Originally I wasn’t going to buy Tetris Axis, the new Tetris game on 3DS. Tetris may be my favorite puzzle game and all, but I don’t see any reason to own every single version of the game. Of course, that doesn’t stop me from buying every Pac-Man game out there, but that’s just the enigma that is me. But anyway, the other day I saw a video on how many different game modes were in Tetris Axis, and they looked like fun, so I caved in and picked it up after all. Besides, I promised my mom that when Animal Crossing comes out on 3DS, I’d buy her one, and this might be a game she would like to play, too. So on this blog, we’re going to take a look at the many game modes and other features of Tetris Axis!

Featured Modes

I’m not sure why they separated the game play modes into two sections, but I guess the ones in “Featured” are more traditional.

Marathon

This is just your standard, basic Tetris that we all know and love. I’ll add that in any game mode, you can change several options, like turning endless mode off or on, changing the level or stage, music, background, etc. Speaking of music, the tunes in this game are all from classic Russian composers. So lots of Nutcracker Suite and Swan Lake stuff.

Computer Battle

And this is your standard two player mode against the computer. Double lines or more will send blocks to the other player. But there are also power ups you can activate after clearing certain blocks. You have to be careful, though, because some of the power-ups can hinder you and help the computer! What’s strange is that the computer player’s Mii on the first level looks just like Bomberman! Did Hudson have anything to do with this game? The second CPU Mii looks like Bomberman in a tiger suit. I didn’t get past him because the CPU players are brutal in this mode!

Fever

This is a pretty weird mode that I haven’t seen before. The well you drop blocks down into is very narrow here. You try to clear out as many lines as possible, and you can buy power-ups with coins, but I’m not sure what they do. You can also earn coins as you play by clearing certain blocks, too.

Survival

And this mode is a lot like Fever, except blocks keep rising up from the bottom, and you have to last as long as you can.

Party Modes

Not sure what constitutes these as Party Modes, but they are a bit more varied than your standard Tetris games.

Jigsaw

The falling blocks here aren’t different shapes, instead they are all squares. But there is a big picture on the bottom screen and you have to match the squares on the top to make that picture. I think it’s pretty interesting. The game comes with a bunch of pre-set pictures, or you can make your own with the camera. I think jigsaw puzzle fans may like this mode.

Shadow Wide

Here’s another interesting mode. There’s a silhouette in the well made out of blocks that looks like a picture. You have to place the falling blocks so they fit in the silhouette. You get a better score if you don’t have any extra blocks hanging out, which can be pretty tough sometimes when there are holes in the picture! You win the stage when all blocks in the shadow are covered with blocks you placed.

Fit

Remember when Tetris first came out and was really popular, and they had a bunch of spinoff games you could get for the PC and game consoles? Like Wordtris, Hatris, etc. One of those was called Welltris, and that’s what this mode reminds me of. It’s like you’re peering down into a 3-D well, and must fit Tetris pieces to clear a wall of blocks before they reach the ‘top.’ When they do, it’s Game Over. But you have to be quick because the blocks rise pretty fast from the bottom.

Tower Climber

Here’s a pretty unique mode, and also a hard one! You have to place blocks around a cylinder, like a tower. It kind of reminds me of one of the modes from Pokemon Puzzle League on the N64. But instead of clearing lines here, you have to make stairs with the Tetris blocks for a little man to climb. You have to think about where you place the blocks, because the little stick man can only climb one block higher than himself. And you have to make the man touch little icons along the way in a given time, or you’ll lose the stage. And those icons aren’t easy to reach sometimes. So yeah, it’s a pretty tough mode, as you can trap your little man pretty easily if you don’t plan right.

Bombliss Plus

I think this is one of my favorite modes in the game. In Japan I know they released a game called Bombliss on various consoles back in the day, but I don’t think they came out over here. Except it might have on the old black and white Game Boy in the US, because I remember playing a game at a kiosk in a store and the game was called Tetris Blast. Anyway, in Bombliss, you don’t clear lines by making a row only. At least one of the blocks in that row has to have a bomb in it, and it’ll only clear out a few blocks. You can make chain reactions if you clear more than one line at a time, and you can make bigger bombs by placing smaller bomb pieces in a square. It’s different and fun.

Stage Racer Plus

Here’s another mode I’ve never seen before. You take one Tetris block piece and must rotate it around to weave past block obstacles that continuously rise. So in a way it’s like a race track. Make it as far as you can for a higher score.

Capture

I don’t quite understand this mode; I guess I need to play it more. What I can figure is there are stars on the playfield and you must cover them up with Tetris blocks to win. What I don’t get is when the field flips to the other ‘side’ of the well.

Master Mode

This is just like regular Tetris, except the pieces fall super-fast. Try to last as long as you can.

Sprint

And here you must clear a certain number of lines as quick as you can. That’s all.

AR Modes

There are a couple of games that use the AR card that comes with the DS that has a “? Block” on it. I like the AR stuff, as it’s pretty trippy. Unfortunately, the games here aren’t as fun.

AR Marathon

This is just regular Tetris except the playfield is ridiculously small. Even more so than Fever mode. It’s almost a joke. If you clear certain lines, the well will turn and you must adjust your 3DS so you can see it again. Or just move the AR card.

AR Climber

It’s a lot like Tower Climber, except the cylinder won’t rotate on its own. You have to adjust your 3DS or move the AR card, so it’s a little tricky. At least you don’t have to make the little man grab icons on the way up the tower in this version.

Multiplayer

I haven’t played the multiplayer modes. I don’t know very many other people who have a 3DS, so I couldn’t try the local wireless and download play modes. I haven’t tried the Internet modes either (which include Friend Battle and World Battle). When I got Tetris on the DS, I thought I was good at the game because I could always beat my friends and family. But I got trounced when I went online! So I’m a little scared to try it again! But I’m sure the multiplayer modes are just variations on the existing game modes in single player.

Conclusions

And that’s all the game modes in Tetris Axis! Other notable aspects in the game include achievements you can get in each mode. Which goes to show you how Microsoft’s idea on the 360 has really influenced other game consoles. You can also outfit your Mii in the game with all sorts of outfits, but I don’t like any of them because they make your Mii look like either a skater or a hipster. Why can’t they just have regular clothes? You can also make guy Miis wear the selection of dresses and girl outfits, which is a little creepy.

I guess Tetris Axis is pretty decent. Some may prefer the downloadable DSiWare Tetris game, as it’s much cheaper and you can still play online. Aesthetically, I like the DS version because it uses classic NES graphics and sounds. I hear it’s pretty rare now, too. Anyway, in the comments section, let me know YOUR favorite puzzle games. Mine are Tetris, Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo, and Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move. –Cary

Tags: Game Reviews