Hebereke's Popoitto

Last updated
Hebereke's Popoitto
Front cover of the European SNES version of the Hebereke's Popoitto video game.jpg
Front cover of the European SNES version.
Developer(s) Sunsoft [1]
Success (PS1, Saturn)
Publisher(s) Sunsoft [2]
Marubeni [1]
Ludi [3]
Series Hebereke
Platform(s) Arcade [4]
SNES
Sega Saturn
Sony PlayStation
Release
1994
  • Arcade
    Sega Saturn [5]
    • JP: March 3, 1995
    • EU: December 1995
    PlayStation [6]
    • JP: May 26, 1995
      June 3, 1999 (SunKore Best)
      October 4, 2001 (Value 1500)
    • EU: March 1, 1996
    SNES [7]
    • JP: July 28, 1995
    • EU: September 30, 1995
Genre(s) Puzzle [8]
Mode(s) Single-player, two players competitive

Hebereke's Popoitto [lower-alpha 2] is a puzzle-type video game in the Hebereke series developed by Sunsoft for arcades, the Sega Saturn, PlayStation and SNES consoles. Although released in Japan and Europe from 1994 to 1996, it was never released in North America. The gameplay is reminiscent of video game titles like Dr. Mario and Puyo Puyo . [1] [2] Hebereke's Popoitto received generally positive reviews, and was mostly recommended for fans of the puzzle genre.

Contents

In Japan, Hebereke Station Popoitto was re-released in 1999 under the SunKore Best label. It was later re-released again in 2001 under the Value 1500 label. [6]

Gameplay

Screenshot of Stage 1 HeberekePopoittoScreenshotStage1.png
Screenshot of Stage 1

Similar to other falling block tile-matching video games, the core gameplay element consists of player-controlled blocks falling from the top of the playing field. In Hebereke's Popoitto, pairs of blocks, where each block in the pair can be any available color, appear from the top of the playing field [8] and continue to fall until they fall on top of the ground or another block. The pair of blocks are, as long as they're still falling, controlled by the player and can be rotated. [2] When a pair of blocks is suspended, a new pair of player-controlled blocks will fall from playing field ceiling. By lining up four or more blocks with the same color in certain formations the whole formation disappears. The available formations can be straight horizontal or vertical lines or simply just any adjoining formation, depending on the set difficulty level. [3] [8]

What sets Hebereke's Popoitto apart from other similar games is that moving creatures, named Poro-porous, will float suspended in mid-air on the playing field. Sporadically, Poro-porous will move one space right, left, up or down. [8] Touching a Poro-poro with a pair of blocks will as always suspend the blocks, and consequently the erratic behaviour of Poro-porous makes it more difficult for the player to plan ahead. [8] Each Poro-poro has its own color and can be, just as with any other block, destroyed by making a formation with the same color. A game is won when every Poro-poro on the playing field is eliminated. [8] A game can also be lost when the blocks fill up to the top of the playing field. [1]

The difficulty level controls, as stated earlier, the possible formations to build. An easier difficulty level will accept any adjoining formation of same-colored blocks, while a harder difficulty level will only accept straight horizontal or vertical lines. [3] A higher difficulty level will also control the number of different available colors for blocks and the number of Poro-porous that are on the playing field at start. [1]

Modes

In a single-player game, there is a story mode feature. [2] It allows the player to travel to different worlds with an on-screen map and meet other characters. [1] If a battle against another character is won, which is accomplished by winning two rounds, the defeated character becomes playable. [1] [2]

Additionally, a multiplayer mode is available, where two players battle each other simultaneously. [3] Specific for the two-player mode is a kind of special attack, which can be activated by eliminating more than one formation of blocks with one pair of blocks. [8] A handicap level can be set individually for each player. [2]

Reception

Hebereke's Popoitto was featured in several European video game magazines, and received mixed to positive reviews. The addicting gameplay and two-player mode were especially noted as highlights of the game. Still, the game, which was heavily compared to other puzzle video games, was mostly recommended for fans of the said genre. In Super Play , the reviewer liked the core gameplay, but did not like the game as much as Super Puyo Puyo, another SNES puzzle video game. A critic from Sega Saturn Magazine disliked that the special moves in the two-player mode were too difficult to obtain. In addition, the critic thought that the erratic movement of the Poro-porous made it too hard to plan ahead. A reviewer from the French video-gaming magazine Super Power considered the Poro-poro addition to be charming, but noted that Hebereke's Popoitto wasn't that strong graphically. [lower-alpha 3]

Notably, Hebereke's Popoitto was ranked as the 98th best SNES game of all time in Super Play's top 100 best SNES games list. [13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Although the title is Hebereke's Popoon, the game described in the magazine article is actually Hebereke's Popoitto. The video game Hebereke's Popoon was never released for the Sega Saturn system.
  2. ↑ Known in Japan as Popoitto Hebereke (ポポイっとへべれけ) and Hebereke Station Popoitto (へべれけスてーショんポポイっと, Hebereke Sutēshon Popoitto), the latter as a name only used for the PlayStation version. [6]
  3. ↑ [1] [2] [3] [8] [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>Dr. Robotniks Mean Bean Machine</i> 1993 video game

Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine is a falling block puzzle game developed by Compile and published by Sega. It was released for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive in North America and Europe in November 1993, and ported to the Game Gear in 1993 and Master System in 1994.

<i>Pokémon Puzzle Challenge</i> 2000 video game for the Game Boy Color

Pokémon Puzzle Challenge is a puzzle video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. Released in Japan on September 21, 2000; in North America on December 4, 2000; and in PAL regions on June 15, 2001, it is the second Pokémon-themed entry in the Puzzle League series. While its Nintendo 64 counterpart Pokémon Puzzle League is visually based on the Pokemon anime, Puzzle Challenge instead draws inspiration from the Pokémon Gold and Silver games. The game features multiple modes of play and support for competitive play between two players. Puzzle Challenge was later digitally re-released via the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console line on November 6, 2014.

<i>Kirbys Avalanche</i> 1995 video game

Kirby's Avalanche, known in Europe as Kirby's Ghost Trap, is a puzzle video game developed by Compile and Banpresto and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in North America and Europe in February 1995. It is a Western release of the Japanese Super Puyo Puyo featuring characters from the Kirby series. There was not a Japanese release, and the game remains the only Kirby title not released there. In Europe and Australia, the game was re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console service on July 27, 2007 and in North America on September 24, 2007. The game was re-released for the Nintendo Switch Online service on July 21, 2022.

<i>Puyo Pop Fever</i> 2003 puzzle video game

Puyo Pop Fever is a 2003 puzzle video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. It is the fifth main installment in the Puyo Puyo puzzle game series and the second Puyo Puyo game to be programmed by Sonic Team after Puyo Pop. This was the start of what can be considered a reboot of the Puyo Puyo franchise, with this entry's plot revolving around Professor Accord losing her flying cane.

<i>Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo</i> 1996 video game

Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, released in Japan as Super Puzzle Fighter II X, is a tile-matching puzzle video game released in 1996 for the CP System II (CPS2) arcade board, by Capcom and its Capcom Coin-Op division. The game's title is a play on Super Street Fighter II Turbo, as there were no other Puzzle Fighter games at the time, and the game includes music and interface elements spoofing the Street Fighter Alpha and Darkstalkers games. It was a response to Sega's Puyo Puyo 2 that had been sweeping the Japanese arcade scene.

<i>3D Lemmings</i> 1995 puzzle video game

3D Lemmings is a 1995 puzzle video game developed by Clockwork Games and published by Psygnosis. The gameplay, like the original Lemmings game, requires the player to lead all the lemmings to their exit by giving them the appropriate "skills". It was the first Lemmings game to be rendered in 3D. It was released for DOS, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn.

<i>Pac-Attack</i> 1993 puzzle video game

Pac-Attack, also known as Pac-Panic, is a 1993 falling-tile puzzle video game developed and published by Namco for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis. Versions for the Game Boy, Game Gear and Philips CD-i were also released. The player is tasked with clearing out blocks and ghosts without them stacking to the top of the playfield — blocks can be cleared by matching them in horizontal rows, while ghosts can be cleared by placing down a Pac-Man piece that can eat them. It is the first game in the Pac-Man series to be released exclusively for home platforms.

<i>Kirbys Star Stacker</i> 1997 video game

Kirby's Star Stacker is a 1997 puzzle video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy.

<i>Capcom Classics Collection</i> 2005 video game

Capcom Classics Collection is a compilation of arcade games released by Capcom for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox on September 27, 2005 in North America and in 2006 in Japan. It was developed by Digital Eclipse Software, Sensory Sweep, and its Japanese developer Klein Computer Entertainment. A second volume, Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2, was released on November 24, 2006 in North America, for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The second volume as well as the Xbox version of the first volume were not released in Japan.

<i>Puyo Puyo 2</i> 1994 video game

Puyo Puyo 2 is a 1994 puzzle video game developed and published by Compile. It is the second installment in the Puyo Puyo series and the sequel to Puyo Puyo (1992).

<i>Heberekes Popoon</i> 1993 video game

Hebereke's Popoon is a 1993 two-player puzzle video game developed and published by Sunsoft. The game was first released for the Super Famicom in 1993 in Japan, and the SNES in Europe one year later, and was also ported to the arcades in 1994 in Japan only. It is the second game in the Hebereke series. Hebereke means drunk or untrustworthy, while Popoon is an onomatopoeia for the sound made by the game pieces when they explode.

<i>Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary</i> 2006 video game

Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary is a puzzle video game of the Puyo Puyo series, developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Nintendo DS in 2006, as well as PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii in 2007. It has not been released outside of Japan for any consoles. This is the first Puyo Puyo game to be released on the Wii console.

<i>Tecmo Stackers</i> 1995 video game

Tecmo Stackers, known as Dero~n Dero Dero (でろ～んでろでろ) in Japan, is a puzzle video game released first in 1995 by Tecmo to arcades and ported to both the Sony PlayStation and SEGA Saturn. The gameplay is similar to Puyo Puyo.

<i>Space Invaders DX</i> 1993 fixed shooter arcade game

Space Invaders DX is a 1993 fixed shooter arcade game developed and published in Japan by Taito. It has been re-released for several consoles since, including the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, PC Engine Super CD, and Sega Saturn — several of these conversions use the name Space Invaders: The Original Game. The player assumes control of a laser base that must fend off waves of incoming enemies, who march down in formation towards the bottom of the screen. It is the fifth entry in the long-running Space Invaders series. DX contains four variations of the original Space Invaders, in addition to a multiplayer mode and a "Parody Mode" that replaces the characters with those from other Taito franchises. Home ports of DX received mixed reviews for their high price point and general lack of content.

Puyo Puyo (ぷよぷよ), previously known as Puyo Pop outside Japan, is a series of tile-matching video games created by Compile. Sega has owned the franchise since 1998, with games after 2001 being developed by Sonic Team. Puyo Puyo was created as a spin-off franchise to Madō Monogatari, a series of first-person dungeon crawler role-playing games by Compile from which the Puyo Puyo characters originated. The series has sold over 10 million copies, including the Madō Monogatari games.

<i>BreakThru!</i> 1994 video game

BreakThru! is a tile-matching puzzle video game released for Windows and MS-DOS in 1994. It was created by Steve Fry for the Japanese company ZOO Corporation and published by Spectrum HoloByte for the North American market.

<i>Sugoi Hebereke</i> 1994 video game

Sugoi Hebereke is a 1994 fighting game developed and published by Sunsoft in Japan for the Super Famicom on March 11, 1994. It is a spin-off of the Hebereke series, as well as Sunsoft's first attempt in the genre before they became better known for the 1995 Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors, the 1996 Waku Waku 7, and the 1998 Astra Superstars.

<i>Puyo Puyo Tetris</i> 2014 crossover puzzle video game

Puyo Puyo Tetris is a 2014 puzzle video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. The game is a crossover between the Puyo Puyo series and the Tetris franchise, and features various gameplay modes incorporating both aspects. The game includes characters modeled and named after the seven Tetrominos, which are different puzzle pieces each made of four blocks.

<i>Cosmo Gang the Puzzle</i> 1992 video game

Cosmo Gang the Puzzle is a 1992 falling block puzzle arcade video game developed and published by Namco worldwide. The third game in its Cosmo Gang series, succeeding that year's Cosmo Gang the Video, players stack groups of blocks and aliens known as Jammers in a vertical-oriented well. The objective is to clear as many objects on the screen before they reach the top of the screen. Blocks are cleared by aligning them into complete horizontal rows, while Jammers are cleared by defeating them with blue-colored spheres.

<i>Moujiya</i> (video game) 1995 video game

Moujiya or Ryougae Puzzle Mouja is a falling blocks puzzle video game from Fujitsu Pasocom Systems, the consumer software division of Fujitsu. Initially developed for computers running Windows 3.11 and above, it later got made into an arcade video game, which itself was ported to popular home consoles of the time.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "UK Review: Hebereke's Popoitto". Super Play (39). Future Publishing: 47. April 1996.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Popoitto Hebereke". Super Power (FR) (in French) (40). SUMO Éditions: 87. February 1996.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Hebereke". Player One (in French) (62). Média Système Édition: 90. March 1996.
  4. ↑ "ねこ自慢ブログ アーケード未発売・未稼働ゲーム大全" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-05-19.
  5. ↑ "Popoitto Hebereke: Release Data". GameFAQs . Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 "Hebereke's Popoitto: Release Data". GameFAQs . Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Popoitto Hebereke: Release Data". GameFAQs . Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Hebereke's Popoon". [lower-alpha 1] Sega Saturn Magazine (Emap) (2): page 84. December 1995.
  9. ↑ NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: ポポイっとへべれけ. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin . No.346. Pg.31. 4 August 1995.
  10. ↑ "Hebereke's Popoitto". Play . No. 2. December 1995. p. 44.
  11. ↑ PlayStation New Games Cross Review: へべれけスてーショんポポイっと. PlayStation Tsūshin . No.2. Pg.18. 5 May 1995.
  12. 1 2 "Hebereke's Popoitto". Total! (DE) (in German). MLV-Verlag: 52. November 1995.
  13. ↑ "The Super Play All-time top 100 SNES games". Super Play (42). Future Publishing: 30. January 1996.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.