The classic puzzle game as it would have been played in the movie Minority Report
Tetris is the classic puzzler that everybody has played before. It is a staple of many modern gamers daily intake and is available on virtually every gaming system and platform in the world. As such, I wasn’t exactly head over heels in love with the idea of spending six dollars (Australian) on a game that I could easily get for free from so many other outlets. However I eventually relented and bought the thing, but was I wise in making that decision? Read on.
As stated in the introduction, we all know Tetris, so I’m not going to mother your way through the basics. However, there are a few new things in this version of the game, with one of the more noticeable additions being the new ‘Magic’ game mode.
Magic basically has you performing the same Tetris line-breaking tasks as per usual, but this time allows you to do so with the aid of a range of magical tools. These range from things such as a magic marker, which allows you to transform your current block into the block of your choice, to a hammer which demolishes and rearranges previously placed blocks. These magical tools can be accessed simply by tapping on an icon on the panel left of the play area, and are usually activated using some sort of touch input or motion control activation.
I found this mode to be a refreshing distraction from the main gameplay that we’re all so familiar with, and using certain magical tools proved enjoyable. However, the experience doesn’t really compare to the primary mode in regards to addictive gameplay and intensity. The way in which the game requires you to first select your tools and then motion to activate them slowed play down and, at times, felt gimmicky and unnecessary.
But far more important to this game than Magic, is the game’s controls. The game has you controlling your blocks purely through touch. You move left and right to changing where the block will land, tap to rotate and gesture swiftly downwards to send your blocks plummeting to the bottom of the screen. A slower and more gentle downwards gesture provides the slower, less instantaneous downwards push.
A look at some of the magic tools available to players
This all feels really quite awkward at first and while, as I continued to play, I found myself getting quite a great deal more used to it, those initial feelings regarding imprecise and clumsy gameplay still lingered. In the earlier stages these problems are far less noticeable and it’s just plain fun, but as you progress the more difficult, faster levels they become increasingly apparent. However, this doesn’t make it impossible to enjoy the game by any means, but the occasional errors that you inevitably make as a result of the control scheme do become frustrating as you get further into the game.
In terms of the graphics, sound and presentation departments, Tetris is all class. The graphics are polished and the engine in use seemed to perform perfectly with no drops in frame-rate appearing noticeable. The sounds are also very well done, and you have to option to listen to your own music while playing which was a nice touch. In regards to presentation, all the expected menus and options are available and the game tracks your high scores in both modes, although unfortunately there’s no way of comparing these results with those of other international competitors through online leaderboards.
The Last Word
This game is a good, but not great rendition of the puzzle/arcade classic, Tetris. While the production qualities of the game are exceptional, it is let down by a sometimes imprecise control scheme that makes its later stages overly difficult and occasionally frustrating. I also thought that six dollars (Australian, ~4 US dollars) is a bit of a high asking price for a game that is so widely available elsewhere for a cheaper price and in better quality.
