Tetris DS

Reviewed by Daniel "MoNeY4LiFe" Adams II
April 2, 2006

Developer: Blue Planet Software Publisher: Nintendo of America Platform(s): Nintendo DS Numbers of Players: 1 - 10 (10 Players can battle with only one Tetris DS card!) ESRB Rating: T for Teen

Wireless play on Tetris DS.

It's the never ending saga of Tetris as this oh-so-familiar title gets a new home this year on the Nintendo DS! With 6 modes of play, some new, some old, this baby will keep your mind boggling for hours on end. The different themes during game play make a nice addition and allow you to experience some of your favorite Nintendo tunes remixed for the DS. Whether you choose to drop a few blocks by yourself or with some buddies, one thing is definitely for sure; you will have a massive block party online with the WI-FI feature. Tetris DS uses a unique point ranking system that is logged after every online match. It's a safe bet to play along with people around the same skill level; otherwise someone might stack more blocks on you quicker than a pancake plate.

Tetris has always had its fair share of challenging modes, but now, Tetris DS boasts six game modes to satisfy your heart's desire. Three of the six modes can be played online via WI-FI or Local Wireless setup. Although the traditional Tetris mode is nothing new to the average gamer, it is still a strong enough game type. In Mission mode, however, you have to clear lines according to the missions' instructions, which can prove to be quite challenging. Catch mode plays the reversed role to Classic Tetris. You twist and move a core piece in the center to catch the falling Tetriminos. Some of the other modes, though innovative to the DS' revolutionary touch screen, fall short of impressive and sort of feel like fillers for the game play experience.

I must come out and state that Nintendo has a real winner on their plate with this one. Although Tetris has always seemed to be the same type of game with every release and spin-off, I feel as if Tetris DS will be the "current" title to stand the test of time. Because of Nintendo's WI-FI integration, taking this game on as a single player can still prove to be a lot of fun. As with Mario Kart, this is also Tetris' first leap into the online gaming service. And does it ever make an impact... The online features alone are definitely worth the price tag. Overall, I'd have to put my hands down to Nintendo for this stellar title. It's reasons like this that no matter how badly Nintendo could be slipping, they always have something up their sleeves!

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