There was always one in the classroom. That kid at the back that was too clever, or didn’t care about the subject. Because he was playing Tetris on his Gameboy. He was easy to spot on the playground, with the large crowd either watching him zoom along at level 9, or standing in line for a chance to play.
Fast forward several years, and the 3DS finally joins in on the fun. Having Tetris in your pocket will make you feel like a kid again. You will love spending time at work, whiling away hours by packing all those blocks into neat lines.* You too can have crowds of people lusting over your high score and fighting to sit close to you to watch you perform those multi-line combos.**
Tetris 3DS is stacked with modes, allowing you to choose something that suits your current state of mind:
Marathon mode is your standard Tetris goodness. Some pretty 3D backdrops are visible behind the action, but they tend to be ignored as the pace of the game becomes frenetic. Being able to see several pieces in advance comes in handy. You also get a hold function.
Fever mode is a fast-paced battle to collect coins and activate power blocks. The various power blocks will only appear in the level if you forked out the coins for them. This short burst-of-speed format, with cascading blocks and several twists, is highly addictive.
Survival mode is similar to Marathon, but the game adds more minos (turns out this is what blocks in Tetris are called!) to the bottom of your matrix at regular intervals. This mode will appeal to the more masochistic methodical and experienced Tetris players.
Computer Battle mode is for people with no friends practise before taking on human opponents. Pick a CPU level and watch them attempt to steal columns of your matrix.
People with friends can set up a download session with seven other 3DS consoles, allowing for eight player battle royale. A few funky power-ups are available in this mode, requiring you to blow, tilt or stroke your 3DS.*** No really.
The power-ups include Block Shot, which allows you to tap on an enemy matrix to add blocks to their side of the field; Fog, which covers the entire screen in, you guessed it, fog until you blow it away by emptying your lungs into the 3DS mic; Reverse, which confuses opponents by changing their controls and the dreaded Switch, which swaps your (probably very messy) matrix with an opponent’s matrix.**** All of these items, along with a few nifty others, add spice to an otherwise very familiar game. (Two player Marathon mode doesn’t give you a score or show who got the most lines completed, which seems very odd.)
Another awesome feature, for those who never leave the house, is being able to challenge opponents over the Internet, which tends to lower the chance of physical harm caused by using Switch.
The Augmented Reality mode seems tacked on at the end and badly executed. in one mode you play Tetris in a tiny matrix, which empties and rotates if you make a line with a power block in it. Then you have to move around the card to see the tiny matrix again. The other AR mode, Tower climber is pretty fun, but the amount of time spent moving around the card seems unnecessary. In this mode you help a little guy climb as high as possible by making steps around the outside of a tower. Unfortunately, the climber is a complete idiot, and will try to walk on pieces that are still moving…
Tetris 3DS is a lot of fun and is a great title if you only have a few minutes on the bus or during your boss’ smoke break.*
Now, if only they there was a place I could take my Mii for dance classes. That bugger in my bottom screen is really pissing me off…
Scoring
Gameplay: 8/10
This game has enough modes to keep you busy for a very long time, and will test any friendship for you. None of the Tetris clones have ever captured the soft drop and sliding a piece into place the way that the original franchise does.
Design and Presentation: 6/10
Tetris graphics haven’t exactly gone anywhere. They are blocks. The music is very repetitive and over the top, and the Mii dancing in the corner of your vision might make you want to delete that Mii after a long game. Backdrops are pretty, with very minimal use of 3D.
Value: 9/10
You can never beat Tetris. Ever. So this game will be in your collection until you finally give up and declare that the blocks are too much for you. Being able to play an eight player battle with one cartridge is great value, making this a great title to pull out if your pocket when the party starts getting boring.
Overall: 8/10
Tetris will always have a prized place in the puzzle section of any gamer’s library, and it will stay that way with the 3DS version. The king of block games is back, and will make you fall in love with it all over again.
* Lazygamer.net is not responsible or liable for loss of income, standing or any damages caused by you playing games at work.
** Not really. If they do at your work, let me know please.
*** You will look like a retard more than a nerd if you do this in a coffee shop, or anywhere else public.
**** Lazygamer.net is not responsible for loss of friends, damage to property or person or loss of limb due to using the Switch power-up.
Last Updated: November 17, 2011
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