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I feel the words “legendary” and “iconic” are banded around a little too often these days. Sure, we’ve been treated to plenty of amazing games over the last few years, but for something to achieve that highest level of praise, it needs staying power in my humble opinion.
Going by this, I can confidently say that Tetris Forever, Digital Eclipse’s latest Gold Master Series choice, fits the bill. In fact, I’m not quite sure how they’re going to top it going forward.
I am talking about the puzzling phenomenon Tetris. Created by Alexey Pajitnov behind the Iron Curtain way back in 1984, the quite ingenious game where you need to fit coloured blocks together has been going strong for 40 years now. The simple but addictive gameplay has transcended age, gender and pretty much every platform going, to the point it can conclusively be called a gaming classic. Given all of this, what exactly does Digital Eclipse have in store for us with Tetris Forever?
Well, it turns out quite the treat. The best way to experience the tale of Tetris is through the main story mode, which is told across five chapters starting at the very beginning in the USSR. It’s quite an incredible story, so much so that last year a Hollywood film was released to critical acclaim. You can jump back into any of the games at any time when you wish from the library, but I’d recommend playing through the interactive story mode first.
Tetris Forever features over 90 minutes of documentary footage and interviews with many of the key players, including Henk Rogers and the main man himself, Alexey Patijnov. You’re gently guided through the rich and varied history step by step, with video clips, photos and original ads from the archive sprinkled in to bring it all to life.
However, perhaps the main draw is that Tetris Forever boasts more than 15 playable games as well as a brand new entry, especially for the occasion. You can experience everything from a faithful recreation of the very first game, which was released on the Soviet Electronika 60 Computer, to the sequels which came bundled with the intriguing Bombliss game amongst other tweaks to the classic gameplay. This twist on the Tetris formula introduced exploding blocks alongside a cascading effect. There are also numerous modes you can play, such as challenges where you only have a set number of moves to clear the well. Think of it like an early Bejeweled and you’ll get the idea.
A couple of other highlights include Hatris, and an early version of the deceptively complicated, ancient abstract strategy board game Go. As you may have gleaned from the title, Hatris tasks you with stacking piles of matching hats in order to clear the playing area. It’s quirky and fun for a while, but doesn’t hold a candle to the addictive might of Tetris. Go is another beast entirely. The aim of the game is to surround the other player’s counters in order to capture them. It seems simple, but is surprisingly complex and the impressive AI is not easy to beat. It’s something of a novelty for sure, but a very interesting addition to the collection.
Many of these ports and sequels were made available only in Japan, and many manage to recapture Tetris’ irresistible charm. There are a few different ports of what is essentially the same game included in Tetris Forever to help tell the story, but that does bring the game count down a tad.
It’s very much the case that not every game in the collection here is (or was) a hit. However, in order for Tetris Forever to tell the comprehensive history of the series, they are included and are worth a look even if you will revisit some more than others.
This is where it’s clear that Tetris Forever is aimed at Tetris fans of all ages, from the casual to the hardcore. There is such a rich history to the game, pretty much everyone is likely to learn something here. However, if Tetris isn’t your thing then there isn’t much else for you.
Tetris Forever isn’t just a flashy repackaging thanks to the addition of Tetris Time Warp. It starts out as a modern take, but when certain Tetriminos drop and are cleared, you’ll be thrown back through time to a previous iteration of the game, and will need to complete a challenge against the clock. There’s something quite magical about being transported to different gaming eras at random as you frantically try to neatly stack your Tetriminos. Tetris Time Warp is a celebratory take on the usual formula, and showcases the rich and varied history of Tetris over the years. You can also play with friends, all travelling to different eras as the four way chaos unfolds.
Each game included in Tetris Forever allows you to change various visual effects, as well as remap the controls. I’d advise this as the earlier games require you to hit a directional input to rotate your block. It’s much more comfortable with a simple button press instead as featured in the later titles, and the control scheme flows much more naturally this way.
Generally speaking, the Game Boy version of Tetris is widely considered to be the best version released. Personally, my best memories are with Tetris DS which I sank many, many hours into. This was especially the case as it had online play in the early days of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, along with various themed game modes. Unfortunately these titles are missing from this collection, but the Famicom release of Tetris is included which is essentially the same game as appeared on the Game Boy.
Tetris Forever is a fitting tribute to the titan of puzzle games, which is an all encompassing brand in its own right these days. The trip down memory lane will keep you busy for a good few hours, especially if you check out each iteration of Tetris as it pops up. There is bound to be something new in there too, even for the long time die hard fans of the series.
Tetris Forever is a beautifully crafted, utterly fascinating and surprisingly educational love letter to one of the most significant video games ever created, warts and all.
Tetris Forever: A Celebration of the Game That Defined Generations | Updated with Game List – https://www.thexboxhub.com/tetris-forever-a-celebration-of-the-game-that-defined-generations/
Tetris Time Warp: A New Twist on the Classic is Coming to Tetris Forever – https://www.thexboxhub.com/tetris-time-warp-a-new-twist-on-the-classic-is-coming-to-tetris-forever/
Buy Tetris Forever – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/tetris-forever/9pfhc37m5qbq