Tetris Worlds

Now that Microsoft's next-gen console has been out for nearly a year, game companies are beginning to bring over last year's PS2 games to Xbox.  Normally, I don't get too excited about console-to-console ports, but this one was released less than 12 months after the PS2 version (which I never got to play), so I was glad to see Tetris Worlds on Xbox.  Keep in mind that this is Tetris, not a brand-new puzzle game, so don't expect to be blown away with innovation.  If you're a Tetris fan though, Tetris Worlds is almost a must-buy.

Tetris Worlds uses a new time limit system that prevents you from endlessly playing the game.  Yes, you can play it again and again...and you can continue playing even after the time runs out.  But you will not beat the level unless you eliminate all of the required lines within the time limit.  This is both fun and frustrating.  I like the new challenge that comes along with a time limit, but I'm not too thrilled with the way it alters the structure of the original game.  I wasn't looking for a rehash, so I'm glad that the developers added some new features.  Some things shouldn't be changed though.

The controls are virtually unchanged from the original Tetris.  There are, however, two new button features: Hold and Hard Drop.  The hold feature is great.  By pressing the L or R button, you can hang onto the block that's currently falling.  Only one block can be held at a time, so if you are holding a block and wish to hold another, the block that's currently held will be replaced with the new one.  Then you'll be forced to use the block that was previously held.  It sounds complicated, but it's actually very easy, and, believe it or not, this adds a new strategy element to the game.  At times, when the block was moving too quickly and I didn't know where to place it, I'd press the R button just to give me more time.  When a block is stored or replaced, the new one will start falling from the top.  If used wisely, this move can extend the amount of time you have to make each move.  Not that you can afford to waste time in this game, but it's better to kill a little time than it is to place a block in an awkward position.

The second new feature is one that was needed a long time ago: a hard drop.  By tapping the Y button, any falling block will be slammed straight down.  When performing a hard drop, the block is not controllable, so it's important to line it up before dropping it.  There were times when I'd screw up and drop too many blocks too soon, but the more I played, the better I got at doing it.

There is also a helpful ghost feature that creates a transparent copy of the falling block on the bottom of the screen.  This makes it easy to line up almost any block.  For those of you who want to stick to the standard Tetris format, the ghost feature can be turned off at the Options menu.

If the extra-bouncy body parts in Dead or Alive 3 weren't enough for you, then take a gander at Tetris Worlds.  When you slam a block onto a group of blocks, the force of the slam will thrust them into the air a little bit.  I dropped most of my blocks very harshly to save time.  Because of this, the screen was constantly filled with bouncy blocks.  This didn't bother me, but it did bother my sister, who is one of the biggest Tetris fans on earth (she said that the bouncing made her feel dizzy, something that never happened to her while playing the original Tetris).  It also seemed to hinder my success.  This prompted me to check the Options menu, which allowed me to turn off the bounce effect (thank goodness!).  From that point on, I played and won much more often, and was able to get much further in the game.  Coincidence?  Maybe...maybe not.

With all of these great new features, what could possibly bring this game down?  One word: size.  Although it may not be that big of an issue in some cases, size is an integral part of a video game.  Tetris Worlds isn't short -- it's small.  The playing field is less than 1/4 the size of the television screen!  Why?  I have absolutely no idea.  In the four-player mode, this makes sense, because you only have so much space to cram four gamers into.  But for the single-player games, the playing field should be bigger, as should the blocks.  But they're not.  I have very good eyesight, but I had to strain to see this game.  I had to sit closer to the TV than usual, which is somewhat of a pain, since I like to sit further back.  For people with really big television screens (25 inches and up), this shouldn't be a problem.  But for the rest of us, Tetris Worlds is a little bit of an eye sore.

It may be far from perfect, but Tetris Worlds is still the best puzzler on Xbox.  It has many ups and downs, but I'd have to say that overall, this is a game worth playing.  None of the gameplay mechanics are as refined as the GBA version, and the playing field is way too small for single-player games.  On the plus side, there are a ton of different game modes, giving Tetris masters a new challenge.  Not only that, but where else can you and three friends play Tetris together?  The Xbox version sells for only thirty bucks.  For a price that low, Tetris Worlds is a really good buy.

Gameplay: 7
Like the box says, "Tetris Worlds is everything you love about Tetris and more."  Almost.

Graphics: 5.9 
For a Tetris game, Tetris Worlds looks good.  However, its visuals are not exactly light-years ahead of the original Tetris.  The blocks are a bit more colorful, but the only major difference is the backgrounds, which are now three-dimensional.

Sound: 6.5
Tetris Worlds has an interesting techno soundtrack that changes often.  The songs blend into each other, creating a decent sound.  As you get closer and closer to the top, the tempo rises, increasing the tension a little.

Difficulty: Medium
Without the original Endless mode to keep you playing for the rest of your life, Tetris Worlds is still a challenging game.  Tetris Masters will love the new game modes.  They'll also appreciate the hard drop feature, which allows you to drop a block immediately with the press of a button.

Concept: 7 
Tetris Worlds' concept is great.  I love how the developers manipulated the old gameplay style and created a few new modes.  Hopefully Tetris Worlds 2 will include a bigger playing field (or perhaps a size feature that allows you to manually change the size of the field).  If you have a big-screen TV, it's not too bad.

Multiplayer: 6
The multiplayer modes are fun, but not as addictive as the original Tetris.

Overall: 7
I have one piece of advice to give to potential buyers/renters of Tetris Worlds: give it time.  Don't expect to love it if you're not a Tetris fan.  But if you loved the original Tetris, then play this new addition for a while.  Soon enough, you'll discover the beauty of the game.  It's not everything I wanted it to be, but for thirty bucks, I really can't complain much.