All games are moving to battle royale. Only Tetris is missing.” In all the mouth, lover of memes. Tetris 99 seems to be born of a drunkenness, but it has ended up being an absolutely addictive product that has taken the competitive Tetris to a new playable dimension. We will tell you what we think in our analysis of Tetris 99.
The figure of Pajitnov amazes me and causes me admiration in equal parts: a developer with a brilliant idea, with which he is probably the greatest spark of creativity that the history of the video game has provided in a few kilobytes on a Soviet computer. which is undoubtedly the most played software of all time. Have you ever wondered which video game you would take to a desert island? I do, and it would be Tetris . Alexey Pajitnov’s work is, for me, the perfect video game, the quintessence of the infinite puzzle, and I’ve been playing it since I can remember laying my hands on a controller.
From the very conception of the original game on the Soviet Electronika 60 computer and subsequent pioneering arcade and console releases by Atari and Nintendo, few Tetris-based productions have ended up having a major impact on the original game. That is why I know that the Russian mathematician’s formula is practically unbeatable, and that in more than 30 years of history it has hardly been possible to include three or four playable elements that have been able to improve what was already practically perfect. The option to save tokens, free fall, ghost pieces and spins, elements that have been kept in the most current versions of the puzzle.
Arika’s Tetris : The Grand Master put some of the series’ newest concepts in Japanese arcades, CD-I’s Tetris took the game’s image and sound to another level, Tetris DS dared to take the game to new variations never seen before and Tetris Effect, the most recent so far, took the power of Tetsuya Mizuguchi to combine puzzles and music like never before. Tetris 99 , the new creation by Arika and Nintendo for Nintendo Switch inspired by the legendary work, takes the elements of contemporary Tetris and adds one more: that of battle royale . It might seem like a joke, but the game is a genuine delight.
Tetris 99 Announcement Trailer
Eating chicken … strogonoffTetris 99 is such an absolutely simple creation that it is sloppy at all. The menu barely has options and start playing, which launches you in search of 98 other players to start the contest. Once the game is found, the match begins and the battle begins. Two extra controls must be added to the Tetris mechanics to carry out attacks on rivals : one in which you choose the strategy to follow during the game and another in which you choose which player to attack, which is especially useful for the last moments of the game.
Tetris 99 takes over from the classic Tetrinet … but extends the contest to almost a hundred players.
To the rhythm of an incontestably Russian and electronic Korobeiniki, you must play your best possible game of Tetris to send blocks to your rivals. The only way to counteract and return them will be through combos, that is, the achievement of several lines in a row, improving the effect of the counterattack depending on whether the line is one block, two blocks, triple or Tetris. The attack options are very simple: the first, random, launches attacks without rhyme or reason to any of the other 98 players, KO attacks players bordering on the knockout, counterattack sends blocks to the opponents who have chosen you as a target and badges it goes straight for the leaders of the game. Depending on the timing of the match, a more or less aggressive option will be better.
Tetris 99 is a game so absolutely simple in its conception that it does not allow anything other than to play itNaturally, the battle intensifies as the game progresses, promoting a higher speed of pieces that can only be fought with the turns once they touch the surface, which will allow you a well-deserved rest during the match. Free fall is vital, and will allow you to speed up the game and manage to counter enemy movements to plunge them into the deepest despair. Victory is sweet, and having the feeling of having beaten 98 other players in a game of Tetris is a more than satisfying feeling. Unfortunately, as seems the norm in other battle royales, victory does not have a reward that helps to make success great. You only level up.
Winner winner, Tetris dinnerTetris 99 is a game so absolutely simple in its conception that it does not allow anything other than to play it and that’s it. There is no tutorial or menu that explains what the game’s attack and defense mechanics are, something that could be confusing for Nintendo Switch Online users. The commitment to the original puzzle is such that it does not insult you by explaining the rules of Tetris. It is a free battle program for subscribers to Nintendo’s online service that has turned out to be one of the most pleasant surprises of a 2019 that is, once again, a true dream for video game users.
The only perk in Tetris 99 is leveling up. Will you prepare any extra additions in future updates?
We took it as a joke when we saw him appear in the Nintendo Direct , but the one who must be laughing now is Nintendo, who has done it again. Time will tell where the series’ story leaves mass multiplayer production on Nintendo Switch, but what is certain is that we are in the 21st century moment when Tetris is being played the most, and that is a precious tribute to one of the most important video games in history. What Tetris 99 has achieved is bringing together two of the puzzle’s main Japanese partners, Arika and Nintendo, to launch Tetris released on a more relevant Nintendo console since its premiere on the Game Boy.
“Excellent”
Tetris 99
When a team of developers dares to look for a new twist on a formula as revolutionary and unique as Tetris, you can only think they are crazy. However, being able to bring something new to Pajitnov’s production is not achieved by everyone, hence valuing Arika’s new effort with Tetris is a must. Tetris 99 is the most exciting challenge that has been made with the Russian puzzle in the last 20 years, and it has managed to mix a current concept such as battle royale with a puzzle that has taken advantage of its benefits to become relevant again in 2019. Essential multiplayer video game for Nintendo Switch.
- The battle royale suits Tetris wonderfully
- Maintains contemporary puzzle foundations
- Simple but effective defense and attack options
- Simple and fast: enter, find game and play
- Not very rewarding in victory, like the rest of battle royales
- Despite its simplicity, it could have included a tutorial
- Does not allow alternative game modes to play with friends
- It has focused exclusively on multiplayer
