Tetris is a classic game that doesn’t really need much of an introduction.
It’s considered one of the best video games of all time, and that is not disputable, and
while it does have an interesting origin story, complete with “In Soviet Russia, Tetris
plays you” jokes, its recent installments haven’t had the same excitement.
Now, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing in itself.
Game series like Pac-man and Frogger have lost a lot of their popularity over the past
ten years or so because the recent installments just haven’t been good games, but that isn’t
the case with Tetris.
Instead, the formula is just so perfect, it’s hard to find a reason to go get a new one.
Even so, today we have a fantastic version of the game.
This is Tetris Evolution for the Xbox 360.
First off, let’s just take a look at that name, Evolution.
Spoiler alert, this is not some super sophisticated or upgraded version of Tetris.
No, it’s not called revolution, but this does not feel like an evolved version of Tetris,
either.
It’s complete with a ton of different modes, you can play online or with some friends,
but this is still really just Tetris.
The basic formula remains unchanged.
But like I said before, there’s nothing wrong with that.
This is one of only a few game series where I can really say that.
A lot of Tetris games get released, so it might be better just to call them Tetris and
whatever year it is.
Like sports games.
It’d be a little more honest.
But anyway, that’s kind of beside the point.
If you want a good game of Tetris, well, you’ve definitely found it.
Not only does Tetris Evolution offer a wide variety of modes like Marathon, Score and
Race, it features controls that feel like they were made for the 360, and I never thought
I’d say that.
Back in the day, the original Game Boy version of Tetris that was so popular had just the
A and B buttons and the d-pad.
Did anyone think there needed to be more?
No, but Tetris Evolution feels incredibly fluid with the 360’s analog sticks, buttons
and triggers.
It’s extremely rare to accidentally place a piece where you didn’t want to place it.
The thing about Tetris Evolution, outside of its name, that makes it so fun is that
it doesn’t try to be anything other than be a really good game of Tetris.
Yes, you have the option to have modes that add in different gameplay mechanics and have
different goals, like taking out certain lines on the board, but the game’s marathon mode
is just like you remember Tetris, only more colorful.
Hours can go by playing Tetris without you even realizing it, and for me especially,
that’s rare.
I’m one to look at the clock a lot, just to see how much time I’ve spent playing,
but Tetris Evolution had me under its addictive charm.
Now like I just said, this is really just a more colorful game as far as visuals are
concerned.
It looks great on a big TV, and it’s easy to see which piece is coming next by looking
up top.
The small visual effects the game uses are also great; very crisp, but subtle.
This is the way to make a classic game look new.
Take notice.
While Tetris Evolution isn’t a “must buy”, since its best elements have been around for
decades, this is definitely a good choice for fans of the series.
Just give yourself a big chunk of time to play it; you’ll be in front of your TV for
a while.