Puzzle Game? No, this is Tetris...

Author's Rating:

Pros: Easy to play

Cons: So easy it's addictive

The Bottom Line: 
If you don't like Tetris it's because you suck at it.

Author's Review
While writing this review I happened to get out the instruction booklet for the original 1989 version of Tetris for Game Boy. It says:

"Tetris is a new type of puzzle game from the Soviet Union. Tetris originally came from the word 'tetra' meaning the number 4. By rearranging four squares you can make seven different shapes which are the pieces for this game."

Interesting... Now on with the review...

The object of Tetris is to not let the falling pieces pile up to the top of the playing field. To accomplish this, you must make the pieces line up across the playing field. As soon as there are no gaps in a line it disappears, giving you points. You get one point per line unless you clear a line with a Multi or Mono-Square in it. A Multi-Square is created when you make and 8X8 square with different pieces. When a Multi-Square is created it will turn silver and be worth more points. A Mono-Square is created the same way, but all the pieces are the same kind. Mono-Squares turn gold and are worth even more points.

The problem with most puzzle games is that they require far too much brain power. I mean, THINKING? I don't think so. But Tetris is easy to play, and requires very little brain power. Unless you want to master it, then you must start thinking. You are in control of how much effort you're going to put into it, and that makes it tons of fun.

Gameplay
To make lines you can move the pieces with the control pad and rotate them with the A and B buttons. The New Tetris even has a hold piece that you can switch with the falling piece by pressing the L button.

The other new things in The "New" Tetris are a shadow that shows where the piece will fall and the 7 Wonders that the game is based around. The Wonders are basically themes that you can unlock by getting lines. You start out with the Mayan Wonder which has it's own level background, music, and a 3D Mayan scene to look at. After you have cleared enough lines you get to open the Greek Wonder. And so it goes until you have opened all 7 Wonders. They look cool, add variety, and a goal other then beating your own score.

Game Modes
Of course there is more than one way to play! Marathon, Sprint, Ultra, and of course Multiplayer.

Marathon lets you collect as many lines as you can until you lose. Sprint and Ultra have limits of 3 minutes and 150 lines respectively.

In Multiplayer you can play any of those modes with a computer player or up to 3 of your friends. The only added feature to multiplayer is Garbage, probably the meanest thing ever added to a video game. Garbage lets you dump pieces from your completed lines onto another player's playing field. You must get more than one line at a time to dump garbage though, so this helps good players easily annihilate bad players, and bad players will never want it turned on.

Graphics and Sound
Let's face it, if your paying any attention to the graphics, you're losing. So for those people who can't win a multiplayer Tetris game to save their lives, there are some nice graphics to look at. I was surprised at how detailed everything is, since the game would still be good with bad graphics. The backgrounds are 2D and look sharp and clear, no jaggies. Even the 3D Wonders look good for a N64 game. They have many different textures and everything looks like it should. You know, no odd bumps here and there.

The music goes with the Wonders but tends to be techno, which clashes with some of the styles. Most of it sounds good though, and even gets stuck in your head after you've played awhile. Since not all songs please all people, you can change which one you're listening to in the options menu. You can even select a better orchestrated version of the original Tetris theme.

All in all, The New Tetris is a very good adaptation of the original. It hasn't changed to the point of being hard, actually, it's easier. Tetris itself is simple, easy, fun, and addictive, it's probably one of the best games ever made.