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Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S review: still a great puzzle game, but a disappointing port
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The very first time I booted up Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S on Nintendo Switch 2, I had to look up a list of what had actually been changed.
This is a port of one of my favorite puzzle games ever, the original Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 from 2020 – a title that I’ve sunk more than a hundred hours into across PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. Still, the tweaks present in this new version are so slight that even I struggled to see them at first.
Review info
Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: June 5, 2025
You’re basically getting a single new mode here: the co-op Puyo Tetris Double Mode which features fast 2v2 battles. It’s a fun way to play for sure, but it’s not a necessary addition in a game that is already overflowing with content. If you own the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera accessory, you have the option of showing your face as you play too – another ultimately superfluous extra.
There’s also support for the mouse controls of the Joy-Con 2, though they’re disappointingly awkward to use. Playing Tetris or Puyo Puyo with a cursor is considerably slower than button inputs, making matches more fiddly thus putting you at a clear disadvantage.
At least GameShare is well implemented, giving you an easy way to play with friends on either Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2.
Bursting at the seams
The original version of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 offers so many modes that it’s almost hard to keep track of them, so here’s quick run-down of the most significant ones so you know what you’re in for before I get into the new stuff:
- Versus – a traditional competitive match of either Puyo Puyo or Tetris
- Big Bang – clear a board of existing pieces faster than your opponent
- Party – competitive Puyo Puyo or Tetris with special items added in
- Skill Battle – play Puyo Puyo or Tetris as a character with special skills and items
- Fusion – Puyos and Tetris pieces fall at the same time
- Swap – Swap between Puyo Puyo and Tetris every 25 seconds
These can either be played solo against bots or as part of a robust online offering that’s complete with a basic competitive ranking system.
This is on top of loads of unique challenge modes, a detailed ‘Lessons’ tutorial mode, and a full-on RPG style single-player campaign with cute artwork and fully voiced dialogue scenes packed with charming moments.
This all results in what is without a doubt one of the most comprehensive and content-rich puzzle games of all time. Seriously, after more than a hundred hours, there are still some modes that I’ve barely touched.
Mix and match
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S adds just one new mode, available as an option when you select the Versus mode. It splits four players into two teams of two, with each team sharing their own board.
It’s nothing particularly wild in comparison to the modes found in the base game, but still very entertaining as you desperately try to coordinate placing pieces with your partner in high-speed matches. As good as it is, however, it sits in a sea of other excellent modes so doesn’t justify much of the $39.99 / £34.99 asking price.
Best bit
The game has a wide range of colorful characters that you can play as, including some crossovers like Sonic the Hedgehog. The artwork for all of them looks great and there are plenty of voice acted lines as you play.
The same is true of the new mouse controls, which allow you to browse the menus with a cursor or drag the Joy-Con 2 around to position falling pieces on the board.
The latter implementation is awkward though, proving significantly slower than just using the buttons, so it’s something that anybody would probably never want to use. The Nintendo Switch 2 Camera support is lackluster too, simply allowing you to show your face in matches instead of the usual character portrait.
GameShare is great at least, and, in my testing, proved impressively responsive when I paired my Nintendo Switch 2 up with my Nintendo Switch Lite. If this all was sold as a $9.99 / £9.99 or so Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade rather than a more pricey standalone release, then I could see this feature alone being well worth the cost.
Ghost town
In the graphics department, things haven’t changed as much as you might think. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 was already a great looking game on Nintendo Switch and, while the picture quality of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S is a smidge sharper, it’s not a noticeable upgrade unless you directly compare the images side by side.
Loading times seem extremely similar too, which is to say that they’re still good but not substantially improved.
This apparent lack of technical differences leaves me wondering why Sega has made the baffling choice to split multiplayer matchmaking pools between Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 and Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 still has a very active online scene, even after all these years, so you can reliably find matches at almost any time. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S, on the other hand, seems deserted after just a few weeks.
I have managed to get into a couple of games here and there, but waiting times are significantly longer than the original game. It’s a huge shame and means that existing Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 owners have no real reason to splash out for this release, as it comes at the cost of online play.
If you’ve never experienced Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 before, then the purchase is a bit more justifiable. You’re still getting a great game here at the end of the day with hundreds of hours of quality puzzle action and a handful of new features designed to take advantage of the capabilities of your brand new console.
This is technically the most definitive version of the game so far, so it’s not a bad starting point if you’re a newcomer.
Should I play Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S?
Play it if…
Don’t play it if…
Accessibility features
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S doesn’t feature any dedicated accessibility settings. It has a limited settings menu, with options like turning off auto save, disabling controller vibration, and tweaking the language. The game is fully voice acted, but subtitles are still featured throughout.
How I reviewed Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
I played just under five hours of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S on Nintendo Switch 2, having played a significant amount more of the original Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 on Nintendo Switch, PC, and PS5.
During my time with the game, I compared my experience with that of the original release, making careful note of any differences. I endeavored to test every one of the new features, plus the new mode extensively.
First reviewed August 2025
