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Why Super Puzzle Fighter Was a Precursor to the Age of Casual iGaming

  • PRG

Capcom released Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo in the nineties. A fresh take on puzzle games, it had many similarities to modern casual games particularly online slots. We discuss its impact in the article below. 

Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo first made its way to Japanese arcades in 1996. At this time, the developers, Capcom, were riding a wave of success set off by Street Fighter II, both in the arcades and on home consoles. This led to them creating several fighting game spin-offs, such as the horror-themed Darkstalkers. With Street Fighter, they had managed to create a genre and a franchise that was spinning off into merchandise, animation, and even movies. However, Puzzle Fighter would be a cult classic that would define modern casual gaming. 

Super Puzzle Fighter II

At the same time, a game called Puyo Puyo, 2, created by Compile, was also proving a smash hit in Japan. It had a similar theme to the title Tetris, in which colored shapes would drop from the top of a playfield. The player would have to rotate them, snapping them into place. If they backed up the screen, then the game was over, and they failed to progress to the next stage. It was decided that a puzzle game of this nature, combined with the well-known characters of Street Fighter and Darkstalkers, would be a smash hit. Blending a well-known franchise with casual, puzzle-style gaming was a recipe that would soon catch on. 

The results of this idea can be seen in modern online casino slots. They are the pinnacle of the casual gaming phenomenon, combining low-wagering spins on reels with increasingly complex bonus rounds and graphics. These titles have been developing at a rate of knots in an industry that is booming. Part of this has been down to the demand for more casual games, which has been in turn spurred on by a move to mobile devices for people’s primary gaming needs. 

Online slots themselves come in a wide array of themes, and Street Fighter II: The World Warrior even has its own. In many ways, it is not a world away from the concepts invoked in Super Puzzle Fighter. As you complete the conundrum on screen, in this place, landing the right reels, you deal damage to your opponent. This then results in one person winning. If that is you, you progress to the next round where the stakes increase, which is the amount of money on offer. 

Street Fighter is not the only retro game that makes the leap to online slots, either. Space Invaders has its own title by Aristocratic Gaming, which manages to blend the aesthetics and gameplay of the arcade classic with a modern slot. There are many of them, and they can often be played without depleting your own funds if you take advantage of introductory bonuses. Casino Bloke’s list of operators has some of the best sites ranked and reviewed for you, so you can get the best bonuses and try these spins on retro classics yourself. 

Super Puzzle Fighter’s Reception and Legacy

In its month of release, Super Puzzle Fighter was huge in Japan, even outperforming other big hitters like Tekken 2. One reviewer in a US videogame magazine described it as also having a huge luck factor, which swings from one player to the other until the last gem drops. This is also a tie to the chance elements of modern online slots and their casual appeal. It was then released on the original PlayStation console and Sega Saturn. Once again, it got very favorable reviews, particularly from those who liked puzzle-style games. However, others did notice that there was some unbalancing depending upon which character was chosen. 

This character selection, and its influence on gameplay, is something modern slot titles are just beginning to incorporate. In particular, NoLimit City is one developer that is really experimenting with melding these retro game choices into modern slot mechanics. They have titles, such as Brute Force, where the characters have a direct impact on gameplay by providing different bonus rounds and return-to-player ratings. 

The game did have a Turbo HD Remix, which was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. This provided it with several graphical updates and animations. It also rectified some of the issues with the original title, mainly the rebalancing of certain characters. A wealth of new game modes were included, some of which could unlock new content. Online multiplier functions were also added. 

If Capcom is willing to license its products to the online gambling arena, then it remains to be seen why a Puzzle Fighter title has not been attempted. It has so many features that are similar to modern slots. The cute chibi representations of characters are also in line with many titles like Rainbow Riches, which adopt colorful aesthetics much like Candy Crush. It may be time for a Puzzle Fighter reboot, but it may not be as you expect it. 

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