Of course the standard Endless Tetris mode is included, and it follows the modern Tetris rules including T-Spins, Infinite Spins, and a single block hold. But that's really only the beginning. There's a quirky race mode where Tetris pieces must be dropped and rotated through increasingly narrow passageways as quickly as possible.
Another mode involves helping a tiny stick figure to a goal by building stairs. The character can climb up one block at a time, so blocks must be carefully stacked so this is possible. Along the way, the little man must collect flags. Squishing the character sends him downward into the next available open space, and recovery can be frustrating since many lines must be cleared to retrieve him. This mode really forces players to plan out their moves.
Two players can play Tetris in a larger field simultaneously like the banned NES-era Tengen version of Tetris. Another co-op mode turns Tetris on its head. Here, instead of trying to complete lines, players try to enclose spaces using the Tetriminoes. However, these structures must be built carefully since both players place blocks in the same field. Whoever claims the most area wins.
There's even a mode that uses the Balance Board. To accommodate the increased difficulty of playing with your entire body, the playing field size can be altered, with much larger blocks set as a default.
Tetris Party's Battle mode should be familiar to anyone who's played Tetris DS or TetriNET, on online PC Tetris clone. However, some of the attacks are new, and involve shaking or pointing with the Wii Remote. There's a smoke screen attack, which must be cleared by wiping the attack away with the Remote. Certain attacks can be targeted by pointing at an opponents field. Blocks will still keep on dropping while these attacks take place. Another attack brings in the little man from the single player mode. This time, players must avoid squishing him for a time or be penalized with added junk lines. Up to four players can play locally or through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
Tetris Party should show up on WiiWare this month, at least in Japan and North America. Though Tetris Online is taking a risk by setting the price point at a nearly unprecedented 1200 points, the game is so full-featured (especially compared to the similar Dr. Mario Online) it could very well be worth it. The new modes on offer may sway those who dislike Tetris, and therefore even you may find something to enjoy here.
Of course the standard Endless Tetris mode is included, and it follows the modern Tetris rules including T-Spins, Infinite Spins, and a single block hold.
I downloaded this and:Quote
Of course the standard Endless Tetris mode is included, and it follows the modern Tetris rules including T-Spins, Infinite Spins, and a single block hold.
It doesn't have Infinite Spins. You get a few seconds of spinning but it isn't infinite. Infinite spinning was what kept me from buying Tetris DS. I read other reviews that said they were gone.
I've never played a modern Tetris game(only NES tetris, GB tetris, and Tetris 2) so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm glad I got it. Being able to play tetris without to connect my NES is great(also my NES controllers aren't as responsive as they were new).
The game is a little different. The top speed(level 15) is noticeably faster than NES tetris' level 20 speed so you need those few seconds of spinning to survive. I still like the NES version better so far. Surviving past level 20 on NES tetris is hypnotizing in a good way. Tetris party might be like that but I haven't noticed it yet. There seems to be more emphasis on using the next block list to plan more moves ahead of time at high speeds(I hope I get good at doing that).
I played over 5 hours online already. There are some very skilled players on there. I thought I was going to go online and win easily because I got 308 lines on NES tetris before. That didn't happen. In fact, the majority of people I played had a winning record against me. One person defeated me in 35 seconds and then defeated me probably 12 in a row. I read that there is going to be online tournaments where there are prizes like Wii points. I going to need a lot of practice to stand a chance.
I haven't tried all the modes yet. Stage climber seems really good so far.
I own Tetris DS and like you said having the infinite spins isn't bad really. You can abuse it, however when your at level 46 you NEED them or else you can't play. The blocks are already on the bottom level and you have a split second to decide where to put them, so with infinite you have have more help and can play this game infinitly if your really that good. The NES game you can't go infinite you will reach a point where no human can win, in Tetris DS the only limit is your reflexes. I have gotten just under 2 Million points in Tetris DS playing on infinite mode and I got ot level 56 or something.
This may be where I give up on Nintendo.
This may be where I give up on Nintendo.
Blame The Tetris Company for the crappy gameplay changes. At some point their target market became cell phone gamers, and they have a ridiculous stick up their butt about changing the rules from platform to platform, so we have crap like infinite spin. Infinite spin lets people cope with crappy cell phone button controls, and I'm guessing it's what led to the speed increase. They had to get some amount of challenge back after adding such a game breaking feature.
Edit: Here it is. (http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/specialArt.cfm?artid=11267) He blames "competitive play" in short bursts for the infinite spin and speed increase, but it's still about cell phones.
Incidentally, garbage was part of the Game Boy version of Tetris, so it goes back at least that far.
