Tetris DS Review

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.