Tetris 3DS
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3DS
| Tetris 3DS

How is it that a seemingly simple puzzle game like Tetris can still be so damn popular more than 25 years after its original invention?

Very few video games have stood the test of time as well as Alexey Pajitnov's brainchild, and it's remarkable that we're still happy to buy version after version for each new console.

Back in 2006, we thought the Nintendo DS version of Tetris was the definitive one, offering a multitude of brilliant modes and great multiplayer modes.

The 3DS now has its own version, confusingly named just Tetris in Europe and Tetris Axis in the US. And, although we've played more than enough Tetris to last us our entire lifetimes, this is yet another great addition to the franchise.

Let's twist again

Tetris for 3DS piles on the game modes, to the point where it nearly feels overwhelming.

You have the classic modes, such as the standard Marathon, and matches against the CPU. If you're looking for a bog-standard game of Tetris, this is tweaked to perfection, with great controls, 3D visuals, and a banging techno soundtrack.

Then you have a ton of extra special modes and party games, such as narrow levels, jigsaws using Tetris pieces, images you have to fill in with Tetris pieces, a Hole in the Wall-style game, and many, many more.

The most intriguing are the AR games. We've been waiting for a game to use the AR functionality of the 3DS to its fullest effect, but we never thought a Tetris game would be the first to pull it off so elegantly.

There's a mode in which a game of Tetris pops out of your desk and as you complete lines the grid spins so that you have to move around the desk to focus on it.

But the best is a tower-climbing game, where you build a staircase for a little man who climbs up the blocks out of your desk. It looks brilliant, and it's a lot of fun.

Block 'n' roll

The online modes also add a whole new way of playing that hasn't really been so accessible before on a handheld.

You can play up to eight-player online and local games, with players able to watch each other play and dump blocks and special abilities on other people.

There are also full online rankings, similar to those seen in the Mario Kart games. If you're a big fan of online Tetris, this will be a dream come true.

There's also a ton of extra stats and achievements you can check out and aim to bag, along with oodles of unlockable backdrops, block types, and other such niceties.

Tet-chy

It's a great version of Tetris, no doubt about it. Even so, there's a palpable sense of fatigue throughout.

Some of the new modes are great. Fever mode, which throws random Tetris scenarios at you in short bursts, is a particular low point.

Little extras here and there are a little lacking, too, such as the inclusion of Mii characters who simply stand there doing not a lot.

Ultimately, this is just Tetris all over again, and if you've already bought multiple versions in the past, or own the DS version, you may well feel like this game doesn't add much.

If you haven't played Tetris in a while and have a hankering for it, Tetris for 3DS is well worth checking out, especially for those AR modes. As a commute-killer, Tetris 3DS will keep you entertained.

Tetris 3DS

Still pining for some Tetris after all these years? Tetris 3DS is yet another great addition to the franchise, with tons of modes and exciting multiplayer action
Score
Mike Rose
Mike Rose
An expert in the indie games scene, Mike comes to Pocket Gamer as our handheld gaming correspondent. He is the author of 250 Indie Games You Must Play.