Poy Poy received above-average reviews according to the
review aggregation website
GameRankings. In Japan, however,
Famitsu gave it a score of 24 out of 40.
Next Generations early review called it "the best multiplayer game for the PlayStation, hands down", elaborating that, "There isn't too much strategy, per se, but with a long, impressive list of special powers each competitor can choose from before the match, and a few special items to grab for during a match (or avoid, since there are some dangerous doodads mixed in with the good ones), the amount of entropy generated is enough to please even the most die-hard of
chaos theorists." Art Angel of
GamePros early review called it "a
Bomberman-esque arcade/strategy game that rocks the house with great graphics, fun multiplayer action, and an unusual array of characters." Other reviewers, including
GameFan and
Game Informer, gave the Japanese version early reviews as well, months before the game was released Stateside.
Electronic Gaming Monthlys Shawn Smith described it in an early review as "A swingin' multiplayer title that's easy to control, looks good and has long-lasting, one-player features to boot." He and the other three members of the
EGM review team concurred that the game has enough variations and secrets to make it highly replayable even in one-player mode, though they still felt the multiplayer was the game's chief draw.
IGNs early review said that the game was "so addictive that once you start playing, you won't put your controller down." Joe Fielder, who reviewed
Poy Poy for
GameSpot several months after it had been covered by other gaming publications, was a dissenting voice against the game. While he remarked that
Poy Poy has much more strategy and depth than similar games, he felt that it simply lacked the addictive quality needed to make it a success. ==Sequel==