Tetris (Tengen) (Nintendo, 1988)

Tetris is easily one of the biggest video game franchises of all time and has universal appeal around the world but now I'm going further back in time when this famous game first debuted (and then quickly canceled) on the home console market. This is none other than the banned but still very fun Tengen Tetris!

There is no real story line here in this unique puzzle game from Russia but we all know most these games don't anyway and if they do they usually suck (like in Kirby's Avalanche for the SNES or Super Bust A Move 2 for the Playstation2). The real dirt on this game here is how Tengen Tetris was pulled from the market after it was exposed that Tengen and Mirror Soft actually didn't have the rights to Tetris in the first place. Because of this Nintendo themselves quickly sued Tengen and they force them to stop selling the game and destroy the remaining copies as well. If you can find this game in the wild consider yourself luckier then a virgin a prom night.

If you are new to this classic game get outside more and know the objective is simple here: you move and rotate up to 7 different falling pieces to make horizontal lines. If you make I complete line then you make them disappear for points. If you can drop the pieces faster then you can score more bonus points but if you can get the big pay off if you are able to eliminate 4 lines at once then you can get what they call the 'Tetris'. Sure that sounds easy but it doesn't take long for the game to speed up and sometimes you don't always get the piece you want either so expect a challenge and a bit of cursing.

The game may be tough but you can't blame the controls if you lose. The game has excellent and simple to master controls as you move around these falling pieces and that's pretty much the whole game right there. Sure, making lines can get repetitive (it even sounds illegal) but you can edit the game so it throws different challenges at you like default block height or you can even play the game with a friend as well (unlike some other games out there). Surprisingly, this game was even designed by the famous Atari creator Ed Logg, maker of mega popular hits like Asteroids, San Francisco Rush, and Centipede.

One thing that really separates Tetris (especially Tengen Tetris here) from most of the other NES games out there is all the cool Russian themes here. As soon as you turn on the game you'll see detailed and colourful background Russian mofits plus I love seeing the tiny characters dance at the end of stage. It really adds a lot of personality to the game. Unfortunately, looking at the same old Tetris table all the time with it's boring black background of nothingless does get boring but overall the game's graphics are passable. Sure, the graphics can be cool but it's the 4 different musical tracks that really steal the show. Unlike the lame music found in the other NES Tetris you'll actually want to listen to this stuff.

Although this NES game is harder to find then most of the gray junk out there (yet it isn't one of those holy grail either like Stadium Events which is harder to find then a fat man's weiner), Tengen Tetris is definitely worth tracking down. Unlike Nintendo's Tetris this game has two player support and if that wasn't enough both the graphics and sounds are superior as well. Tengen may have broken the law releasing a unlicensed Tetris here but that didn't mean they cut any corners like Nintendo did.

-StarSoldier 2007
videogames101.com

Alexey Pajitnov loved puzzles. In 1984 Pajitnov created a game that would define the puzzle genre. He took assorted simply shaped blocks and allowed the user to fill a defined space with those falling shapes. Naturally the puzzle was trying to get the shapes to fit as quickly as possible. This simple gaming formula plus it’s fantastic music has been an icon within gaming ever sense.

Looking back at the success of Tetris Pajitnov felt the success of his game was that it focused on creation and bringing order to chaos rather than destruction.

Since Tengen was only able to produce their version of Tetris for a limited time before Nintendo sued Tengen for not having rights to the game, the Tengen version of Tetris is quite rare. It’s easily distinguished by its black casing. Additionally, the Tengen version featured the fantastic ability for two players to play simultaneously. Given the better graphics, music, and game play of the Tengen version, their version is hands down superior to Nintendo’s.

Because of its rarity, the Tengen version of Tetris falls into the category of rare collectible original 8-bit Nintendo games. Unfortunately, this means that it’ll be out of many casual retro gamers price range. If you happen on one at a yard sale or thrift store, snatch that sucker up. Alternately, quickly grab one for your collection when you see it pop up for a fair price here on eBay. You won’t be disappointed by this fantastic edition of the iconic game TETЯIS: The Soviet Mind Game.

Atari/Tengen was, at the time, well ahead of the curve, by bringing games to the NES that normally weren't there. Perfect examples being Gauntlet, Afterburner, Altered Beast, and, at the time it came out, Tetris. Atari's arcade division had the Tetris some know and love, so they brought it over to the NES, via Tengen.
This version differs in the graphics, sound, and challenge compared to the official Nintendo version. Tengen's has sharper graphics, and more classic sound (as found in the arcade version), and is a -lot- tougher to the Nintendo version. The speed compared to Nintendo's is faster to a point that while 6 hosts a mild issue on the Tengen version, Nintendo I can play to 10 without a hitch.

As a fan of Tetris, when I had the chance to aquire this rare version, I jumped at the chance. Although it's unlicensed, it's arguably a better version because it's a TWO player game, like its arcade counterpart, unlike the licensed, more common game. It may a bit pricey, but if you love Tetris, you really should try this version, you and a friend. In my humble opinion, it's worth every penny.

I rented this game years ago, then I learned that it was not a licensed Nintendo product and it was pulled from the shelves. I was very happy to find it again. I think it is better than the licensed Nintendo Tetris game. Please use caution...this game is very addictive! Highly recommended.

kaleidoscopeinc