt from Frankensteins vs Dongurigaeru battle) P1: ... 0g 2rg 3g 2r 3by 2yp ... P2: ... 4gr 2g 2gr 2rb 0y 2yp ... Of course, in cases where each side has a different number of puyo colors (some Story Mode battles, and Free Taisen and 2P battles where different handicap levels have been selected)), the game obviously cannot bring the patterns into color equilibrium... ----------------------- III. Gameplay and Stuff ----------------------- III.1 Could you explain the puyo drop piece shapes in more detail? Sure. Puyo drop pieces can contain 2, 3, or 4 puyos, and can contain up to two colors. The drop piece shapes will follow these basic patterns: (using r as primary color and b as secondary color in these examples) 2-puyo 3-puyo 4-puyo One-color r r r r r r r r r Two-color b r b r b r r b r r r b As you can see, above, all puyos of the same color in a drop piece must be attached (i.e. you can't "split" a color between two corners). Also, in two-color drop pieces, one color cannot outnumber the other by more than 1 puyo (i.e. you can't have a 4-puyo with 3r and 1b). For 2-puyos and 3-puyos, the rotate point is the lower left puyo. For 4-puyos, the rotate point is the center of the 4-puyo cluster. Left undisturbed, all drop pieces will appear on the playing field with their left side puyos in column 3. Special note regarding the one-color 4-puyo: Unlike every other drop piece in the game (including the two-color 4-puyo), the one-color 4-puyo, when rotated, will actually change color! Rotating clockwise, the one-color 4-puyo will cycle through all available colors in the following repeating pattern: red, green, blue, yellow, purple. 3-color stage: red, green, blue 4-color stage: red, green, blue, yellow 5-color stage: red, green, blue, yellow, purple III.2 Could you go over Fever Mode in more detail? Okay. First, the basics: - Counterattacking jama-puyos (before they fall) increases your Fever Gauge. - When your Fever Gauge is full, you enter Fever Mode. - In Fever Mode, ready-made chain setups will be provided to you. - You have a limited amount of time in Fever Mode. - When your Fever Mode time runs out, you return to your previous board setup. Now, in more detail: III.2.A Activating Fever Mode The Fever Gauge has seven dots to fill. Even though some of them look larger than others, they are all equal in value. Any time there is at least one jama-puyo above your field, and you make four or more puyos disappear (the jama-puyo(s) you produce will counterattack the jama-puyo(s) above your field), one of the dots is filled. Filling the seventh dot will, upon completion of your current chain, activate Fever Mode. Note1: Making a large number of puyos disappear at the same time doesn't make the Fever Gauge fill up any faster. So whether you make 8 puyos disappear at once, or only 4, you'll still only get one dot filled. So if you have a limited number of puyos to work with, and absolutely need to activate Fever Mode to keep from getting buried in jama-puyos, making your puyos disappear 4 at a time is the most efficient way of using your limited resources... Note2: Similarly, using large chains to counterattack waiting jama-puyos isn't going to fill the Fever Gauge any more than using multiple small chains (e.g. one 6-chain will add 6 dots to your Fever Gauge, but so will six 1-chains, or three 2-chains, or a 2-chain and a 4-chain...). However, large chains will, of course, get rid of more of the waiting jama-puyos... When you enter Fever Mode, all jama-puyos currently above your field, and all (future) jama-puyos produced by any *currently* active chain (i.e. any chain that your opponent started before you entered Fever Mode) will be pushed into the background. These jama-puyos cannot fall upon your field while they are in the background, and will remain in the background either until they are counter-attacked (and destroyed), or until your Fever Mode Time runs out and you return to Normal Mode (after which any surviving background jama-puyos will return to the foreground). Note: Do be aware that any chain started (by your opponent) *after* you enter Fever Mode will send its jama-puyos *not* to the background, but to the foreground (above your field) instead, where they will fall as normal. Any Fever Mode attacks you do will counter any available foreground jama-puyos before countering any background jama-puyos. III.2.B Fever Mode Chains In any battle, the first chain setup you get in Fever Mode will most likely be a 5-chain setup (see zen-keshi notes, below). After you set off a chain (any chain, even a 1-chain), you will be given a new setup (assuming your Fever Mode Time hasn't yet run out). The size of the next chain setup you get will depend upon the size of the chain you set off. In general, the size of the chain setup you get in Fever Mode will be 1 greater than the size of the last chain you set off in Fever Mode, with the following conditions/restrictions: - At the beginning of a battle, the "last Fever Mode chain" size is assigned a value of 4 (thus, a 5-chain (4+1) setup will be your first Fever Mode setup). - Minimum setup is a 3-chain. - Maximum setup is a 15-chain. - Your Fever Mode chain setup size can never decrease by more than 2. So if you had an 8-chain setup, but only set off a 3-chain, your next setup will be a 6-chain (8-2) setup, rather than a 4-chain (3+1). - Zen-keshi adds a +2 chain bonus (so if you get a zen-keshi from a Fever Mode 5-chain, your next chain setup will be an 8-chain (5+1+2) setup). This bonus also applies if the chain that got you into Fever Mode was a zen-keshi (so if you zen-keshi into your first Fever Mode, your first chain setup, rather than being a 5-chain (4+1), will be a 7-chain (4+1+2) instead). Additionally, if you zen-keshi at the end of one Fever Mode, *and* zen-keshi into your next Fever Mode, the +2 zen-keshi bonus *will* actually be applied twice! Strategy note: If your Fever Mode Time runs out, your "next Fever Mode chain" size *will* carry over to your next Fever Mode (during the current battle). So if your Fever Mode Time is running out, and it doesn't look like you'll be able to set off the chain you've been given, don't just set off a smaller (by 2 or more) chain (unless you think it'll help you win immediately), or you'll only be sabotaging your next Fever Mode. So for example, if you have a 7-chain setup, but your Fever Mode Time has run out, and with your final drop piece in your current Fever Mode, you're unable to set off a 7-chain... If you set off a Your next Fever Mode's first chain setup will be a 1- to 4-chain 5-chain (7-2) (hurts next Fever Mode) 5-chain 6-chain (5+1) (hurts next Fever Mode) 6-chain 7-chain (6+1) (doesn't hurt next Fever Mode) no chain 7-chain (doesn't hurt next Fever Mode) III.2.C Increasing Fever Mode Time At the beginning of each battle, and after returning from each Fever Mode, your Fever Mode Time (printed under your Fever Gauge) is set to 15.00 seconds. Your Fever Mode Time can be increased, up to a maximum of 30.00 seconds, as follows: When you're in Normal Mode: - +1.00 second* for each counterattack chain fragment your opponent does (i.e. one 6-chain counterattack will give you +6.00, as will six 1-chain counterattacks). This applies whether your opponent is in Normal Mode or Fever Mode. * PS2 note: +2.00 sec per opponent's counter chain fragment is earned; this is most likely a bug (+1.00 is added at two different times). - +5.00 seconds when you do a zen-keshi. When you're in Fever Mode: - Completing a chain before Fever Mode Time runs out will get you a time bonus according to the size of the chain: 1-chain: (no bonus) 6-chain: +2.00 11-chain: +4.30 2-chain: (no bonus) 7-chain: +2.30 12-chain: +5.00 3-chain: +0.30 sec 8-chain: +3.00 13-chain: +5.30 4-chain: +1.00 sec 9-chain: +3.30 14-chain: +6.00 5-chain: +1.30 sec 10-chain: +4.00 15-chain: +6.30 - +5.00 seconds when you do a zen-keshi. Note: For a zen-keshi resulting from a chain of size >=9, it seems that more than +5.00 can be earned; in Fever Mode, I've seen a 9-chain zen-keshi give +6.00, a 10-chain zen-keshi give +10.00, and an 11-chain zen-keshi give +10.00... though I've also seen a 15-chain zen-keshi give only +5.00, so be aware that it's possible that factors other than chain length may (or may not) be involved in determining the zen-keshi time bonus... Once your Fever Mode Time reaches 0.00, an alarm will sound, signaling the imminent return of Normal Mode. If you're in the middle of a chain when time runs out, the chain will be allowed to complete before you are returned to Normal Mode. If you're holding a drop piece when time runs out, you'll be allowed to set it down, then any resulting chain will be allowed to complete before you are returned to Normal Mode. Once back in Normal Mode, your Fever Mode Time will reset to 15.00, and your Fever Gauge will reset back to its base value (which can vary according to your Game Difficulty setting). Tokoton Fever note: In TokoFever, the initial time and time bonuses are different than in the other modes of the game: - TokoFever initial time: 60.00 sec - TokoFever chain completion time bonuses: 1-chain: (no bonus) 7-chain: +5.00 13-chain: +11.00 2-chain: (no bonus) 8-chain: +6.00 14-chain: +12.00 3-chain: +1.00 sec 9-chain: +7.00 15-chain: +13.00 4-chain: +2.00 sec 10-chain: +8.00 16-chain: +14.00 5-chain: +3.00 sec 11-chain: +9.00 6-chain: +4.00 sec 12-chain: +10.00 - TokoFever zen-keshi time bonus: +3.00 sec III.3 What does Zen-keshi do in PuyoFever? Zen-keshi (making *all* pieces (including jama-puyos) disappear from your playing field) has slightly different effects in Normal and Fever Modes: Normal Mode: - Adds 5 seconds to your Fever Mode Time. - Gives you a 4-chain setup (kind of like a mini-Fever Mode in Normal Mode). Fever Mode: - Adds 5 seconds to your Fever Mode Time. - Gives you a +2 chain bonus for your next Fever Mode chain setup. Unlike in previous PuyoPuyo games, zen-keshi in PuyoFever doesn't give you an immediate score bonus. However, once your (Story Mode) game is over, you will get a bonus for (among other things) the number of zen-keshi you've accomplished... III.4 Hey! How come the game won't record my Story Mode high scores? If you've used 5 or more continues in your Story Mode game, your score will be disallowed for the purposes of the high score list. Unlike in previous PuyoPuyo games, continuing doesn't reset your score to 0. Instead, your score is reset to what it was at the beginning of your match. Also, once your game is over, a multiplier is applied to your score, making it smaller for each continue you used, up to a minimal multiplier of 0.20 (4 or more continues): continues multiplier (fraction) 0 x1.00 (5/5) 1 x0.80 (4/5) 2 x0.60 (3/5) 3 x0.40 (2/5) 4 x0.20 (1/5) >=5 x0.20 and Name Entry disallowed Since the multiplier reaches its minimum value at 4 continues, a Name Entry restriction was added, in order to distinguish 4-continue games from 34-continue games... PS2 note: There is no such Name Entry restriction in the PS2 PuyoFever. Even if you've used 34 continues, so long as your x0.20 score is high enough, you'll be able to record it in your high score list. U/C GC note: (same as PS2 version note, above) III.5 Are there fewer/more puyo colors on certain Story Mode stages? There are. The standard number of puyo colors seems to be 4, but some stages have 3, and some have 5. The number of puyo colors can also vary according to what you've set the Game Difficulty to (Options Menu). Also note that on some stages, your opponent will have a different number of puyo colors (marked below with an asterisk (*)) than you do... Key Game Difficulty Stage Character Player colors Opponent colors Easy Course Easy/Normal/Hard 1 Rider 3 4* 2 Tarutaru 3 3 3 Accord 4 4 Normal Course Easy/Normal Hard 1 Raffine 3 3 3 3 2 Oshare Bones 3 3 3 3 3 Rider 3 3 3 3 4 Dongurigaeru 4 4 4 4 5 Klug 4 4 4 4 6 Frankensteins 4 4 4 4 7 Arle 4 4 5 4* 8 Popoi 4 4 5 4* Hard Course Easy Normal Hard 1 Onion Pixy 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 Klug 3 4* 3 4* 3 4* 3 Prince of Ocean 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Tarutaru 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 Yu 4 3* 4 3* 4 3* 6 Hohow Bird 4 4 5 4* 5 4* 7 Accord 4 4 5 4* 5 4* 8 Popoi 4 4 5 4* 5 4* 8s Carbuncle 4 4 5 4* 5 4* Tokoton PuyoPuyo note: The number of colors in TokoPuyo games will vary according to your handicap level: Easy 3 Normal 4 Hard 5 Futari de PuyoPuyo note: The number of colors in 2P games (and 1P Free Taisen games) will vary according to your handicap level: Easy 3 (Fever Gauge 3 filled) Semi-Easy 3 (Fever Gauge 1 filled) (2P Classic: 2 rows jama-puyos) Normal 4 (we have normality) Semi-Hard 4 (2P Classic: 5 colors) Hard 5 (2P Classic: 2 rows jama-puyos init) PS2 notes: Hard idle drop speed is same as Normal, instead of being faster than all easier levels (as is the case for the other handicap levels)... 2P Classic Semi-Hard has 4 colors, and has 2 rows of jama-puyos initially. 2P Classic Hard has no jama-puyos initially. III.6 Help! Can you give me some tips on completing the Hard Course? General tip: Due to the way in which Fever Mode was implemented, the game can actually give a significant advantage to the player who attacks *second*. Thus, if you're having trouble against a difficult opponent, don't attack first (as this just gives him/her the opportunity to feed his/her Fever Gauge)... Easy tactic: ----------- Recommended skill level: Any (Beginner and up). Use your time to set up clumps of three attached puyos (of the same color), and whenever your opponent sends any jama-puyos above your field, counterattack with 1- or 2-chains (or larger chains, if your setup allows, but try to avoid doing a counterattack large enough to send jama-puyos over to your opponent). If you do this right, by the time you activate Fever Mode, your opponent will still have nothing in his/her Fever Gauge. Once in Fever Mode, set off the chains as quickly as possible (unless you see a quick and easy way to extend a chain by 1, in which case that might not be a bad idea (if you set off a 6-, 7-, and 8-chain, and your opponent sets off a 5-, 6-, and 7-chain, that's a significant difference in your favor)); you should have time enough to set off two, and maybe three chains. The jama-puyos generated from the 5-chain, 6-chain, and (if you had enough time to trigger it) 7-chain should hopefully be enough to bury your opponent. But just in case he/she is able to reach Fever Mode, you'll want to use your time to keep setting up clumps of three. Repeat as necessary. Tips: Vertical clumps of three work better than horizontal for reasons of accessibility. Also, try to have at least one clump of three of each color accessible at any particular time. Example setup: Ooooo . . y . . . . . r . . . . . . . . . . . . . r . . . . . r . . . . . r . p . . g y . p r . b y . p r . b y . r b p r b g r b p r b g r b p r b g Intermediate tactic: ------------------- Recommended skill level: You can do (set up and set off) 5-chains at will, and 7-chains reliably; against an easy opponent, you might be able to get a 10- or 11-chain. Use your time to set up a pair of 4-chain setups (one on the left side of the screen, and one of the right would be ideal). Ignore any 1- or 2-chain attacks your opponent does (or add to your Fever Gauge if you have any 1-chains handy). Keep an eye on your opponent's field, and when he/she sets off a 4-chain or higher (or maybe even a 3-chain), set off one of your 4-chains. While keeping an eye on your opponent, set up another 4-chain, if you have the time. When your opponent sets off another 4-chain or higher attack, counter with one of your 4-chains. If you've done all of this correctly, this should send you into Fever Mode. (Optional: If you want, for the chain that sends you into Fever Mode, you can make it larger than just a 4-chain. This will add a little extra to the overall size of your attack (Normal Mode attack + Fever Mode attacks), and will hopefully ensure that, even if your opponent makes it to Fever Mode, your attack will still overpower his/hers...) Once in Fever Mode, set off the chains as quickly as possible (unless you see a quick and easy way to extend a chain by 1, in which case that might not be a bad idea); you should have time enough to set off two or three (or possibly more, if your opponent added anything to his/her Fever Gauge before you entered Fever Mode) chains. Hopefully, this will produce enough jama-puyos to bury your opponent before he/she can reach Fever Mode. But just in case, once you return to Normal Mode, you should again start setting up a couple 4-chain setups... Repeat as necessary. (Variation1: After first Fever Mode, play defensively. Against difficult opponents especially, it might be better to play Normal Mode more conservatively, and for the sole purpose of getting back to Fever Mode. So after returning from your first Fever Mode, fall back to using the Easy tactic (see above). Remember, if your opponent makes it to Fever Mode, and repels your first Fever Mode attack, you'll end up with a *lot* of Fever Mode Time (maybe even 30 seconds), so your second Fever Mode will almost certainly benefit you more than your opponent's first Fever Mode benefitted him/her (you'll be starting with a 7- or 8-chain setup, while your opponent started with a 5-chain setup (and possibly less Fever Mode Time)). If your second Fever Mode doesn't bury your opponent, repeat as necessary...) (Variation2: After first Fever Mode, keep pushing the attack. Build a quick 6- or 7-chain (or higher, if you can), and set it off. If your opponent manages to reach Fever Mode, then hopefully, the extra jama-puyos from your Normal Mode chain will have made your attack large enough to nullify your opponent's Fever Mode attack, and bury him/her. But just in case, keep building and setting off 5- to 7-chains as quickly as possible (i.e. don't save chains for later (to feed your Fever Gauge); use them now, to overwhelm your opponent while his/her Fever Mode is at its weakest)...) Advanced tactic: --------------- Recommended skill level: You can do 8-chains at will, and 10-chains reliably; against an easy opponent, you might be able to get a 13- or 14-chain. Use your time to set up a 7- to 9-chain, preferably with a high trigger point (i.e. so you don't have to worry about your opponent's 1- to 3-chains burying your chain setup's trigger point). Set it off when your opponent does a 4- or 5-chain (or higher) (note: this is actually more to prevent your opponent from using that chain to feed his/her Fever Gauge, than it is to feed your own Fever Gauge). While your opponent is dealing with this attack, quickly set up another. If your opponent survives and a) is in Normal Mode, with a nearly-full Fever Gauge, and a field almost entirely full of jama-puyos: Watch your opponent's drop pieces, and do quick 1- or 2-chains when his/her pieces won't allow a counter-attack, and finish him/her off without allowing him/her to reach Fever Mode. b) is in Normal Mode, with a nearly-full Fever Gauge, and a field moderately full of jama-puyos: Wait for your opponent to do a large enough attack to get you to Fever Mode (or if your opponent is only doing small attacks, counter with small attacks until your Fever Gauge is 6/7 full), then set off your new 7- to 9-chain (or whatever you've managed to prepare). Use Fever Mode chains to quickly bury your opponent. c) is in Fever Mode: Wait for a large attack to come your way, then set off your chain to get to Fever Mode. Use Fever Mode chains to quickly bury your opponent. Expert tactic: ------------- Recommended skill level: You can do 11-chains at will, and 13-chains reliably; against an easy opponent, and with a little luck, you might be able to get a 16-, 17-, or maybe even an 18- or 19-chain. If you're this good, you probably don't need to wait for your opponent to attack first. If necessary, counter just enough to keep your opponent's attacks from burying your setup trigger, and build a quick 10-chain or higher. Against most opponents, just set off your chain, and it will probably be enough to bury them, even if they manage to reach Fever Mode. Against more skilled opponents, you may want to wait for a 3-chain or or higher (to prevent your opponent from using that chain to feed his/her Fever Gauge), just in case. Use the extra time to continue to build a larger chain, if you can safely do so. Master tactic: ------------- Recommended skill level: You're one of the 10 best PuyoPuyo players in the world. "Master... you are guided as we are not, and need not toil as we toil..." -- excerpt from Illusions, by Richard Bach Other notes: You can also, of course, change the Game Difficulty setting (Options Menu) to Easy. In Easy Difficulty, your Fever Gauge always has a minimum of 3 dots filled (so it's like having a 4-dot Fever Gauge instead of a 7-dot one). This makes it much easier to get to Fever Mode (especially compared to your opponent, who will still have the standard 7-dot Fever Gauge). Also, once in (Easy Difficulty) Fever Mode, the trigger color for your Fever Mode chain setups will almost always (I've only encountered one exception, which may have been a bug) be the same color as the lower left puyo of your next drop piece. This makes it a lot easier to quickly trigger your Fever Mode chains, which should hopefully allow you to trigger more of them in the limited time of each Fever Mode... PS2 notes: In Easy Difficulty, the trigger color for Fever Mode chain setups will be random, and will not necessarily be the same as the lower left color of your next drop piece. Easy Difficulty will still cause the first 3 dots of your Fever Gauge to be permanently filled, which is still a significant advantage... U/C GC notes: (same as PS2 version notes, above) ------------------- IV. Codes and Stuff ------------------- IV.1 Do you know of any codes for this game? Indeed. IV.1.A Unlock everything With the Demo Viewer (Options, Gallery) highlighted: X(u,d,l,r). (i.e. hold X and input u,d,l,r) (note: d-pad or analog knob can be used to input directions) If done correctly, you'll hear the "zen-keshi" sound. This unlocks Popoi, Carbuncle, all BGM, all voices, and all Story Mode demos. PS2 note: This code does not work on the PS2 PuyoFever. U/C GC note: (same as PS2 version note, above) IV.1.B 1P Story Mode character select With any 1P Story Mode highlighted: d,u,X,Y,A. (notes: d-pad or analog knob can be used to input directions; START button can be used in place of the A button) If done correctly, instead of beginning Story Mode, you'll hear the "zen-keshi" sound, and you'll get the character select screen. Select any character to play through Story Mode with him/her (non-default characters won't have any story demos, of course). PS2 note: This code does not work on the PS2 PuyoFever. U/C GC note: (same as PS2 version note, above) IV.1.C Tokoton PuyoPuyo character select With any Tokoton PuyoPuyo mode highlighted: u,d,Y,X,A. (notes: d-pad or analog knob can be used to input directions; START button can be used in place of the A button) If done correctly, instead of going to the difficulty select, you'll hear the "zen-keshi" sound, and you'll get the character select screen. Select any character to play Tokoton PuyoPuyo with that character. PS2 note: This code does not work on the PS2 PuyoFever. U/C GC note: (same as PS2 version note, above) IV.1.D Increase CPU difficulty in 1P Free Taisen Requires: Two controllers. Hold "up" on the d-pad of your opponent's controller (P2 controller if you're using the P1 controller, and vice versa) while selecting your Free Taisen opponent. (note: d-pad or analog knob can be used to input direction) No special sound is heard, but when you begin your battle, you'll find that your opponent is a lot faster and/or more skilled than normal... PS2 note: This code does not work on the PS2 PuyoFever. U/C GC note: (same as PS2 version note, above) IV.2 Is there a soft reset command? There sure is. On either controller: Hold A+B+X+Y and press START to reset PuyoFever back to the main title screen. From there, if you enter the reset command again, you'll exit the game and go to the main Dreamcast menu. PS2 note: Interestingly, instead of the standard PS2 reset, the equivalent of the DCast soft reset is used instead. On either controller: Hold X+O+S+T (S = square button, T = triangle button) and press START to reset PuyoFever back to the main title screen. U/C GC note: On either controller: Hold B+X+START for about half a second to reset PuyoPop Fever back to the main title screen. ------------- V. Miscellany ------------- V.1 How do you earn stuff in the Demo Viewer? Once you've encountered a story demo, it will be available in the Demo Viewer. Do note that if the Manzai Demo option is OFF, the story demos won't be shown, and thus won't get unlocked... V.2 Is there really a way to change the in-game language? Sure. In the Options menu, select the Language option (just above the Gallery option). In the Language menu, the first option is for Text (Japanese, English); the second option is for Voice (Japanese, English). I'll refrain from commenting upon the quality of the English translation and/or voices. ^^; PS2 note: In addition to Japanese and English, the PS2 PuyoFever also has Text options for French, German, Spanish, and Italian. U/C GC note: (same as PS2 version note, above) V.3 What's this I hear about changing the DCast System Menu? The DCast System Menu can be changed in two ways, both of which involve saving a file to your VMU (and loading your DCast with that VMU). The options to save these files to (or delete them from) your VMU can be found in the "Dreamcast Main Menu Screen Settings" section (just above the Language option) of the PuyoFever Options Menu. V.3.A System Menu PuyoPuyo background Use the "Save Background File" option to save a 38-block picture to your VMU, as follows: 0: None/Delete 1: Green puyo 2: Red puyo 3: Blue puyo 4: Yellow puyo 5: Purple puyo 6: 5 puyos 7: 16 puyos Once a background file is saved to your VMU, whenever you load the DCast System Menu with that VMU, instead of the standard background of swirling clouds, you'll get whatever picture you selected slowly rotating in the "sky", and also shown (unmoving) on the "ground". If you ever get tired of a background picture (or of how much space it takes up on your VMU), you can easily delete it via the DCast System File menu, via the VMU's file manager, or via PuyoFever (by selecting "None/Delete" as your background (see above)). V.3.B Real 3D System Menu Use the "Save Memory Card Icon" option to save a 2-block icon file to your VMU. Note that this file will *not* show up in your DCast System File menu (although you can see that it's present by the VMU's special icon both in the File menu and on the VMU itself), so if you ever want to delete it, you'll have to do that either via the VMU's file manager or via PuyoFever (if the icon file is detected, the "Save Memory Card Icon" option will be a "Delete Memory Card Icon" option instead). The memory card icon file will change the icon used for that VMU (both on the VMU screen and in the DCast System File menu) to a "pu" sign (a sign with a hiragana "pu" (as in "puyo") on it; basically a larger version of the save file icon). As a secondary effect, however, having this icon file on your VMU will also enable you to activate a "Real Mode" 3D view of all of your DCast System menus! Just press START to activate/deactivate "Real Mode" (note: if on your Dreamcast, pressing START on the main system menu causes your game to load, go to one of the sub-menus (File, Music, Settings), and press START there instead). In Real Mode, everything will be in 3D. The "floor" will show a reflection of the front view (this effect will override your PuyoPuyo background image (the one on the "floor"), if you have one saved on this VMU). The "ceiling" will consist of a slowly rotating funnel (narrow end pointing up) of clouds (if you have a PuyoPuyo background image saved, that will be shown instead, as a slowly rotating funnel). The following commands are available in Real Mode: L trigger: rotates screen counter-clockwise (up to 180 degrees) R trigger: rotates screen clockwise (up to 180 degrees) analog l: moves camera left and away analog r: moves camera right and away analog u: moves camera down and away analog d: moves camera up and away CD player special effect: When Playing a CD, the background will fade to black, and a glowing nimbus of multi-colored light will surround the spinning disc... V.4 Is there an auto-save process? Not exactly. There is an auto-prompt-to-save process, though. Every time you pass an auto-prompt point (after completing a Story Mode game, for example), the game will ask you whether you want to save... PS2 note: There is no auto-save or auto-prompt process. Use the Load/Save menu in Options to save your game. Do be careful of the fact that there is no "Are You Sure?" query for the "Load" option, though, and that the default (top) Load/Save menu option is "Load"... U/C GC note: (same as PS2 version note, above) V.5 Is the VMU screen used for anything interesting? During a battle, the VMU will show pictures of the character on that side of the battle (your character, if you're using that controller; your opponent, if you're using the other controller). There appear to be five pictures that are used, according to what's going on with that character: idle, attacking, getting hit, won, and lost. PS2 note: No VMU, no VMU pictures... U/C GC note: (same as PS2 version note, above) -------------------- VI. Thanks and Stuff -------------------- Thanks to: Sonic Team's PuyoPuyo Fever webpages (http://www.sonicteam.com/puyofever/), for the "unlock everything", Story Mode character select, TokoPuyo character select, and Free Taisen difficulty codes... The Arcade version PuyoPuyo Fever Secret Characters info page (http://am.sega.jp/utop/closeup/puyo_f_kaku.html), for the Stage 8 0-continue Carbuncle appearance conditions! kkeltner for being gracious enough to lend me a U/C system, so I could gather data on the U/C GC version of PuyoFever. (eof)