Tetris DS

"Retro look, new game play, Classic Tetris!"

Tetris is probably the most known video game ever. Its a puzzle game like no one. It has appeared on just about any format you can think of and its addicting. Nintendo has brought many version of the game to its different systems. Now the latest and quite possibly the greatest is here.

GAME PLAY
You given a playing field. Your job is to move blocks that appear on the top to the bottom. As more pieces fall you have to move and rotate the blocks to make them fit into the already placed blocks below. If a horizontal line is made then that line disappears. And it's Game Over if you get pieces to the top of the screen.

That in a nut shell is your game play. There are also more and new game play modes as well. This includes Mission mode, Push Mode, and more. The control is very responsive and easy to use.

GRAPHICS
Since this is a puzzle game you do not need fancy graphics to show the game world. In fact, nintendo went retro with them. Many characters and locations from classic nintendo games from the NES era is here. They look exactly like the old school game characters. There has been added background graphics for places like standard mode. You got mario going through levels from his classic games but since it was a static blue or black background before here its some new backgrounds and it more then fits in.

MUSIC/SOUND
With its retro themes in the game, the music from the classic games is there too. You got Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and more. Not only will these songs bring back nostalgia for veteran players but those tunes have have a high up-beat to them. Even more cool is there is a music test mode to listen to them too. The sound effects are also excellent. As you player you get tons of classic sound effects from the classic games. And there is nothing in the game to irritate the player in any way.

ON-LINE PLAY
One big news to turn heads other then its classic appeal is it's on-line play. You can easily get online and compete with other players around the world. There is Standard 2 player mode, Standard 4 player with items mode, and Push mode. The 2 2-player modes are incredibly easy to finda rival since you only looking for one other person. 4 player mode is just as quick and enjoyable.

OVERALL
Tetris DS bring new life to this 20+ year old game. Even without the bells and whistles of classic themes, retro music, and new modes the classic tetris is more then enough to keep you going. Going on-line with Wi-Fi although is where the real fun begins. However, if you never like puzzle games or tetris this game is probably not for you.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/24/06