Tetris Worlds

In the mid 1980's Alexey Pajitnov, a brilliant Russian Mathematician, created the best selling video game of all time: Tetris. The game is very simple in premise, but it was its addictive nature that kept everyone craving for another round. Tetris went on to win numerous awards as it spread throughout the world. It has become the model for all puzzle games that have been released since. THQ decided to bring the greatest puzzle game to date, over to the next generation consoles. The PlayStation 2 version, which was released several months ago, tarnished the Tetris name. Did THQ and developer Blue Planet Software fix the things that plagued the PS2 version, or is it the same?

Tetris Worlds is the first Tetris branded game to include a story mode, however it does not contain much depth and is poorly executed. The story is as follows: Eons ago, a race of people, created the Tetrions, which enabled individuals to travel to different planets that are in different galaxies. This race is now extinct, but there are still people who understand the concept behind this ancient technology. These intelligent people figured out the concept of the seven falling blocks named Tetrimions, as the only way to open these portals. Once the gate is open, this is called Tetris; it becomes the key to connecting and traveling to distant planets. The Minos, which inhabits the planet Hadar 4, are the latest people to unlock the secret to the Tetrions. During this time, the star that Hadar 4 rotates around has been acting strange, giving off more heat than normal. The Minos soon discovers that the star is about to explode, which will wipe out their planet. From that point on, the six greatest Tetrinaut players were given an important assignment: to help evacuate the people of Hadar 4 to other solar systems so they will be safe from this impending destruction.

There are two main modes of play Arcade and Story Mode. The story mode is the real meat of the game and includes these modes: Tetris, Square Tetris, Cascade Tetris, Sticky Tetris, Hot-Line Tetris, and Fusion Tetris. Tetris is the same game that people have played for years. Players must place horizontal blocks into rows to clear off the line, and prepare for other falling blocks. The object of Square Tetris is the same as Tetris, but players get bonus points for clearing lines with a 4x4 piece. Cascade Tetris plays the same as the other modes but the left over blocks will fall down into blank spaces, making it harder to clear lines. Stick Tetris objective is to clear the bottom line of the puzzle. There are many gaps that get in the way of achieving this. Hot-Line Tetris is one of the more interesting modes. There are five lines in certain spots on the board, to acquire the needed points to press on, players will have to stack the Tetriminos up to that certain line. The twist is that the way players get the most points is by the higher hot spots, which are very close to the top, this mode takes a lot of skill and/or luck. The last mode is Fusion Tetris, and the object is simple: to get the fusion pieces (1x1 blocks) in a row next to the Atom piece. By clearing a line it causes a cascade, which will future add to the challenge. Arcade mode is where you can play multiplayer games and two-minute games; it is more of a training mode.

To make the gamers connect more with the story of the game, players will be able to fully customize their Minos. They will be able to change the name, skin, eyes, and other things. The skin and eyes options are nothing more than different color combinations. To have a little comic relief, the extras that players are able to put on are different hats and other funny items. This helps the gamers become more enticed by the game.

The controller configuration for the game is really well thought out. The control stick or digital pad will move the pieces left or right, pressing up will be a soft drop, and down will be a hard one. A button rotates pieces clockwise. The B and X buttons rotates the pieces counter clockwise. Y button is a hard drop. The Z button show/hide the labels. The L and R buttons will hold a piece for later use.

Tetris World is rated E for everyone, requires 4 blocks of memory, and up to four people can play simultaneously.

Gameplay: 7.1
Just like any other Tetris game, once players get started, it is hard to stop. One new feature is the ghost piece. It is an image of the piece the player is manipulating. It moves and rotates as you move it into a position. In the beginning this feature will confuse people because it seems that it is a piece already on the board, later on it will become a helpful tool that the players will rely on.

Graphics: 6.0 
The backgrounds are all pre-rendered and have subtle animations but that is about it. Each world doesn't have really anything going on in the background except when the player powers up. Even this is just lighting effects that last only for a few seconds. This game does not take advantage of the Gamecube's hardware in any sense.

Sound: 5.5
The classic music of Tetris has been replaced by techno music. This decision seems to be made to make it seem more "hip," but the exact opposite happens. The techno chosen does not complement the world's themes in any way, and it becomes repetitive and annoying!

Difficulty: Easy
This is like any other Tetris game. Pick up the controller and you will know how to play it within minutes. The object is to clear out horizontal lines by making sure it is filled all the way with blocks. The more lines you clear at a time, the more points you will receive. The ghost piece makes the game even easier because it shows the you what moves can be done.

Concept: 6.0 
If you have not played or at least heard of Tetris, you have either been living in a hole in the ground for the past 17 years or you are a newborn child. Tetris Worlds does very little to expand upon the classic puzzle formula. Even with the different game modes, it does little to revolutionize this genre.

Multiplayer: 6.0
Tetris Worlds allows up to four people to play two different modes to play: race and knockout. Race is where players try to clear a certain number of blocks before the other do. Knockout like race, but every time players delete a block they send some block pieces down to the other players scenes, to obscure their lines. The bad part is you can send some blocks and actually help clear lines for them! So this mode seems more like a cheat than anything else. Neither of these modes will keep players satisfied for long.

Overall: 6.0
This game has been a total disappointment, as it does not live up to its prestigious heritage that other Tetris games had. Even with the extra modes, it still is basically the same game all over. It was a nice thought to add a storyline in the game, but other than the introduction, it doesn't go anywhere. If you are still craving a puzzle game, look to the older Tetris games, as they will quench your thirst.