Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo

Cute versions of the fighters from Street Fighter and Darkstalkers grin at each other across the screen while colourful gems rain down – and suddenly you realise this game is just as addictive as any great puzzle classic. Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo is a brilliant marriage of falling blocks and the competitive spirit of fighting games.

The game was created by Capcom on the CP System II board as a light-hearted but surprisingly deep variation on the genre of competitive puzzle games. Players choose from cutely caricatured versions of characters like Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li or Morrigan and compete against one another in a style reminiscent of legendary duels like Tetris or Puzzle Bobble, only with its own clever mechanic.

The core of the game is stacking gems of the same colour. When you stack gems and break them with a so-called Crash Gem, whole blocks disappear at once and chain reactions send annoying Counter Gems onto the opponent's field, which harden and complicate their game. This creates tense rounds full of combinations and countermoves, where a well-prepared chain explosion can bury the opponent and decide the match in an instant.

Culturally Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo became a player favourite thanks to its combination of accessibility and depth. The use of popular Capcom characters in an adorable super deformed style gave it flair and humour that appealed even to those who otherwise do not play puzzle games. Among competitive puzzlers it carved out a firm place.

The game received many conversions to home consoles and computers and repeatedly appears in Capcom's retro collections. Its principle is so timeless that it entertains even after decades and still ranks among the best-designed competitive puzzle games ever. It is proof that even a detour from the big series can spawn a little jewel.

Why play it: For catchy, competitive puzzle action with Capcom's cute heroes, where you will lose all track of time.