Tetris DS

Introduction:

Tetris DS came out in March 2006, and I got it last Tuesday. I was extremely surprised about how good it was. My mom had actually brought home a brochure about it and I was never interested in it before, and after reading it I was. Its very lucky she brought that home, but enough about how I got it, lets get to reveiw.

Story:

Tetris doesn’t have a story, its Tetris. So I will put some background info here. The original Tetris came out in the 80′s for the original Game Boy, and was a megahit. It was THE reason to by the Game Boy. Tetris is also the most addicitive game of all time. Not in my opinion, but if you go anywhere that will be at the top of the list.

Gameplay (10/10):

Tetris is a simple yet complex game that uses falling blocks to play. You move and turn these blocks to make horizontal lines, which dissapear when you do and your score rises. Pretty simple, but very addicive. Tetris is all about gameplay, and the gameplay in this actually got me to get interested in a puzzle game, and I never was in my life. There are 6 modes to Tetris DS, compared to the original which had 1. One of the gameplay modes is Standard, which is normal Tetris. This mode is Mario themed, with Mario music and Mario characters on screen. You usually just play as long as you can stay without having your screen filled with blocks, but you can also play for 25 cleared lines or play a against a computer. The next mode is “Push” which is themed to the original Donkey Kong. In those mode, you have half a screen and so does your opponent, and you both send blocks toward the center to make lines. When you do make a line, your opponent falls back a bit. The objective is to have them fall back behind the line, almost like tug of war. This is fun, but can take a very long time. Standard and Push are the only two modes you can play on wifi, so practice up on them if you will be playing wifi! Next, there is the Zelda themed “Mission mode”, which is kind of like standard, except you are on limited time and have to complete a certian objective, like “Use this kind of block to clear 2 lines” and more. My favorite mode, “Touch”, is a Balloon Fighter type mode, where you use the stylus to slide blocks on screen to make lines, and the tower of them falls down as you do. You have to clear the whole tower and get the final peice on the ground to win. There is also a “Puzzle” mode, which is Yoshi themed. In this you get a cluster of blocks, and a certain amount of blocks. You have to figure out which way to put the blocks in, the order you do it, and get all the blocks on the screen cleared at the same time. With 200 different puzzles, this will keep you busy. Last but not least is “Catch” mode, a Metroid themed mode. In this you have a block, and as others fall down you catch them with your block and make a bigger block. The objective is to make a 4×4 square, then when you do, press the x button to blow it up and destroy falling metroids. This is the most original of the modes. With all the gameplay modes and just so much for 1 puzzle game, I cannot rate the gameplay less than a 10/10.

Graphics(9.5/10):

The graphics in Tetris DS are very nice looking, perfect for the game. The old NES characters look better than ever and all of it is very detailed

Sound (10/10):

Its so nice to hear all the old Mario and Zelda themes, and they sound so cool. The sound is not less than perfect, at all

Replayability (10/10):

Its Tetris, the most addictive game of all time. If there is a more replayable game out there, its the original Tetris. With the online play the replayability is inhanced even more.

Challenge (7.5/10):

Here is where it lacks a bit. Not because it is too easy, but sometimes it can be too hard. I mean of course the later areas are supposed to be hard, but even the lowest level computer is too challenging for a beginner. Some of the modes I can’t get that far in.

Frustration (3/10):

This game is not frustrating at all unless you go up to the high levels. The franticness of whats going on can be frustrating.

Value(10/10):

$30 for this game? That’s a really good deal. It’s one of those where you will play it for a few weeks, forget about it, and then come back to it time and time again.

Overall (9/10):

Overall Tetris DS is a huge leap from the original game, with awesome Nintendo characters in it. Don’t buy this over something like Metroid Prime though, but for a puzzle game this is the best

Conclusion:

This game is great. You should buy it if you’re a DS owner who likes puzzle games or if you’ve ever played the original. You won’t be disappointed!