Tetris DX: It's Never, Ever The Same Game Twice!

I am addicted to Tetris. There, I said it.

I have the PlayStation version [Tetris Gold] and that’s fun to play but I really like the GameBoy DX version a lot better. Sure you don’t get as much with it but it’s handheld and you can take it pretty much anywhere. This is a great game to get is you have the GameBoy Color system and you can find it used for about ten dollars, new for about sixteen. I picked mine up used when I traded in a bunch of games that we no longer played so I got it for free. Sadly it didn’t come with a manual so I had to learn the specifics about the game through trial and error. I still don’t know what the power level is used for but mine is around 1,900 to 2,200 depending on how many tetris’ I get [four lines cleared at once]. If you are thinking about buying this game and have other people in the house that will want to play it, pick the second or third player spot instead of the first. Why? Well, this is why. I was trying to keep my power level high to see if it would have any change on how I played against the game and it never failed that someone else would pick up the GameBoy, turn it on, start playing and get crummy scores that would knock my power level down.

The real joy of playing this game is that it only takes a couple of minutes to learn how to play it. Mastering it is almost impossible since you have no idea what bricks are coming next. There is a small window [that can be turned off for more of a challenge] that shows you the next piece but outside of that, it is all up to luck as to what pieces or shapes you get next. This is a great game for kids to play since it gives them eye / hand coordination, teaches them patience and gives the older kids a challenge. My boys like the PlayStation version better since it had a few more puzzles to offer but for me, this is the best one yet. The only problem that I have with the actual game is there is no winning point in the marathon mode. I guess that makes sense when you think about it; you try to get as far as you can without slipping up and misplacing a brick. After that you lose your concentration and things start to pile up quickly after level twenty.

Modes of Play

You can play against the game, yourself or another player; the choice is up to you. One of my favorite things is to play the timed game [three minutes] to see how many lines I can get as well as the number of points. So far my highest score is 172,330 with 64 lines and I haven’t been able to top that in more than two years. I never did the head to head challenge with another player so I can’t comment on that but playing against the computer is pretty fun but almost impossible to beat if you set it at a higher level. When you play in the 40 Lines mode you are trying to get to 40 lines in the quickest time. There is a drawback to this, when you complete the 40 lines you have to sit through a long graphic movie of sorts that you cannot exit out of.

Features

The biggest draw to this game is that it’s never the same thing twice. It generates different random pattern of bricks and so far I’ve never been able to pick up any type of sequence. With different modes to choose from you have a little variety so it isn’t just trying to clean the screen or achieve a high score. You can increase the difficulty of the game by jumping levels; I usually play the three minute game [Ultra mode] with the setting on level nine. This allows me to get the most points but the screen can be a little hard to see. When you are playing in 40 lines mode you can pick the level you start on as well as the height of the blocks that you start with. This might sound like a bad thing but you are really saving time playing with the bricks closer to the top since you don’t have to wait for them to drop to the bottom of the screen.

Players

A definite perk of the game are the three customizable name tabs that are accessed after you select the ֿ Player” option from the menu. There are four tabs to choose from however the fourth one will always read “Guest”. It’s easy to create and modify the names on the first three tabs and helps to keep high scores and power levels separate the different players that might be using the game. I am really puzzled by the “Guest” tab and no matter how many times I try to modify the name, when I turn off the game and start it back up, the name previously created is gone. Having the ability to store your scores and monitor your progress is really nice, not to mention being able to see the total number of lines you have racked up. I was worried that when I went over 100,000 lines it would reset to zero but it just kept racking up the lines for me.

Music

There are three different tunes to pick from and while some people said that they didn’t care for any of them, I happen to be partial to the second song. If you are playing in the marathon mode you might want to opt for the music to be off or you might go a little bonkers after the first hundred lines. If you find yourself getting freaked out by the music you can always turn the volume all the way down in the middle of the game. I wasn’t really expecting to get great music with this game so I wasn’t extremely disappointed with what I got. As I mentioned, the music does pick up speed when you hit the danger zone and it can get really annoying if you are trying to beat a high score.

Achievement Screens

Once you reach a certain number of lines in the marathon mode and the game is over you’ll see some pretty cool graphics. So far I’ve seen the small rocket [take off and fizzle], champaign bottle, shuttle take off and finally the shuttle go into space and drop the pieces. These screens last about 10 – 20 seconds and don’t really get bothersome unless you are itching to play another round. The downside is the achievement screens when you play in the 40 Lines mode. The one I always seem to get [boat in the harbor with fireworks] lasts about 25 – 30 seconds [maybe longer] and really gets on my nerves. In regards to both types of graphics there is no way to escape out of them unless you shut off the game and turn it back on. Doing this after playing 40 Lines is bad since the number of lines you completed won’t be added to your individual account. You might even notice that you’ll lose a few points on your power level as well. So get ready to sit through the little graphics show. This to me is a complete waste of time and gets on my nerves but alas, there is no way to override it or flip through it.

The Bottom Line

This game is great for everyone; kids can play it, adults can vent their frustrations on it and almost everyone can pick up on the basics of it in a few minutes. I really like the DX version for GameBoy and if you are someone that likes puzzles or other Tetris type games, give this one a try! Your wrists and fingers might be sort for a while but you’ll get used to it! I’ve had this cartridge for well over two years now and it was a great investment. If you travel, are looking for something to keep the kids occupied on road trips or just want to kill some time; Tetris DX is a great pick!

As always, thanks for the read!

~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~

© 2005 Freak369

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