Tetris DX

"Whohoo! Another Tetris game!"

OPENING STATEMENT
That is right. Nintendo has released another Tetris game. Surprise, surprise. And if you think we have gotten a lot here, think about Japan. They got some versions that even we did not get. (Such as Tetris Battle Gaiden.) The funny thing is that Nintendo did not even try to do anything new in this version of Tetris. They just took the original version, added some colors and new modes, and made it a Game Boy Color exclusive. And that addition resulted in one of the greatest puzzle games ever made!

GAMEPLAY--9
This is the classic Tetris gameplay that you all know and love. The blocks descend in their famed seven shapes. You need to locate the falling blocks among themselves so they form complete rows. These rows will disappear when you have completed them. Your goal is to score as many points as possible, at least in the normal mode, until your tiles reach the top of the screen and you lose. There also is a Versus Computer Mode, in which you battle the computer, with the bottom rising against you, hoping that the computer reaches the top before you do. There also are modes called Ultra and Forty Lines. In Ultra Mode, your goal is to gain as many points as you can in three minutes. In Forty Lines Mode, you are to rid the screen of forty lines as soon as possible.

GRAPHICS--8
For Game Boy owners-- As far as I know, you people that still use the old Game Boys are out of luck, as Tetris Deluxe only works on the Game Boy Color.

For Game Boy Color owners-- Pop in the normal Tetris. Then pop in Tetris Deluxe. Look at the giant upgrade in graphical quality from the original. First of all, the addition of more colors make the game easier to use, and the blocks easier to see. One of my main problems with the original Tetris on the Game Boy, was that at times it was difficult to see the blocks on the black and white screen. The graphics are also cleaner than the original. There are no jagged edges to the lines. The fireworks displays that you see once you advance a certain point total and the end of the level are done quite tastefully. They are not overdone, and they are quite entertaining.

MUSIC--7
SOUND--7
The music is also improved a bit over the original Tetris. The sound quality especially is improved. The music does not hardly present itself as Russian music, something that surprised me being Tetris Deluxe a very Russian game. The music is normal instrumental pop music, all with a little bit of that patented Game Boy sound graininess.

The sound effects are about equal to the music in the graininess department. They are mildly entertaining at times, but they borderline on annoying. There are noises especially for when you complete a line. Usually I play Tetris Deluxe with the sound turned off. The sound is not all that bad...but when you listen to it for hours on end you will want to scream.

CONTROL--9
Tetris Deluxe seems made for the Game Boy Color. The button combinations are all perfectly worked out. Pressing ‘B’ to switch never is a problem. Moving with the Control Pad is perfect, and accelerating the decent of a piece is easy as one, two, three.

FUN--9
Tetris Deluxe is great fun. The four main modes all have good points and bad points compared to the others. The Versus Computer Mode is great for those who want a challenge. The Ultra Mode is perfect for those who can only play for three minutes. The Forty Lines Mode is made for those people who like to have a specific goal in mind when the play. And the Marathon Mode is there, for those nostalgic people, and those who just want to play Tetris with no frills. The Marathon Mode is basically the original Tetris.

CHALLENGE--MEDIUM
Other than in the Forty Lines and Versus Computer Modes, you really will not have goals to meet in Tetris Deluxe, which lowers the challenge a bit. The Computer, in Versus Computer Mode, at times is impossible, and they never seem to make a mistake. Getting Forty Lines gets much, much harder as you raise the speed of the descending blocks, from speed zero (the slowest) to speed nine (the fastest). Getting the special endings in Marathon Mode can also be very challenging, especially to get the 50,000 point one, and only the best Tetris Deluxe players will earn them. The Ultra Mode really does not present any challenge, but it is great fun anyhow.

REPLAY VALUE--HIGH
There is no telling how much you will play Tetris Deluxe. Many business travelers buy Game Boy Colors, just to play Tetris Deluxe. That shows you that the replay value is enough to warrant the purchase of a system. You will play all of the modes repeatedly, probably the Ultra Mode, because it offers quick fun, and the Marathon Mode the most.

CLOSING STATEMENT
The original Tetris was a classic game with only one excellent mode, and Tetris Deluxe throws four superb modes at you. Even if you have the original Tetris, Tetris Deluxe is a must buy.

OVERALL--10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/14/00, Updated 07/18/01