Developer: Mass Media
Publisher: THQ
Rating Guide: How I Review Games

Review:

There aren’t many ways to reinvent the worldwide phenomenon that is Tetris but THQ has decided to give it a shot because everyone still loves Tetris.  I’ll admit that I expected a title like this to explode on the Xbox Live Arcade at some point but instead, we have a retail version.  It’s called Evolution but has it truly evolved the game?  Ofcourse not.  We are still talking about Tetris afterall so how much more different can stacking blocks get? 

There wasn’t an attempt to redefine the game and for that I was happy.  What THQ and Mass Media managed to do was bring an interesting twist to the franchise with some cosmetic changes.  And they did it in 1080p as well for all you high definition junkies.  Yes, Tetris Evolution can run in 1080p.

What does this all mean?  Keep reading Tetris heads!

Gameplay, Graphics and Sound

Tetris Evolution maintains the same addictive gameplay that has captivated millions for years.  You control and stack your blocks and attempt to survive long enough to reign over puzzle land.  This may have been boring but thanks to the visual changes in the presentation it now feels like an adventure.  Tetris Evolution comes packed with a variety of customization options to change your experience when playing the game.  You can have 15 different video backgrounds while you play that you can set as slideshows or an actual video.  There are also hundreds of icons you can choose from for your board.  I probably spent a good hour trying to get the perfect combination of icon and background before I started my stacking quest.

For some, the backgrounds may be a distraction but I have a high concentration level so the backgrounds and such were no distraction to me.  I thought it was a nice addition to end the boredom that usually comes with staring at blocks with a pale background.  What I would’ve liked though, was a better selection of backgrounds.  I’m sure someone is thinking premium content.  Or perhaps there could have been an option to load your own.  Oh well, we play on.

The one thing about Tetris that has plagued nearly every console attempt are the controls.  It just doesn’t flow right flipping the blocks and such with the analog stick nor the D-pad.  It’s not a painful experience by any means, but it is something to note. 

There are plenty of options available to customize the way you play the game be that alone or with 3 other friends.  You can opt to have a ghost block which allows you to see where your next piece will fall.  You can change the queue, turn the grid on or off, fill rates etc.  You can do a lot of customizing to get the type of game that best suits you.  The addition of the ghost piece was nice although I turned it off.  I didn’t want to feel like a noob. 

The Achievements in the game are interesting.  You’ll have to work for these 1000 points.  Even if you’re an expert player, I think you’ll find that the Achievements require quite a bit of time to unlock.  I’m happy about it but at the same time miffed because there weren’t many tailored to the actual playing of the game but rather they were geared more on point accomplishments. 

The sound of the game was pretty decent.  You shouldn’t expect any award-winning score with Tetris, but what you do get is decent. 

Xbox Live Extras

Who’s the best block shifter around?  You can decide with Tetris Evolution’s added Xbox Live play.  You can go head to head with up to four of the best Tetris players around to see where you stack up.  There are 3 styles to be played across the 8 Tetris modes when on Xbox Live.  I wish there were more styles of play but having at least 3 does the trick.  I had some fun with the cooperative challenge mode when each player takes a turn controlling the blocks.

Conclusion

I never thought I’d enjoy Tetris on a console but after playing Tetris Evolution, I realize I was wrong.  The exciting backgrounds and other ways to customize your experience added so much to the game.  The controls aren’t perfect with the analog sticks nor the D-pad but fans of the game should be able to adjust to it. 

For the price that it is, $29.99, I think you get your money’s worth especially if you’re a fan of the series.