Tetris Attack

"I am writing this as I play, because I cannot pry myself away from Tetris Attack!"

Tetris Attack is easily the best puzzle game ever made, not to mention the most addictive! When Tetris Attack was first released, I was looking for a new puzzle game. I never really liked the original Tetris, but I was a big fan of Dr. Mario. I saw some similarities between Dr. Mario and Tetris Attack from the screenshots, but it turned out that Tetris Attack was not like Tetris or Dr. Mario. The Yoshi characters also sold the game for me. But what makes Tetris Attack so addicting, so addicting that I’ve literally played it nonstop for ten hours? Read on below:

Story (10/10): A pretty solid story for a puzzle game. Puzzle games have been known for having either no story, or a really weak one. Tetris Attack’s is very decent. Bowser has gone out of control again, but this time he has targeted Yoshi’s world to destroy. He began his reign of terror by changing the land, and then taking over the minds of Yoshi’s friends. Yoshi, who managed to avoid being controlled, must now go out on an adventure to save his friends and eliminate Bowser once and for all. How does Yoshi go about this? By battling each character one on one in Tetris Attack! A good plot for a game in a genre that doesn’t give a second thought to plot.

Graphics (10/10): The graphics are extremely simple, but that makes the game even better. Blocks are colorful, bright, and radiant. Characters and backgrounds are well done, and are often cool looking action scenes. Animated characters at the top of the screen tell your status as well. If you are doing well, make a combo, or so on, the character will look happy and shout. If you are doing poorly or lose the match, he will look dejected and sad. The graphics create a lighter atmosphere that fits the game precisely.

Audio (10/10): Along with gameplay, sound is one of the best parts of Tetris Attack. The sound effects are by far the best out of any video game, although to someone who hasn’t played and just happened to be walking by, it sounds like a war of squeaky toys battling evil chipmunks. Well, maybe not exactly, but it will sound rather odd. But to the player, the sounds blend perfectly, from the roar of Gargantua Blargg, to Kamek’s “Hocus, Pocus”, and more. The music likewise is excellent. There are some quiet, peaceful songs that allow for calm concentration, and others that are quicker, more intense. Each is masterfully done and is appropriate for the character it is matched with. In addition, when the stack of blocks gets too high, the music speeds up greatly, causing a degree of panic in the player. The sounds in Tetris Attack really can manipulate your emotions. They can make you go from angry, to calm, to panicked in a matter of seconds. Just a tremendous job from Nintendo.

Control (10/10): It doesn’t get any easier than this. Press A or B to switch two blocks. Use L and R to intentionally raise the stack of blocks. This is not a wise move for the beginner, who will always be looking to get rid of blocks, but for the expert, this is a good way to create even more combos and chains. In puzzle mode, pressing X resets the puzzle. That’s pretty much every control in the game.

Gameplay (10/10): The soul of any good puzzle game is how much fun it is. Needless to say, Tetris Attack is unbelievably addicting. The point of the game is to eliminate as many blocks as possible while attacking the other player. You eliminate blocks by aligning three or more of the same color. This may sound simple, but there really are some advanced techniques involved, like chains and combos. There are several modes of play. For one player, there is Endless Mode, Puzzle, Time Trial, Stage Clear, and Versus mode. Each is different and interesting. Endless Mode is you vs. yourself. The blocks rise up, and you have to last as long as you can without them reaching the top. In Puzzle Mode, you have to figure out how to get rid of all the blocks in the least number of moves. Time Trial mode challenges you to get the highest score possible in two minutes. In Stage Clear Mode, the goal is to lower the blocks to a certain level. Once you get below the line, you win the level. But the main mode of Tetris Attack is the Versus Mode. In Versus Mode, you challenge each of Yoshi’s friends one on one, until you get to Bowser. This is very fun and very challenging. The three levels of difficulty make for lots of replay. Easy and Medium are good for beginners and average players alike. But to really become a master, you must conquer Hard. This is no easy task. Even after you’ve beaten Hard, there is a super-secret difficulty level where the first guy is as difficult as Bowser on Hard. So there’s always something to master.

You can also play Tetris Attack with two players in Versus or Time Trial Mode. In Time Trial, you can set a handicap to make the game more fair. Versus mode is identical to the one player Versus mode, except the other player is a person not the computer. For beginners, a tutorial mode was built into the game, as well as a sound and music test. These are bonuses to an already stunning game.

Difficulty (10/10): With the three difficulty levels, and the one secret one, there is always something to conquer. And when you’re finished with Versus Mode, the Endless Mode can be quite challenging, because it can go on infinitely. There are just so many things to accomplish.

Replay Value (10/10): Tetris Attack is one of those games that never gets old, that you could play forever if you had the time. It’s so intuitive, so creative, that you will find yourself coming back over and over. Also, trying to conquer all the difficulty results in a ton of replay.

Rent or Buy: A good rent, but you will find yourself wanting to play it over and over again. I’d suggest you purchase it, so you can play it whenever you want. You won’t regret buying it.

Overall (10/10): Tetris Attack is easily the most addictive puzzle game in history, and makes the original Tetris look pathetic. With unending replay, many modes of play, and four levels of difficulty, players will find themselves coming back over and over for a truly exciting puzzle experience.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/21/00, Updated 08/21/00