The blocks keep falling.
Tetris is back on Nintendo 3DS, featuring an array of modes similar to the previous edition, Tetris Party Deluxe for Wii and Nintendo DS, as well as new modes and features using 3DS-specific capabilities. Several modes are tweaked; for example, Master Mode is designed to be more challenging... still, don't expect Tetris: The Grandmaster levels of difficulty.
The primary new mode may be familiar to players of similar games such as Puyo Pop -- Fever mode. Fever Mode reduces the width of the playing field, and switches between quick-fire challenges where you must try to clear the field with the same blocks, and a more normal mode. There are several powers available as well, such as switching all blocks to line blocks, which can make you life easier. The mode is fast-paced, yet somehow it wasn't as engaging as the Fever-style modes of other games I've played.
While there aren't any modes that do anything particularly novel with the 3D capabilities, you can tilt the playing field so that the blocks appear to be falling at you, much like the box art on the original Game Boy Tetris. And in a nice twist, Tower Climber now wraps around a cylinder instead of a flat plane.
Local multiplayer supports up to eight players, with some games available as Download Play. A maximum of six players can play over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, and new items are promised in battle mode.
The game will also include augmented reality and SpotPass features, though they were unavailable for trial at E3. Apparently, in AR Tower Climber mode, you will actually need to walk around the virtual tower with the system itself. Unspecified in-game items will be available through SpotPass, and a daily allotment of coins will be provided to purchase items online.
Overall, Tetris for Nintendo 3DS doesn't bring any significant new changes to the table, but it should still be a nice collection of Tetris modes (well over 20, including multiplayer modes). The game should arrive in October.