The versions of Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary on Nintendo systems were fine games. While the content of each was similar, the craft put into their additional features justified the retread. Almost one year later, with a special budget version of these games coming in December, Sega felt it necessary to release a ''mini'' version of the software, the second time they have done so on Nintendo systems (see Phantasy Star Zero on Nintendo DSiWare a couple years ago). My playthrough of Puyo Puyo!! Mini version was interesting, but left a lot to be desired.

The full game, Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary, features 25 stories from a variety of characters in the franchise. In Mini Version, you only have the option to just play as a single one. You play through eight stages, with each culminating in a Puyo Puyo battle against another character. At the end of each stage, you receive a rank ranging from F to S. While certainly fun to play through, Mini Version lacks much of the content of the main experience. The full game has many different types of battles, but only three appear here.

The first is just your regular game of Puyo Puyo, though giving the player as many garbage Puyos as possible seems to be main focus here. Even if you build up combos, you won't get rid of them. The second mode actually allows you to get rid of the garbage so that you can swiftly bring doom upon your opponent. The final option is similar to the second, but at random points rewards you with Fever Time, which gives you easy combos. Mini Version also includes a special four-way mode in which you have to work together in teams to burden the other team with as much garbage as possible, which you do by building up combos as quickly as possible to form a big magical attack. While this all seems fine, you can only play these games alone, and can choose from only four characters, which are same ones available in the eShop demo.

Mini Version’s gameplay is fun and responsive, but that isn't exactly anything new. The visuals are as sharp as ever, though the 3D effect doesn't add much. The music has a cheery, upbeat tone, but there are just a few songs, and they repeat quite a lot. The game also lacks any way to modify settings—20th Anniversary let you go crazy with that stuff, but Mini Version doesn't seem interested in anything like that.

Puyo Puyo!! Mini Version is a simple experience with very little to return to. This could have been a neat introduction to newcomers, as well as a chance for fans to get a better feel for the game, but while the main aspects of it are fine, playing through its limited modes is an experience I can't recommend.