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Tetris Forever: The playful gaming documentary
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the classic Tetris game series is receiving a special gift: in Tetris Forever, you can immerse yourself in the history of the puzzle milestone in a playful way.
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There are few video games that have withstood the test of time as well as Tetris. Since its first release in 1984, the basic formula of the title has not changed: You stack falling blocks, called Tetriminos, on a playing field and clear tiles by filling rows completely. When a block reaches the top of the screen, the game is over. And even though there are of course different versions of Tetris, some of which introduce new game mechanics, this framework has never changed. And Tetris is still one of the most popular franchises among video gamers of all ages.
Tetris Forever honours the history of the puzzle classic and gives players the opportunity to experience the legacy of the series in a playful way.
More than just a collection
The games in Digital Eclipse's Gold Master Series are much more than just re-releases of old titles. Rather, they claim to be documentaries. This is demonstrated by the elaborately produced video and text content that has already been part of this series in the past. So far, The Making of Karateka and Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story have been released under the label. With Tetris Forever, Digital Eclipse is now releasing another instalment in its documentary series.
Tetris gems away from the mainstream
A total of 13 games are available in Tetris Forever:
- Tetris (Electronika 60)
- Tetris (MS DOS)
- Tetris (Sepctrum Holobyte)
- Tetris (Famicom)
- Hatris
- Tetris 2 + Bombliss
- Super Tetris 2 + Bombliss
- Super Tetris 2 + Bombliss Genteiban
- Super Tetris 3
- Super Bombliss (aka. Tetris Blast)
- Super Bombliss DX
- Tetris Battle Gaiden
- Igo: Kyuu Roban Taikyoku
What is striking here, of course, is that two particularly iconic versions of Tetris are missing from this list: Neither the variant for the Nintendo Entertainment System, nor for the Game Boy are playable. This is a great pity, as the release for Nintendo's first handheld in particular was an important milestone for the puzzle series.
In exchange, however, players get a few real niche titles that would probably not have made it onto the screens of modern systems. First and foremost, the recreation of the original Tetris for the Elektronika 60 - the version that represents the beginning of everything.
The Tetris origin happened on the Electronika 60
© Digital Eclipse
And there are certainly Tetris titles for Nintendo consoles within the collection: the Famicom version was released in Japan a year before the western version for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Tetris 2 + Bombliss and its Super version were also released for the NES and Super Nintendo. In addition to Tetris, there is also a Bombliss mode. Bombliss later received an independent release in the form of Super Bombliss and Super Bombliss DX. These games were released in the West as Tetris Blast.
You can detonate bombs in Bombliss
© Digital Eclipse
One Tetris game that is particularly fun in multiplayer is the Japan-exclusive Tetris Battle Gaiden for the Super Nintendo. Here, each player chooses a character, each of which has different special abilities. You can then trigger these during a duel to gain an advantage over your opponent. This gives Tetris a Mario Kart-like component that will make for nerve-wracking matches.
Tetris Battle Gaiden is a great multiplayer title
© Digital Eclipse
The two really obscure games on the list are Hatris and Igo: Kyuu Roban Taikyoku. Hatris is a little reminiscent of the puzzle game Mario & Yoshi. You have to stack hats of the same type to earn money. Here you can still make a rough connection to Tetris. After all, this is also anchored in the name of the game. Igo: Kyuu Roban Taikyoku, on the other hand, is an adaptation of the Asian board game Go for the Nintendo Famicom. It found its way onto the collection because it was developed by Bullet-Proof Software. The same team was also responsible for the port of Tetris to the Famicom and various other Japanese computers.
Quirky: This Go simulation is part of Tetris Forever
© Digital Eclipse
Another Tetris variant that fans may miss is Tetris: The Grand Master and its various successors. This arcade title is still played in Japanese arcades today. On the Nintendo Switch, it would of course have been nice if the interesting battle royale version Tetris 99 had been immortalised as part of Tetris Forever. Red Bull speedrunner GrandPOObear played the Versus puzzler back then, as did many gamers.
Let's do the Time Warp again!
In addition to a collection of classic Tetris games, Digital Eclispe have also developed a new game mode for Tetris Forever: Tetris Time Warp.
Tetris Time Warp sends you on a journey through time
© Digital Eclipse
Tetris Time Warp is described by Digital Eclipse as an "interactive piece of gaming history". When you start the mode, you are greeted by a very modern version of Tetris. It offers all the advantages familiar from current offshoots: several stones in the preview, the option to put Tetriminos in the reserve and a ghost block that indicates where your piece will land. Each time you level up, you will receive a special Time Warp stone. If you clear this by clearing a row, you will be transported to the Tetris version of this Time Warp block. You do not have to continue your current game state here. Instead, your aim is to complete a mini-game within 20 seconds. For example, you have the task of clearing a certain number of rows in the original Tetris or detonating a large bomb in Bombliss.
Tetris Time Warp is also available in multiplayer mode. Here you send your opponents back in time while you continue to collect points in the modern version of Tetris. This creates a really refreshing dynamic that has never been seen in any other Versus Tetris game. Perhaps also exciting for Red Bull gamer Papaplatte, who has already competed with his friends in other Tetris variants in the past.
Exciting overall package
While not all of the games in the collection are of a quality that makes you want to dig them out again and again, it is nevertheless exciting to delve into titles from the Tetris series that were created before the big breakthrough with the Game Boy version, or that celebrated more niche success. Tetris Time Warp, on the other hand, is a really charming version of the game, with a nice gimmick that also invites you to play rounds with several players.
Together with the documentary content, you get a really interesting overall package that provides an exciting insight into the world of Tetris. However, if you don't want to get to grips with this aspect of Tetris Forever, you could easily be disappointed. For others, however, the game collection is worthwhile simply because of the first western release of some titles such as Tetris Battle Gaiden. If you fancy taking a look beyond the Tetris horizon and learning more about the iconic game series, you'll get a bundle of knowledge paired with a nice collection of classics.
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