ah, Tetris. we all know it. we all (well most of us) love it. no doubt because it's one of the greatest & most timeless games ever. so how's the recently released DS incarnation of the classic? pretty darn sweet. the standard mode is, well, standard tetris; except now you can save a piece for later by pressing R or L. this comes in handy, & in my opinion, is a great new feature. some complain that Tetris DS is "broken" because you can continue to rotate a piece even when it has landed. this can definitely make things easier, but isn't really that big of a deal. they could have at least included an option to turn it off, just so people couldn't whine about it, but whatever, they didn't.

the new modes are actually quite enjoyable, & don't just feel like filler. in puzzle mode you need to clear the lines with only the pieces provided. in touch mode, the pieces aren't constantly falling, but instead are already piled up in front of you. your job is to drag & rotate them with the stylus to clear lines. there's also a puzzle version of touch mode. these're all nice, less hectic alternatives to the standard Tetris we're all used to. good to play before bed, or when you're trying to relax. when you're in the mood for something less laid back, there's mission mode, which requires you to clear lines in certain ways, or with certain blocks. if you fail to complete a mission in time, gray blocks come from the bottom as punishment. in push mode the "bottom" is in the middle of the two screens. whenever you clear a line, it goes down, closer to to your rival's end zone. push is more fun against an actual human opponent than against the computer, of course.

speaking of actual humans, Tetris DS has some great multiplayer features. up to ten people can engage in fierce line-clearing battles with just one game cartridge. the items they put in multiplayer can be fun, but I prefer to play without em. feel like going Wi-Fi on someone's ass? well, as I'm sure you've already heard, Tetris DS supports Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection play for up to four players. if you're a fan of Tetris, then this would make a great addition to your DS collection. it's the same addicting puzzle game that's kicked ass over the years, but with some cool new modes, Wi-Fi multiplayer, & a pretty new box.

...& yes, I see tetriminos when I close my eyes.

verdict: 09/10; if you like Tetris, buy this game.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 06, 2006 at 7:57 PM.