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Tetris DS Review - DS

Introduction

Keen-eyed (or brained, I guess) readers of Gamebiz would remember that I praised Meteos - also for the DS - as the best game since Tetris. You know what? If I had to compare Tetris DS with Meteos, Meteos would win. In fact, go buy it now, because Tetris DS is the lesser puzzler on the DS.

Gameplay

it's Tetris. Tetrominos fall, and you make horizontal lines to clear them from the board. The are few differences between this and every other Tetris game or knockoff out there. There's now a hold piece option, so you can store a straight block until you need it (a feature that can't be disabled), and the piece now has a shadow so you don't even have to think about where it will go (a feature that can be). Woot. You can also see something like six tiles ahead of the one you're using right now, which kind of sucks. You can't turn that one off, either.

Luckily, the way you can justify a purchase of this game is with the five other new modes, which offer some interesting twists. Catch Mode starts you off with one single tile, and then challenges you to 'catch' falling tetrominos and build rectangular shapes with them. You can rotate the whole lot to fit all the tiles in. Once the rectangular shape is formed - I think the minimum dimensions are something like 3x4, a timer ticks down, and when time's up all the tiles in the rectangle explode. You can speed up the 'gravity' and quickly add tiles to your rectangle, expanding it, and also use the blast (which travels horizontally and vertically away from your block) to destroy other blocks and the Metroids floating around.

Mission Mode makes you not only keep your tiles low, but also gives you a timer and a set task to complete. These tasks, which vary from clearing five rows using only the square block, or clearing three without using a straight one, etc. must be completed, or you will suffer teh consequences. That's four rows slotted underneath your established blocks. It's a pity that there's really not that much variation in tasks. They should have shaken it up a little. Maybe you should have been asked to clear three rows while holding a bar piece in your little bank thing. Or pass the time without forming a single row. Something interesting. Unfortunately, it's just repetitive as is. It has a nice Zelda theme, though.

Push Mode is definitely the coolest new addition to the line-up. It works. It's fun to play. It's frenzied. It's Tetris to the next level, while the rest of the modes are Tetris to the side, or Tetris downstairs, or [insert witty end to metaphor]. Go ahead. Insert something. I can wait. Actually, scientists have proven I have the attention span of a small lemur, so I tend to get bored with what I'm doing, resulting in [insert (continued next page)

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