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Tetris(JP) is a Game Boy game released by Nintendo in 1989. It also came bundled with the Game Boy in North America. There has also been a re-release of this game on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, released on December 22, 2011.
Gameplay[]
The Game Boy version of Tetris plays identically to versions on other platforms. A pseudorandom sequence of tetromino shapes, composed of four square blocks each, fall down the playing field, which is 10 blocks wide by 18 blocks high. The object of the game is to manipulate the tetrominoes by moving each one sideways and rotating it by 90-degree units with the aim of creating a horizontal line of blocks without gaps. When one or more such lines are created, they disappear, and the blocks above (if any) move down by the number of lines cleared. As in most standard versions of Tetris, blocks do not automatically fall into open gaps when lines are cleared.
As the game progresses, the tetrominoes fall faster. The game ends when at least part of a tetromino extends beyond the top of the playfield when setting in place. The player can normally see which block will appear next in a window off to the side of the playing field, but this feature can be toggled during the game. Points are awarded based on the current level and number of lines cleared. The level increases each time the player clears ten lines, as does the speed of falling tetrominoes. The player may adjust the difficulty before beginning a game by selecting a starting level or choosing to pre-fill the play area with a given number of lines of randomly placed blocks. After completing a particular height, the player is treated to a cutscene of a rocket of various types being launched, eventually capping off with Russians dancing and the Buran shuttle being launched.
This version of Tetris includes a two-player mode, in which each player's objective is to remain in play for longer than his or her opponent. Each player plays with a separate Game Boy and Tetris Game Pak, with the two consoles connected via the Game Link Cable. When a player scores a Double, Triple, or Tetris, incomplete rows of blocks are added to the bottom of the opponent's stack, causing it to rise.
Development[]
Nintendo had sub-licensed the handheld rights to Tetris from Bullet Proof Software.
Minuet version[]
The Minuet version is the 1.0 release of the game, it was released exclusivly in Japan. What makes this version different from the version released internationally, which is verison 1.1, is that it has different music. Out of 35,000,000 units of Tetris produced, only the first 25,000 are the Minuet version.
Beyond playing the game, you can identify a Minuet version due to two distinguishing factors, on the label, the tip of the tallest spire touches the center point between the two Ls of "All rights reserved.", the second is a faint number engraving that is not followed by a letter like the 1.1 version.
Reception[]
Tetris has been credited as the Game Boy's killer app. It topped the Japanese sales charts during August–September 1989 and from December 1989 to January 1990. It also topped the US sales charts during August–September 1989 and then December 1989.
Nintendo sold 2.5 million copies by early 1990, as its top seller. About 7.5 million copies had been sold in the United States by 1992. By 1997, 29.72 million units had been sold worldwide, including bundles. As of June 2009, more than 35 million copies had been sold worldwide.
Official Nintendo Magazine ranked Tetris fifth on its list of the "100 Best Nintendo Games". Game Informer's Ben Reeves called it the best Game Boy game and a "legendary puzzle game".
See also[]
Gallery[]
External links[]
| Tetris series | |
|---|---|
| Nintendo games | Tetris (Game Boy) • Tetris (NES) • Tetris 2 • Dr. Mario • 3D • Tetrisphere • The New Tetris • DS • Party Deluxe • Tetris 99 |
| Third-Party games | Tetris (Famicom) • Tetris (Tengen) • Blast • Hatris • Tetris 2 + Bombliss • Battle Gaiden • Super Tetris 3 • 64 • Magical Tetris Challenge Worlds • Party • Puyo Puyo • Tetraminos • V-Tetris • Plus • Advance • Pokémon Shock Tetris • Axis • Ultimate • Tetris Effect • Puyo Puyo 2 The Grand Master |
| Related | The Tetris Company • BPS • Alexey Pajitnov • Henk Rogers • Knight Move • Wordtris Tetris Attack (Puzzle League) • Columns • Puyo Puyo |