It's Tetris people - blocks fall, lines are cleared, the action gets desperate as you near the top of the screen; so far, so good.
Presentation is very slick; action takes place on one screen, whilst the other is adorned with something Nintendo-ish - Mario traversing a level from SMB, cakes & pastries from Yoshi's Cookie for examples. It's great to here recognisable themes & spot effects playing in the background as well - Mario, Zelda & Metroid are all represented, I'm sure with others I haven't got to yet.
There are 6 single-player modes to choose from -
Standard is the game we know & love.
Mission sets out tasks for you to complete as you play (clear 3 lines in a row, that sort of thing).
Puzzle is a bit dull - the top screen shows an uncompleted screen & you have to choose the order of pieces to finish it off; it's a jarring change of pace to the Tetris action & I can't see myself venturing into it much.
Touch uses stylus control to move blocks that are already on screen (like a slide puzzle) - it's responsive enough, but again it won't replace the classic action.
Catch takes a little time to get used to - you have a core of blocks floating on the bottom screen & further shapes drop from above; you have to manipulate your core to catch the falling shapes (these can't be rearranged). It's tricky, but quite interesting.
Push is a great mode - you take the top screen, your opponent (cpu or human) takes the bottom screen; the idea is to create rows between you, then build on them to push your opponent nearer their danger line. As there's no base involved, it's not quite as simple as setting up a 4 then inserting the long shape to finish it off - you can only build against blocks that are already settled, either from you or your opponent. If you send down a shape where there are no settled blocks, it'll just disappear off the screen. It gets quite hectic, but is a lot of fun
Online play is fun - Standard & Push are the modes available online. Connecting is simple & I've had no problems finding players so far (although I've not played loads of online). There doesn't seem to be any lag, so the action remains fast & furious - I can see the potential for great rivalries to be played out & there's a good chance that this is how wars will be fought in the future.
Apparently the spinning block technique is still in the game (where you can rotate a block on the spot before it settles) although it's not an infinite spin - I haven't used it myself & it's a rubbish idea; I can't see how it will benefit anyone much in multiplayer anyway, as the action is really quick - if you spend ages spinning a block trying to decide where to put it, you'll lose.
My one minor complaint so far is a graphical one - when a falling block appears, it's momentarily half cut off the screen; you have to wait for it to drop a fraction before you see the whole thing. It's not a major problem, & you can use the next block box at the side to see what it actually is, but it is a noticeable 'thing' when you first play - at least it was for me. Like I said, that is a minor gripe, not a deal breaker.
To sum up - lots of fun, compelling & addictive Tetris action, online play. Great stuff.
Presentation is very slick; action takes place on one screen, whilst the other is adorned with something Nintendo-ish - Mario traversing a level from SMB, cakes & pastries from Yoshi's Cookie for examples. It's great to here recognisable themes & spot effects playing in the background as well - Mario, Zelda & Metroid are all represented, I'm sure with others I haven't got to yet.
There are 6 single-player modes to choose from -
Standard is the game we know & love.
Mission sets out tasks for you to complete as you play (clear 3 lines in a row, that sort of thing).
Puzzle is a bit dull - the top screen shows an uncompleted screen & you have to choose the order of pieces to finish it off; it's a jarring change of pace to the Tetris action & I can't see myself venturing into it much.
Touch uses stylus control to move blocks that are already on screen (like a slide puzzle) - it's responsive enough, but again it won't replace the classic action.
Catch takes a little time to get used to - you have a core of blocks floating on the bottom screen & further shapes drop from above; you have to manipulate your core to catch the falling shapes (these can't be rearranged). It's tricky, but quite interesting.
Push is a great mode - you take the top screen, your opponent (cpu or human) takes the bottom screen; the idea is to create rows between you, then build on them to push your opponent nearer their danger line. As there's no base involved, it's not quite as simple as setting up a 4 then inserting the long shape to finish it off - you can only build against blocks that are already settled, either from you or your opponent. If you send down a shape where there are no settled blocks, it'll just disappear off the screen. It gets quite hectic, but is a lot of fun
Online play is fun - Standard & Push are the modes available online. Connecting is simple & I've had no problems finding players so far (although I've not played loads of online). There doesn't seem to be any lag, so the action remains fast & furious - I can see the potential for great rivalries to be played out & there's a good chance that this is how wars will be fought in the future.
Apparently the spinning block technique is still in the game (where you can rotate a block on the spot before it settles) although it's not an infinite spin - I haven't used it myself & it's a rubbish idea; I can't see how it will benefit anyone much in multiplayer anyway, as the action is really quick - if you spend ages spinning a block trying to decide where to put it, you'll lose.
My one minor complaint so far is a graphical one - when a falling block appears, it's momentarily half cut off the screen; you have to wait for it to drop a fraction before you see the whole thing. It's not a major problem, & you can use the next block box at the side to see what it actually is, but it is a noticeable 'thing' when you first play - at least it was for me. Like I said, that is a minor gripe, not a deal breaker.
To sum up - lots of fun, compelling & addictive Tetris action, online play. Great stuff.
such a slowboy phil 
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