Tetris DS – Review

Ladies, ladies, puzzle time! Tetris has returned with a great impact on the DS’s WiFi capability. What? Do I hear sighs? Tetris is boring? It’s nothing to get enthusiastic about anymore? Are we being overly skeptical? Come on! Give Tetris another chance, even if you’re not that fond of it (anymore). The Nintendo DS version has created a magnificent new addition of one of the oldest puzzle-based videogames and it definitely deserves your attention.

Admittedly, this reviewer’s heart started to beat faster once expectant hands were finally planted on Tetris DS; its plastic wrapping was swiftly torn free and the game card slammed into the DS—it’s fair to say that I was really looking forward to this particular DS title. There were two main reasons for the sudden excitement: multiplayer WiFi and, of course, good old fashioned gaming enjoyment with a new twist, which saw the inclusion of Mario, Samus, and Link as well. After starting the game, the first surprise is the diversity of its gameplay modes. It’s not only the standard Tetris gameplay on show here; oh no, there’s so much more to be had.

For the single player, the game modes have been organized in six categories, such as Standard, Touch, Push, Catch, Puzzle and Mission modes. This means there’s a favorite mode to choose from for everyone, whether you want to play the old style Tetris in Standard mode, or try to fix puzzles by filling in spaces by placing Tetriminos (Tetris bricks) in the Puzzle and Touch mode. The Mission mode is for those gamers who want to achieve goals set by the console. For example, the gamer needs to break down two lines at once with the yellow four-brick square Tetris block. The goals change during the game, which is something to focus on during the Mission mode. In Touch mode you get a huge tower of stacked up Tetriminos and it’s your responsibility to push the single bricks with your stylus in an order that they’ll fall into empty spaces and form a line, which then disappears. Victory is yours once the tower is broken down completely. The Push mode is all about pushing the CPU back by completing as many lines as possible. The more lines you complete, the more you push the CPU opponent towards the fire and win the game. Of course, the CPU also tries to push its luck by doing the same, so watch out! Last, but not least, there’s the Catch mode. Imagine that you’re a flying object that catches flying Tetriminos to create a mass of bricks. Metroids are flying around as well to break down the blocks. It’s up to the gamer to keep control of the mass and make it solid and strong enough for the metroid attacks. Note that the difficulty level in almost each mode can be changed. Also, some modes contain several game types. In Standard mode, for example, you can choose to play a standard marathon line-clearance game, or play against the CPU. Phew, there’s so much more than the standard old style Tetris game. Although, I must admit, the Standard and Puzzle modes are personal favorites and both provide hours of happy occupation during Tetris DS’s single-player aspect.

The most impressive new Tetris game experience can be achieved via the DS’s WiFi capability and multiplayer functionality. One Tetris DS game card can sustain up to ten Nintendo DS owners, who can then compete in a wild multiplayer Tetris battle. If not that many gamers are available, then why not try the WiFi gameplay, which lets you compete in a two or four-player standard Tetris battle or two-player Push mode. The WiFi connections are smooth and, in no time at all, another player from somewhere across the globe will be onboard to provide healthy competition. Normally, in sometimes less than one minute, you’re already playing through the WiFi connection—and without any notable lag problems. The only negative thing that could happen is that a player drops out of the match, either by their own choice (switching off the DS’s power), or via PC/router problems. The good thing for the remaining player is that they will automatically gain points for that match as if they were the winner! The relevant ranking statistics are available at Nintendo WiFi for the curious, but, let me tell you that it’s very difficult to reach the top of that stat list. Is more practice as a single player needed? Personally, I simply love the thrill of playing against ‘real ‘ Tetris opponents instead of the CPU—but training never hurts.

The graphics are, of course, very colorful, but their most impressive aspect arrives through the addition of theme-based classic Nintendo games. The likes of Mario, Samus, Link, and Donkey Kong are all included to spice up the Tetris DS version. In some single-player modes the upper screen will display the theme-based levels. For example, the better you perform in game, the more Mario succeeds in his level. The characters and 8-bit decorations are not only included in the gaming modes, but also in the menus, too. Of course, your main focus is remains on the touchscreen, while placing the Tetriminos in the correct order—but even then there are old school decorations in the background. The Tetris bricks have also kept their classic looks here, and their shapes have stayed the same and are as colourful as ever.

The sound in Tetris DS is something to adapt to. You would expect to hear the typical Tetris tune—which would then be trapped inside your head for a very long time. But that isn’t the case. As already mentioned in the graphics section, this Tetris version is Nintendo theme-based. Therefore, original soundtracks and sound effects have been used. In the beginning it’s rather strange to hear the Mario tune and it even makes you wonder if it’s actually the original Tetris tune. Totally audio brainwashed by Nintendo! But, no matter what tune comes out of those little in-built DS speakers, Nintendo game tunes are never boring or irritating—even if you can’t banish them from your head.

From a female perspective, it’s unfair to state that a puzzle videogame is typically a female game. When it comes to Tetris’ multiplayer WiFi connection, this reviewer probably played more male opponents than female—based upon the recollection of players’ names. This is a game that’s very enjoyable for all gamers, no matter which gender. From a female character point of view, it’s good to see Samus in one of the theme-based versions. Also, Princess Peach is available but very hard to notice. She’s displayed in a background screenshot of Mario Bros. thanking Mario for saving her. Also, she’s stars in the Push mode, which is Donkey Kong themed—moreover, when losing during the game you’ll see her standing beside Donkey Kong.

The writing should duly stop at this juncture, and so should the reading. Playing Tetris DS is what we should all do at this very moment in time, and nothing else. With the diversity of gaming modes and the varied ways to train your scoring skills while facing WiFi competition, there’s absolutely nothing boring about Tetris. Every gamer will find and perfect their favorite way of enjoying it in any possible way. For me, the WiFi possibility was the main reason to get excited about this DS game, and it surely didn’t disappoint. Quite the contrary! Also, the Puzzle and Touch modes are guaranteed to provide many fun-filled gaming hours. So, even if you aren’t able to connect via WiFi, there are still enough ways to go Tetris all the way. And, be assured, that the game’s replay value is very high and once you start playing it’s very hard to stop. Most Tetris gamers are already aware of this fact, but with the outstanding theme-based pack this version of Tetris DS is an absolute masterpiece.

Review by Wencke
Thumb Bandits European Correspondent & manager of GGU.

No Comments »

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment