Nintendo DS NintendoSpin.com / Reviews / Tetris DS

Posted on August 4th, 2006 - 3071 Reads

Rated Everyone Tetris DS Nintendo DS Review Silver Award

-- Written by NDS_Master



 Before Tetris DS was released, if you told someone that Tetris could make a large impact on a next-gen gaming system, they would break into fits of hysterical laughter. After all, Tetris is a thing of the past. It is fine for sentimental old schoolers who relive the 8-bit glory days by delighting in falling blocks, but as far as the modern gamer is concerned, Tetris is dead. It has nothing fancy, nothing new, and certainly nothing worth shelling money out for. The days of Tetris are over.

Or are they? Imagine the shock waves that originally blasted through the handheld community when Nintendo first announced that Tetris would indeed be making its way onto the Nintendo DS gaming system. A few people were thrilled, but most merely stood back, confused. Could Tetris really survive in today's competitive market?

Fortunately, Nintendo realized all of the skepticism that a typical Tetris game might cause, and so it decided to make something that was not exactly like Tetris, but was still Tetris nonetheless. Thus came the birth of Tetris DS, featuring seven unique game modes, online play, and a modern way of playing an ancient puzzle game.

Tetris DS sticks to its roots by including the typical Tetris formula: pieces made up of four blocks -- known as tetriminos -- fall onto the playing field. By clearing these blocks, players can empty the field, prevent imminent destruction, and gain high scores.

The first game mode that uses this is Standard. It is like your normal, everyday Tetris, but instead of going indefinitely (although there is an option to do that), you play until you clear a certain number of lines. Once those lines are cleared, the game ends and you receive your score.

At first, it becomes a matter of survival, as players try to prevent their impending doom for as long as possible. But as they get better at the game, however, suddenly a whole new world of options opens up. Once they can easily clear the mode, gamers will then have to search for alternate ways to clear all the lines if they wish to maximize their score. It keeps the game fun, even when you have completed the mode, so there is a high chance of replay value.

Beyond Standard, Mission also makes a debut as a new game mode. It also uses typical Tetris action, only this time players have to do a certain amount of specified tasks as quickly as possible. These tasks include using only one type of piece to clear lines, clearing lines with a certain piece, or clearing a certain number of lines at once.

The pace in Mission makes for harrying gameplay, and the constant desire to improve your time will permit you to spend hours trying to quicken your maneuvers. There are five different difficulty levels, and each one presents differing and more challenging tasks. Altogether, Mission's fast paced action makes it an excellent addition to the game.

One of the more interesting and equally exciting new modes is Push, which is not about high scores at all. Instead, the only goal is to eliminate the opponent. Both of the players' fields are connected into one large area, where both gamers must drop blocks onto the bottom of each other's stack. The goal is basic: clear multiple lines at once.

When you do, you will push the entire stack several spaces towards your opponent's side. Once a stack moves too close to the fire at one person's side, the game ends. It is a very fast paced and intense game, and it is also one that you can spend hours enjoying. It is also online enabled, which allows players to acquire even more entertainment from it since they do not only have to battle computer opponents.

Now, the next mode is very different than anything ever experienced in Tetris before, but at the same time, it is also very similar. In Catch, you will start with a central core made up of Tetris blocks, and you will connect addition Tetris blocks to that core. However, instead of trying to clear lines, you will need to create a 4x4 section solidly filled with blocks. And, instead of controlling a single block at a time, you control the core and try to ram into the array of tetriminos that will fall towards you.

Each time you connect a 4x4 segment, it will wait ten seconds and then detonate, eliminating most of the core. Then, you start the process all over again. Your goal is to keep detonating the core and surviving as long as possible until you die. How do you die? Well, there is a life bar at the bottom of the screen, and it will deplete whenever you do not catch a tetrimino or if the core hits a Metroid. Upon its full depletion, the game ends. This Metroid-themed mode might seem strange, and that's because it is. At the same time, though, it is also one of the most thrilling twists ever added to the Tetris gameplay.

But, for a more relaxing approach, players can also dive into Puzzle. Instead of quick thinking or instantaneous reactions, this calm mode only requires a large portion of mental muscle. For each of the game's 200 puzzles, players are shown a playing field of Tetris blocks on the top screen. However, spaces in between the blocks prevent them from being cleared.

Using the pieces available on the bottom screen, you have to choose which order the pieces should go to clear all of the blocks. It might seem easy, but as you progress through the levels, you will realize that it is anything but that. Puzzle is actually an enjoyable yet challenging addition to Tetris.

Finally, the last game mode in Tetris is Touch, and it is the only mode that requires the touch screen. When you play Touch, an immensely large tower of blocks will appear. Now, to clear the tower, you will need to clear lines as you do in Standard. However, this time you will have to use the stylus to slide or rotate the blocks in the tower, allowing other blocks to fall into the open areas and clear lines.

It gets more intriguing than that, though. The purpose is to take the high score charts, of course, and to do that you will need to take advantage of chains. Basically, a chain is when you clear one line and the blocks that fall as a result of that one line being cleared cause another line to be cleared. Although it might seem confusing at first, it is actually very brilliant, and you will need dedicated thinking skills if you are to make the chain as long as possible.

Like Mission, Touch also has five levels with varying degrees of difficulty. In some modes you cannot rotate the blocks, while in other modes you receive blocks that are harder to work with. Just when you have the mode figured out, a switch to another level might confuse you all over again. In addition to the towers, though, Touch also has 50 basic stylus-driven puzzles created to improve your feel for its unique gameplay.

That is a lot to take in, but it should give you an overall idea of how diverse Tetris DS is. It is also equally diverse in the graphics area. Instead of flashy graphics that try to impress, Tetris DS has the same, basic blocks from previous games. But, along with the blocks, there are also scenes from classic 8-bit games to add some spice. Sure, they are nothing spectacular, but they are satisfactory.

Same with sound. All of the sound is from old school NES games, ranging from Balloon Fighter all of the way to The Legend of Zelda. It is not something that will wow you, but it is good and plentiful. For example, as you play through Standard, you will encounter 12 different songs from all across the 8-bit spectrum. And in Push, a basic song will play for part of the game, but if you are about to lose or if you are about to win then the music will change to fit the situation. What Nintendo did with the music of Tetris DS is nothing short of awe-inspiring; it may not be the type of music you prefer, but it is an excellent reminder of the good ol' days.

And of course, some of you might not care about the old days. That's why Nintendo has something new for the modern generation -- online play! Using Nintendo's free and easy online connection, players from all across the world can connect quickly for intense matches in either Standard or Push.

What sets the Wi-Fi part of Tetris DS apart is that it is the best use of Wi-Fi on any game that has come out thus far. That's right, it is better than Metroid Prime Hunters, and it is better than Mario Kart. For one, the game locates opponents insanely fast, and for two, there are few disconnectors. If your opponents disconnect, you gets points and they lose points. Period. The games also go much faster, so you are not tied down for several minutes whenever you play a match.

Tetris has always been one of those games that has mystified gamers with its simple approach, and now with Tetris DS, that simple approach has been fused with innovative gameplay to create a classic that even modern gamers can enjoy. While it does not take long to scour through all of the gameplay modes, Tetris still stands strong with it replay value. In every challenge, the pressing need to improve the high score makes for great replay incentive, as does the game's simple yet sweet multiplayer and Wi-Fi game modes.

True, not every gamer will appreciate Tetris DS's full array of possibilities. There are many types of gamers out there, and only a certain group will be able to love this game's simplicity and brilliance. But, if you are willing to give it a chance, you might find more enjoyment than you may realize.

Recent Reviews

Page generated in 0.0098 seconds; 6 queries executed. Copyright © 1999 - 2007 Jesse MacVicar - All Rights Reserved.

Partners - Creative Uncut - Codename Revolution - Nintendo Wii News - PlayStation 3 - Nintendo Gamenet