Tetris DS

“It’s time to put all those hours of playing Tetris to work,” portly Homer Simpson says as he goes to work fitting both family and several boxes of various sizes and shapes into his old station wagon. He comically fits boxes snuggly in place, then takes his wife, and bends her into a crooked seating position in order to fit the baby and his daughter Lisa in the front seat while the classic Tetris theme music plays in the background.

Much like Homer Simpson, I have felt the countless hours of playing Tetris as well as the decent Tetris Worlds have given me the ability to make things fit more comfortably in place. Still, this puzzle game isn’t about sharpening your ability to fit more things into your shoe closet or garage, but rather it’s an addictive puzzle game that has you acting fast. To this day, puzzle games like Lumines for Sony’s PSP pays homage to this classic. So when Tetris DS arrived for the Nintendo DS, I was quick to grab it and - what do you know? - got hooked on it again. I guess some habits are hard to break.

Speaking of paying homage to a classic, Tetris DS doesn’t change its original format when it comes to the cluster of tiles but the backgrounds pay tribute to Nintendo’s outstanding lineup of 8-bit classics like Super Mario Bros., Metroid, The Legend of Zelda as well as Donkey Kong and Yoshi’s Cookie. Visually, the game’s cool retro theme is a nice touch indeed and makes what could have been a rather plain-looking game into a visually appealing one. Even the music will take you back since each themed background has its corresponding theme music. You’ll be hearing the old Super Mario Bros. theme music as well as the familiar Zelda music and while it loops continuously as you play, it never gets on your nerves.

For those of you who have never played Tetris, the premise of the game is simple: You move a cluster of tiles (that are shaped in different ways) you can manipulate (by twisting them as they drop) and stack them in a pile at the bottom of the bin. The object is to stack each piece without leaving an empty space between the stacked pieces because you want to continue stacking for higher points. Tetris DS doesn’t change the game’s overall design but it does tweak it a bit to make use of the DS touchscreen as well as add a few elements. For example, the game makes use of the infinite spin feature introduced in Tetris Worlds that allows you to continue to manipulate a piece even after it touched the bottom of the bin. It’s not a particularly great feature but it does help out in the more difficult levels.

For those who felt they played the game to death, Nintendo added DS exclusive game modes. Catch Mode, for instance, is a great alternative to the classic original and has you rotating pieces and positioning four by four clusters of tiles. It’s challenge to say the least but when it comes to a fast-thinking game mode Touch Mode (using the bottom screen) has you moving pieces via the Stylus. Tower mode simply adds a faster pace to the game as does Push Mode (which was designed to be played against another player but you can always play against the computer). It’s these two-player modes that give Tetris fans new or old a fresh look at the game.

As far as the multiplayer modes are concerned, Tetris DS manages to cram loads of excellent features that work beautifully. First off, friends can download multiplayer modes off a single cart and the best part is that up to 10 players can simply compete against each another in modes like Push to see who beats who for bragging rights. The real beauty, though, comes in the form of the cool features that allow you to throw at your opponents like the nifty lightning bolt that suddenly freezes pieces and thus giving you more time to complete a screen to move on to the next one. Then there’s online multiplayer using Wi-Fi connectivity for up to two or three players. Online the game plays just as smoothly as the 10-player Tetris marathon with friends sitting in the room next to you. Overall, multiplayer mode is another reason you won’t be putting this game down for months to come.

Without a doubt still one of the most addictive puzzle games ever designed, Tetris DS is not a completely new gaming monster but it is a wonderfully retro classic that fits nicely with the Nintendo DS. It does introduce some new elements to the mix that is both hit and miss but when it comes to the overall addictive puzzles and the great multiplayer options, this is a 'must have' for any fan of the genre or anyone with a Nintendo DS.

Gameplay: 9.5
The basic Tetris gameplay structure is here and, surprisingly, it’s still just as addictive now as it was when it was introduced to us on the colorless original Game Boy. The game does take advantage of the Nintendo DS touchscreen and, for the most part, it’s handled perfectly. For those not interested in picking up the Stylus, you can always play the game old-school style and it still works beautifully. Add multiplayer features and online play and we have a recipe for a puzzle game you won’t want to put down.

Graphics: 7.0
The colorful patterns your pieces make when you’re twisting them in place hasn’t changed much since Tetris went color. Tetris DS pays homage to a collection of Nintendo’s 8-bit classics by inserting familiar characters and environments from games like Metriod or Zelda and this gives the game its awesome retro look.

Sound: 7.5
The tunes also reflect the retro appeal of the backgrounds, offering up music from a variety of classic Nintendo games of old remixed and sounding pretty good through the DS speakers. It’s not bad at all, actually.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Tetris fans know what it’s like when you clear one screen and another one appears only the pieces fall a bit faster now and if you experience brain-freeze now you’ll have a pile of colorful pieces that don’t go together. The old Tetris Worlds feature helps things a little but the biggest challenge comes from Push mode against a computer-controlled opponent.

Concept: 9.5
If anything, Tetris DS is great introduction to the classic puzzle game for those who have never played it before and an enhanced variation with plenty of extras for those of us who have played it way too much when it was first introduced. The retro gaming feel of the backgrounds is great but what makes our day is the multiplayer goodies included here.

Multiplayer: 9.5
Game designers take note: Tetris DS is a great example of how to make good use of the new portable gaming machine’s download features and its ability to offer up competitive matches for up to 10 players. Even the online multiplayer mode via the Wi-Fi connectivity makes for some great multiplayer match ups when a friend is not around.

Overall: 9.0
Tetris DS is the reason puzzle game fans will once again dream of falling boxes and it’s the reason it will seem like your Nintendo DS has been glued to your hands. It’s still just as addictive now as it was back in the day and while it has been reworked to play well with the new DS technology, it sacrifices very little and thus makes this a puzzle game worth your time and money. If you own a Nintendo DS, this is but another game you cannot be without.