Tetris DS Review

Hands down the most popular portable console of all time, the GameBoy decimated all of its competitors in the handheld market in the 1990s be that SEGA, Atari, or Hudsonsoft/NEC. Many factors contributed to such a position, including one very important game that was packaged with every GameBoy sold: Tetris.

If you've never seen Tetris or need an explanation as what you do in the game, then we suggest you take a very long hard look at yourself and question whether you can be defined a gamer. An icon in the history of videogames, the story of the Russian created game and Nintendo's fight to secure it is one that's been made into books, and even a documentary film.

So what does Tetris DS contribute to the legend that is Tetris?

Simply put, Tetris DS is the latest spin on a game that can be very much be seen as a homecoming. Further strengthening its links with Nintendo, the game features a number of iconic characters from the Big N's catalogue such as Mario, Link, and Samus, each given a 'starring' role in a particular gametype. The standard, and main, game of Tetris is themed around Super Mario Brothers, with the classic soundtrack to the plumber's adventures piping out of the DS and Mario's adventures playing out on the top screen according to the player's performance in the game. As players complete a line in the game so Mario moves along levels from Super Mario Brothers and Super Mario Brothers 3, though they aren't moving along in chronological order - it's not a history of the franchise after all.

Far and away the most addictive gametype in Tetris DS (somewhat understandably), the Standard mode is Tetris as you remember it, aside from the Mario livery, but the five other modes have a very different idea as to what players should do with the various Tetriminos - the official name for the falling blocks. Donkey Kong's 'Push' game sees players attempt to form lines as they push an opponent back towards a spiked wall. It's easier to think of it as a kind of reverse tug-o-war and a battle of attrition as players desperately try to create more lines in order to push the opponent closer and closer to the spikes. The Legend of Zelda themed 'Mission' gametypes sees players attempt to complete a number of objectives before they run out of hearts all to another famous Nintendo tune. Objectives generally see players try to eliminate three lines at the same time, or remove two lines with a 2x2 block, and gets especially tricky if a mission isn't completed in time. When that happens a number of permanent lines form at the bottom of the screen, making the game even more of a challenge than before.

Easily the most peculiar of the gametypes, the Metroid themed 'Catch' mode sees players control a rotating square as they try to catch falling tetriminos as they fall from the top of the screen. Forming 4x4 squares, which enables the player to detonate a bomb and replenish their energy stocks, gamers will have to avoid the sides of the gameworld (and falling Metroids) if they are to survive. Tetris DS also includes a 'Puzzle' mode themed on Yoshi's Cookie, and sees players try to remove all incomplete lines from the screen by using only a specific type of tetrimino. A bit more slower paced than some of the other gametypes, it nonetheless remains a challenge.

Finally, the game also has a 'Touch' mode, the only gametype that has touch-screen functionality. A tower of tetriminos stand in the player's objective of bringing down a crate of balloons that stand on top of the heap. Using the stylus players can move and revolve the various pieces around the screen in order to form lines and slowly bring the tower down. Of all the gametypes, the Touch mode is perhaps the shortest, lasting only a few straightforward levels. That said when most of the gametime in Tetris DS rests with the Standard mode, the Touch mode perhaps won't get as much of a look in to begin with.

Besides the five gametypes, Tetris DS also takes advantage of both local area and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection functionality, with up to ten players capable of hooking up in the ultimate multiplayer local area match up - and on a single cartridge too! Using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection facility also means that gamers can continue the battle online in a limited number of Battle modes for two or four players. It's the equivalent of always having that opponent during the original GameBoy days, but with out the hassle of the system link cable or for that matter, a second player! Connection to Nintendo's Wi-Fi facility is as dependable as always, so too the number of online players willing to battle with the bricks, so there's going to be hours of gametime spent in the multiplayer modes.

At the end of the day, Tetris DS is just the latest version of a title that for many will have been their introduction to portable gaming and perhaps even videogames in general. It's great to have the little touches of Nintendo spread to every corner of the game, but at its heart, it's the same title that drew you in all those years ago. Forget about the zillions of Tetris clones that for some reason or another fail to capture the brilliance of the original, this really does offer the same experience that you'll remember from years back. Whilst not as compelling as the main 'Standard' mode, the other five gametypes do at the very least add a certain level of variety to proceedings though they are far from being the main focus of the game.

Shame it doesn't come free with the DS really...