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> Results: Tetris DS
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You don't even have to be a gamer to know what Tetris is. The game that invented the ﾑfalling block puzzle' genre is ingrained into our culture. It's the perfect pick up and play game because of its simplicity. Just slide block pieces left and right as they fall down a well, filling lines to make them disappear. Now you can enjoy Tetris on your Nintendo DS in brand new ways.
There are six modes of play in Tetris DS. Marathon mode is the most basic. Clear lines semi-endlessly to get a high score. Mission mode is nearly the same, except you have a time limit to do a designated task, like clear a certain number of lines. Catch mode is a unique take on the game where you move around a glob of Tetris pieces, catching falling blocks on your ever-growing cluster. Equally as unique is Push mode, where you and a CPU or human opponent play a bit of ﾑtug-o-war' Tetris, with one person on one DS screen and the opponent on the other, clearing lines to push the other player past their line for the win. The remaining two modes use the DS touch screen. In Puzzle, you don't move pieces around at all, but touch blocks from a set to solve line-clearing puzzles. Finally, Touch mode already has a tower of stacked pieces in the well, and you must use the stylus to drag around the blocks to clear lines and bring down the tower. All the game modes feature graphics and sounds from classic Nintendo games. You can even play against a buddy wirelessly or online with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for up to ten player marathon sessions or two player Push matches. Some purists may not like how in the DS version, you have to press up to make a block instantly fall, or how you can see six upcoming pieces instead of just one, or that you can see a ﾑshadow' of where your current piece will fall once it lands. But other than those minor quibbles, this is one mighty fine version of the classic videogame.  
The simplistic nature of Tetris means that it's easy to figure out and no reading skill is required. Plus, puzzle games like this let kids practice logic and quick thinking skills. There's no violence or other objectionable content. Even though some of the nostalgia factor may be lost on them, kids will still enjoy seeing their favorite Nintendo characters like Mario, Zelda, and Metroid in the game.
Playing Tetris online is worry-free and kid safe, too. Kids may need a little help from a parent to set up the DS for Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Play online with particular people by exchanging friend codes, or go against random worldwide players. Since there is no chatting, voice, or other information given out during these matches, online play seems safe. The only problem you might run into is if someone playing online named their DS handle a dirty word or something. That might show up on the online play screen. But I've never actually had that happen to me when I played online. The best part about your kids playing with Tetris blocks is that you don't have to pick them up off the floor! This review edited by Dave Long Comments? Chat about it in our forums! Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game Browse Amazon.com's selection of "tetris" themed games Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Tetris DS |
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