The New Tetris

"Digital crack anyone? The ultimate puzzle game gets a face-lift."

How old is the basis for this game? Tetris was one of the very first games I ever bought, and I am proud to say that I am pretty good at it, so when I finally rented this game and found that it was one of the few “newer versions of Tetris” that I actually liked, I couldn’t help but get it. Now, after all that is said and done, I am not upset over that at all. In fact, I am like this game better than the original, and that says something.

I am a Tetris addict. I never realized how true that fact was until I picked this game up not too long ago. The fact that I STILL have not put it down amazes me. Ok, well maybe I do set it down for short stints, but that’s because my teachers won’t let me take the TV to class with me! This game makes me want to just drool, but not over overly done graphics or new and different styles of play (though there are quite a few). The New Tetris does a wonderful job of taking the old, classic Tetris and making it better, somehow. Then, with the enhanced graphics and smoothed out gameplay, it is no surprise that this game blows all the previous Tetrises out of the water.

Gameplay: 9/10 Where do you begin when describing the gameplay of Tetris? Sure, it is one of the simplest games to play, and yes, it has been around forever, but that doesn’t mean that this game is any worse for that. The best news for this game is that they did find ways to make adjustments, add a few features, and still make this game true to the classic. However, with the additions, this game is just phenomenal. So what did they add? First of all, you can see where your piece will drop before it actually lands. They give all pieces a ‘ghost.’ Never again will you hit the “go to the bottom” button just to realize you had it one column too far over. This I love. Next, they give you the option to put a piece to the side for use later. How many times have you seen that 4 block tetris waiting to happen, but you couldn’t use it at that time? Well, now you just hit the L button and it goes to your “in storage” box. Just pull it out later and let the 4-line mayhem begin! Third, you are allowed to see three blocks into the future instead of just one. Now this is a great tool, believe me. You have so much more time to prepare and set up things with this addition that it is insane. Although it does make the game a bit easier, once the game starts moving pretty fast, you will love this feature. The final thing that I’ll go into here is the new, “giant-squares.” If you combine any number of pieces into a perfect, 4x4 square, they will all melt together and form one unit. The benefit of this is that every line in that square is worth 4 times more than a normal line. Just imagine if you got a tetris with one of those. Also, if you put only ONE KIND OF PIECE into a perfect 4x4 square, they will melt into a giant GOLD square, which, I believe is at least 2 or 4 times more valuable than the silver square formed the other way. In other words, these things can jack your scores up like no tomorrow, and they count double toward your line count, too. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, to enable a multiplayer mode that really works, and works well, was just incredible to me. Being able to actually compete with my friends, family, or whoever, and see what they were going through at the same time was just fantastic, even though I would get their lines every so often. But that is half the game! Needless to say, the gameplay was smooth, responsive, and technically easy to learn, but hard to master. I love Tetris!

Graphics: 7/10 For a Tetris game, you don’t really expect outstanding graphics, or even a chance for them to be displayed, so when I popped this game in my 64, I was actually surprised. Not only did they smooth everything out and make it all mock-3D with shadows and textures, but they also added a few other goodies to the game. One option that seems to really be a graphical monster is the Wonders of the World option. Basically, you construct these Wonders by playing the normal game and getting lines. Each Wonder takes a certain number of lines to “complete,” but upon completion, you can tour them in a 3D, guided camera sort of tour thing. It is pretty cool, even though you can’t control where the camera goes much. Still, I do love to see the graphical enhancements throughout the regular game, too. Seeing the blocks fall is now as smooth as silk, if not better, and having them possibly synthesize into a bigger, glowing block is one of the cooler effects during the normal game. Another amazing thing to me is how well the graphics can keep up, despite the speed, and despite the number of players playing at once. It is just great to see that the system’s resources were put to use so well that not even any slowdown is noticeable when 4 players are all going at it at once. It is a very pretty Tetris indeed.

Sound: 5/10 Uh oh. Just when you thought the game might have a great time, you hit the one small snag. What is the problem with the music in this game? It is the same old Tetris music. True, that gives it the classic feel to it, which is good, but the fact that I can sing almost every song after only hearing it for maybe 3 minutes is NOT something I enjoy. When you talk about a game with a deadly track-loop, Tetris is the king. For a while, it really isn’t that bad, because they even add in new tracks and new sound effects that liven things up, but they still have that chronic looping problem. I think that a 5 is a bit generous, but still... The sounds they do have are rather nice, and I like the fact that there is variety, but I cannot get over the loops. The LOOPS WILL DRIVE YOU CRAZY, unless you really like Tetris music, in which case, you will love the sound. Heh.

Overall: 7/10 This game is great for any and all Tetris fans, but if you just want a good puzzle game, or a good multiplayer game, I might suggest looking elsewhere. This is not one of the fastest paced things you will ever find, though it DOES make you think, and it certainly is not that difficult a concept, though it pulls it off with a great deal of skill. The game is far from perfect, since the sound is almost bad enough to make me hit the mute button plus some, but still, I love the game, and I am glad I have it. Any true Tetris fan with a 64 who is tired of other games, like Tetrisphere and Mickey’s Magical Tetris-wannabe, get this game. You won’t be upset with yourself.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/18/01, Updated 10/18/01