Collection essentials #119: Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Genesis)

It’s kinda weird to be talking about a game featuring the antagonist of that blue hedgehog before actually talking about the hedgehog itself, but oh well, so it goes.

In Japan, developer Compile had already released a couple games in a series of falling-blocks puzzle games called Puyo Puyo. Bringing the series to the West posed a bit of a problem, because most Western gamers at that point were young boys, and the main character of Puyo Puyo was a little girl. And the rest of the characters in the series were often really bizarre in that particular Japanese way, and companies weren’t sure at that point whether that sort of thing would go over well in other countries. So what was the solution? Take the gameplay, and swap out the characters and music for stuff more tailored to what young American ‘90s boys would like! In this case, the antagonist of that blue hedgehog and his robotic underlings proved to be ideal. That hedgehog had already received an animated television series that introduced robotic foes that proved ideal for this game.

So what is the gameplay like in Puyo Puyo/Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine? Well, in this type of puzzle game, objects fall from the top of the screen, and in this case you always have two little blobs (called beans in this game) with eyes that are one of five different colors. When two blobs of the same color touch, whether it be above or to either side (not diagonal), they will link together. Once at least four become linked together, they will disappear. A really simple premise, but it makes for surprisingly complex gameplay that is difficult to master. See, to excel in this game, you need to master the art of combos. You need to set up towers of beans and then clear a set near the bottom that will make them come crashing down in a way that will clear out a whole bunch at once. And it takes very deliberate strategies to accomplish this. This is a game that is most often played multiplayer (the main single-player campaign pits you against computer-controlled opponents), and when going head-to-head, you can send garbage blocks to the other player’s side of the screen. The better the combo you pull off, the more blocks you can send. Garbage blocks can only be cleared if they are touching a set of colored beans that clear, so if you get a huge bunch dropped on you that covers up all the beans you’re working with, that can spell trouble really fast. 

While this game may not be as simple and straightforward as Tetris, the way it rewards players who take the time to learn the proper strategies makes it stand out in its own way. Learning Puyo Puyo/Mean Bean Machine and then going up against someone of similar skill can be a real blast. And I actually do like the reskin job they did here with Robotnik and friends along with the new music. Of course, now there are many other versions of Puyo Puyo that have more to offer, but I still have a fondness for the mean beans.