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Tetris DSBy Brandon Carlson - 03-21-06 Print  EmailNintendo works their Old-school magic again with the latest installment of Tetris for Nintendo DS. A wonderful mix of classic Tetris gameplay, Old-School NES visuals, a killer soundtrack, and incredible new gameplay modes, Tetris DS is a killer app on the Nintendo DS. When you pick up Tetris DS, it's like picking up Tetris for the first time. The revitalized classic has so much here for anyone and everyone. Classic Tetris gameplay is what makes this game great. You've played it before and loved it, so you know you're going to love it again. The big question many gamers out there will be asking is "Well, I have like 70 other Tetris games! Why do I need this one?" Well, the main reason is because Tetris DS feels fresh and new right away. When Nintendo picked up the rights to this one, they added all of their beloved classic characters and themes into the game. Every level of play will feel brand new to you with new music, new visuals, and new gameplay modes. Tetris DS has six different gameplay modes: Standard Mode - Classic Tetris gameplay with a Mario twist. As you rotate and drop your "Tetriminos" (falling blocks) in a familiar fashion, Mario fights his way to save Princess Peach a la Super Mario Bros. style on the top screen. Don't let your blocks stack too high, or it's game over. Also, remixed Mario Bros. music plays for background music. Catch Mode - The newest and freshest feeling gameplay mode available. Catch falling Tetriminos on a special Tetris "core" to form 4x4 tiles and eliminate extra Tetriminos and Metroids. Yes, Metroids! Metroid-themed gameplay and music give the game an added sense of urgency when your core builds up too much. Mission Mode - Complete missions given on the top screen before your Heart Meter runs out. Classic Tetris Gameplay with a mission based spin. Features Zelda-themed music and backgrounds. As soon as you complete a mission, you're given a new one. It's quite frantic at times, and very challenging. Puzzle Mode - Another example of how versatile Tetris can be. Choose a puzzle to solve and be prepared to be, well, puzzled. Your goal is to clear the screen with just the Tetriminos provided. Choose a block, choose how you want it to be positioned, and the game automatically drops the block for you. You have to clear at least one line every turn. Puzzle mode is Yoshi's Cookie-themed, and fits quite well with the style of play. Touch Mode - One more incredibly innovative way to play Tetris. Use the stylus to move Tetriminos around on the Touch Screen. Move them left and right to make them fall and clear lines. You can tap Tetriminos to rotate them, and complete lines to make the blocks above the line fall. Kinda like Jenga, but you want the blocks to fall. Get the cage filled with balloons to the ground to clear the game. Balloon Fight-themed. Push Mode - The greatest thing to happen to Multiplayer Tetris EVER. Players force the Tetris matrix up and down towards the opponent's "Fail Line". Clear lines to Push your opponent down. Your area is on the top screen while the opponent's is on the Touch Screen. Clear 2 or more lines at a time to push the matrix toward your opponent. Push your opponent to the bottom to win, but be careful not to get pushed to the top of your screen. Donkey Kong-themed, with great visuals and really cool music. Of course, what would Tetris be without Multplayer? Standard, Mission, and Push modes are available for up to 10 people wirelessly over LAN, and DS Download Play allows players without a game card to play too. Multiplayer games like this get insane, especially when you have 10 people playing. Nintendo has added WiFi Connection play for worldwide Tetris madness. Challenge your friend in Timbuktu to a game of Push over the internet, or just connect to three other random people for a Tetris blowout. Either way, you're sure to use Tetris' multiplayer functions. The game's AI is challenging, as well. Single player modes have the option to face off against the CPU, and have varying levels of difficulty. You have to be a Tetris master to beat the CPU at the higher levels, cause they get hard. Plus, it gives you practice for when you take Tetris online. Not only does Tetris play great, it looks great too. The visuals have been updated for a cool NES retro styled look. The blocks are nice and brightly colored, and original sprites from some of Nintendo's greatest franchises look straight out of the original games, all while capturing an enhanced look. The menus are fully animated with even more Nintendo characters, too. It's so entertaining to just sit and watch the opening title screen just to see how Nintendo uses the Tetriminos like they are a part of some of their classic games. Tetris DS fully captures a modern style while staying tied to it's classic roots. Tetris DS shines brightly in the audio department. If you're a fan of Nintendo and old-school NES games, you'll love Tetris DS' soundtrack. Excerpts from Super Mario Bros., The Legend Of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Balloon Fight, and more have been used to create all new music for the game. Even original sound effects from each respective game are used when you rotate Tetriminos and clear lines. The whole package sounds amazing, and the best part is that the music is something you would want to take with you and just listen to. Tetris DS pulled out all the stops here. Who in the right mind would want to stop playing Tetris? Ok, yeah, we have lives, so we have to stop sometime. In all seriousness, there's just so much that Tetris DS has that will keep you coming back day after day, even year after year. It has six crazy fun game modes, tons of multiplayer action, not to mention the online aspect of the multiplayer. It's seriously a game that people can get addicted to and hardly ever stop playing. Overall, Tetris DS is nothing short of amazing. Some of the game modes will take a little getting used to, but no one should have a problem finding something to have fun with here. Of course the game isn't perfect, but it comes as close as it can get. Minimal problems in the game make it that much better. Nintendo is brilliant for their imaginative spark that makes this game a must own for the DS. Ratings |
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