Tetris Attack

"Perhaps the greatest multiplayer game ever"

When you think of addicting games, you think of Roleplaying games, action games, and fighter games. When I think of addicting games, I rarely think of 'puzzle' games. With the exception of the Bomberman series, I had yet to find a puzzle game that I could sit down and play for hours. That is, until I discovered this game.

I had gone over to a friend's house, and he said he had this great new game that he was going to destroy me with. I accepted the challenge, and tried this game. I loved it at the time, but I stunk. He would beat me every time. When he went away to Disneyland, I asked to borrow the game. He agreed, and I would work to trying to get better so I could massacre him in the art of the Super Nintendo. Not only did I get better, but I discovered the great "Endless" mode where I could learn chains and combos. He would return 2 weeks later, and would still beat me. However, I had gotten a lot better, and most of our matches were close. He would be sweating buckets, afraid that his streak would end. However, it never would. I'd move away before I could beat him.

A few years later, I found the game at a pawn shop for ten dollars, and picked it up immediately. My sister loved the game too, and we would practice everyday for the next few weeks. We'd get so much better, and it'd be so much fun. I'm positive I'd beat my friend now, but it really doesn't matter. In this game you play as Yoshi trying to rescue his friends from the evil Bowser. In multiplayer mode, you choose a character to battle your friends with whichever character you wish. Remember Lakitu from Mario Kart? He's here! The goal of this game is to force your opponent's screen to fill up with blocks by attacking with chains and combos of three or more blocks. It's really great to play, and any person with a brain would love it.

To begin with, the gameplay is some of the best ever. The game has a simple concept, but it takes a bit of practice to become good at this game. An experienced player will win every match every time, until you can get better. A good way to practice is VS mode where you can take on the computer in high impact Attack mode! There are so many modes to play. Whether you want a single player mode where you can brush up on your skills, or if you want some 1P vs Computer action. If you wish to go against another human player, you can do that in two different types of play. Both very easy to understand. This game can be easy, or very hard depending on which mode you want to play on. The controls for this game are simple, but difficult to perfect. But then again, practice makes perfect!

The storyline is like most Mario type games where Bowser has done something, and it's up to you to save the day! You go through many stages to faceoff against your friends. If you win, they are no longer under Bowser's spell, and they are free to fight evil along side you! The storyline is simple, and works given the situation. It's not horrible, but not outstanding either. Luckily, this is one of those games where the gameplay itself is enough to make you want to play this game.

As I've stated many a time in the past, I love cartoonish graphics. Everything looks really clean, and clear and it doesn't hurt to look at. Text is easy to read, and every is pretty detailed. The animations are very neat, and the cutscenes are cool to watch. The backgrounds for Mario games are always great, and Tetris Attack is no exception. Everything looks so crisp, and fits well with the game. Every character has different movements, and backgrounds, and this is just a bonus for graphics. This is what all SNES games should be like, in my opinion. The sounds are great, and like most Nintendo music, is fun to listen to. Everytime you have a good play, your character will taunt the other in their own voice. It sounds wonderful. The effects in this game are among the greatest ever.

Once you have this game, you will play it forever. I have owned this game for so many years, and it's still one of the best multiplayer games of all-time. It doesn't take long to beat this game on Easy, or Medium, but even Hard can take a few hours. After defeating the game, you'll still find yourself wanting to play it, trying to beat Bowser all that much quicker. You can play the 'Endless' mode forever. You can build your points up, defeat character after character for quite some time before you want to set down the controller. And even then, it's to get a sandwich so you can eat while beating Raphael the Raven. I cannot praise this game enough. You will beat it, and you will continue playing to get better. You want to be able to defeat your friends with ease. I know I did, and boy, I still do. You'll never put it down. Even after years of owning it. Trust me.

In conclusion, BUY THIS GAME. If you see it for $40,00 at your local pawn shop, take it. If you don't you'll be missing out on one of the greatest titles ever to hit the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. If a friend of yours owns it, try and buy it for a small price. If they've never given it a chance, it's yours for the taking. But then, that person isn't a real gamer. Tetris Attack will give you a thrill you might not have experienced with a multiplayer game in your lifetime. Other than Bomberman, this game is a gem that you must have. There is no alternative. Get it at any cost.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/10/04