Tetris DS (Nintendo DS) Preview

Gamers of a certain age like Russia, and Tetris is the reason. That music, that rocket, those blocks, it is simple yet perfect gaming and the most pivotal game in handheld history...so how can it be updated and improved. Well many have tried on many consoles and all have fallen flat on their face, the simple problem being that all have relied on something gimmicky to bring Tetris into the 90's/new millennium. So Nintendo are taking a few simple routes to bring success.

The first of these is to officially link Tetris to Nintendo's revered retro catalogue. You see, every mode in Tetris is based on a retro Nintendo game and each adds a lovely flavour to the game. So in playing Tetris you'll also be helping destroy Mother Brain with Samus, or helping get the tri-force for a 2d Link or even helping Mario take on Bowser. It adds a certain dollop of magic to the game and will certainly appeal to the older Ninty fans out there.

Speaking of game modes, Nintendo are treating each mode as if they were new puzzle games in there own right. Smart move. Touch mode is based around the touch screen (obvious really) and makes you "touch" to clear a towering pile of Tetriminos (apparently the new name for Tetris blocks). They do this by dragging and spinning Tetriminos (sounds weird, is it based on the word dominos?) to fall in horizontal lines. This differs in that it's a leisurely approach to Tetris and has no time limit. Sounds confusing but should work in playing it.

Catch is an extremely unique sounding mode. You play in a Metroid universe and have to guide a flying block through these Metroid infested levels in order to catch falling Tetriminos. The aim is to create a 4x4 Square, once done the square explodes in all directions earning points.

A quite vague puzzle mode is next that involves tapping of squares to manoeuvre into position and there is no time limit. Some more info would be nice Mr Nintendo! Push is next and involves clearing lines two at a time to push your opponent into the red zone (which sounds bad for the opponent).

Standard mode is classic Tetris, which is now accompanied by watching Mario go through a Mario game. The better you do then the better Mario does. So if you are clearing 5 lines at a time and generally kicking ass then Mario will be getting fire flowers and applying a world of pain upon the goombas. Do badly and he'll be mistiming jumps, losing his super mushroom power and (eventually) losing his lives. Finally mission mode is based on everyone's favourite fairy based game..."The Legend of Zelda". Missions appear on the top screen that you can help solve by playing normal Tetris. You complete these within the time limit and you're fine. If not then you got loads more blocks to deal with.

There is another mode, but distinctly separate from the others. The wfc mode. Think four player Tetris battles with friends of strangers and it even includes a ranking system, both Push and Standard mode will be available for play. Sounds swishy. Yet there is more. Download play is available for up to 10 players, which is staggering. This will be the first time multiplayer Tetris play will be available to the masses in what looks like a decent game. True, the original had 2-player play but it was utterly impractical and needed two players to be tethered by the link cable.

So Nintendo seem to be on track for a success with Tetris DS. Loads of new single player modes that link up well with Nintendo's back catalogue. However the multiplayer aspect should be the major selling point. Tetris has always been a solo gaming experience, but with 10 player download play and 4-player wfc play it seems like all that is changing. C3 will be keeping a very close eye on this over the coming weeks, as this could become a very impressive DS title... fingers crossed.