The other day1 I bleeted2 about my belief that Tetris may be the best video game ever made.
I later clarified that, like a reasonable person, I don’t consider the original3 Game Boy or NES releases to be the best ever made.
So what are the best versions of Tetris? Here’s my favorites (in no particular order), though I’ve by no means played them all:
Apotris
A homebrew GBA(!) game is certainly in the running or best Tetris game. There are more than a dozen different game modes, and while the original, iconic theme isn’t present, the music that is almost makes up for it.
It’s also fully customizable, from the controls, soundtrack, graphics, and more. Play it on an emulator wherever it’s most convenient.
Pros
- Customizable
- Lots of game modes (Zen is a joy!)
- Can play it on many devices
Cons
- Not official (meaning no iconic theme)
- Requires an emulator to play
Tetris 99
Oh boy, what a brilliant game. Tetris 99 is usually described as “Fortnite but Tetris”, but I feel like that undersells it. You’re playing your own little game of tetris while 98 other people play their own little game. You can choose your targets (specifically, or by criteria, like going for an easy finisher, or revenge targeting people who are targeting you). As you clear lines, they get sent to your targets — and your own enemies send THEIR lines over to you. It’s brilliant and fast-paced, with games lasting just a few minutes (shorter if you’re bad!) My top rank is #3.
Pros
- Brilliant take on the formula
- Bite sized game modes
- Free (if you own a Switch)
Cons
- Only available on Nintendo Switch
- Some mechanics (badges) are poorly explained and a little confusing
- Offline game modes are behind a paid DLC, otherwise it’s online only.
Tetris Battle
Before Tetris 99, there was Tetris Battle, a 1v1 intimate Tetris battle against random foes or friends you know. You and your friend play on your own device, and can each see your own board and the other person’s. Send blocks over at inconvenient times to knock them out of play.
A close friend of mine nearly failed a class due to this one. It was ADDICTIVE. Sadly, it’s no longer available.
Pros
- All the fun of Tetris 99, but a lot more intimate
- Very legible, as you can take in all the information at once (compared to Tetris 99 where there are, again, 99 games going at once).
Cons
- No longer available
- When it was available, it was locked to Facebook 👎👎👎
- Cartoony style and aggressive gamification could be off-putting and/or addicting.
Some games attempt to emulate this style, including Tetrio (online) and Notris (download).
Tetris DS
Tetris DS is a solid entry to the game, but doesn’t do anything groundbreaking. The biggest advantage is that you can spin pieces endlessly, which makes it a great place to practice techniques like the T-Spin. The game modes are a bit unconventional, but it’s the only place you can play Tetris while Mario watches judgmentally to one side. The music is classic Nintendo, and that’s the strongest selling point.
Pros
- Mario levels and theme songs
- Portable (if you have DS)
- Great for practice (spin forever!)
Cons
- Limited to DS
- Odd game modes
I actually have Apotris installed on my DS, and I’ll reach for that one every time.
Tetris Effect
Tetris Effect makes several of the biggest innovations to the game in years. Much like Rez on the Dreamcast, the sounds of the game are created by the actions you take. Each level in the campaign (there’s a campaign!) features a different theme and soundscape. Some are immersive, others feature dolphin noises whenever you get a Tetris[^4].
The campaign takes about 3-4 hours to play through, and then you can revisit any of the unlocked levels, or other modes, including ones meant to relax you, aid in meditation, or really amp you up. The game also works in VR, which I can imagine would be really immersive.
If you play on console, the rumble is also a lot, in a way that I find much, but maybe others would find immersive.
Pros
- Unique levels, incredible soundscape
- Local multiplayer, including a 3v1 boss mode
- VR???
- Meditation, relaxation, and other ambiance modes
- Daily challenges
Cons
- I like Tetris a lot, but the $40 price tag here is a bit hard to swallow
- Campaign is short
- Some of the levels have so many particle effects, it can be hard to see what’s going on
The one you’ve got
There aren’t very many bad implementations of Tetris, at least not earnestly released. They’re either official or made by fans. There are, of course, joke versions. But ultimately, the best version of Tetris is the one you’re playing now.
Conclusion
Tetris is great. How many other games can you name that are recommended as therapy techniques?
Bonus: archived version of Hello Kitty Tetris,a piece of software condemned to death thanks to licensing. I have to call this one out for the delightful remix of the Tetris theme and the brilliant control scheme (mouse and keyboard) that does contextual rotating that you can adjust with vertical movement.
[^4] Clearing 4 lines at once is called a Tetris. This sounds like a made up joke fact, but it’s real. Next time you’re playing Tetris at a friend’s house (an experience I’m sure is entirely universal), jump up and yell “Yeah, I got a tetris!” It’ll be great.
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Where I come from, this can mean anywhere from yesterday to 4 months back. In this case, I mean Wednesday. ↩
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Better than some alternatives. ↩
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I understand that there were earlier releases than these, but they weren’t extremely mainstream and I have never played them. That I don’t consider them definitive should go without saying. ↩