Tetris Splash - Review
Added October 18th, 2007 by Lightk
Tetris – you know it, you’ve played it and probably have some form of it on your PC, another console and/or cell phone. This addictive game, revamped in the form of Tetris Splash, is now available on the marketplace for 800 points. Is it worth the cost to add to your growing XBLA collection?
According to Xbox.com “Tetris Splash introduces even more exciting enjoyable ways to play this classic puzzler favorite.” Wow – sounds great! Let’s download it now! Whoa, now. Hold up a minute. Let’s do a reality check. If exciting to you means two choices of single player modes: Marathon (you play until blocks reach the top of the screen) and 40 Lines (you clear 40 lines and that’s it), then start your download. If exciting to you means multiplayer where you can compete with up to six players (imagine split screen times three), then confirm your download. If exciting to you means wanting to jump into an online match and instead are thrown into a room with a game in progress, forcing you to watch up to five other players move their multi-colored Tetriminos (blocks) around the screen for an eternity then, by all means, download away.
The gist of the game is the same – place different forms of blocks in a solid row to eliminate the row prior to the blocks reaching the top of your screen. You have a “ghost” piece that shows how the piece will lay. You move the pieces left and right with the D-pad and rotate with a simple push of the A and B buttons. As you move your piece, a “ghost” piece directly below it will reflect its placement and direction. A display to the right shows your next six playing pieces. By pulling the RT or LT, you can put your current playing piece into a “hold” and use it later when needed. Tetris Splash advances through the levels, increasing in difficulty, much faster than its predecessors.
The multiplayer’s saving grace, and one that is needed in many games, is that if you wish to continue playing with the same group, just stick around – the host can launch a new match. Unfortunately, the host cannot switch modes between team play and free for all so if you start as team play, you’re stuck with team play.
Granted, the graphics on the fish aquarium are vibrant and pleasing to the eye...WAIT! did you read correctly? Yes, a fish aquarium. Believe it or not, with the purchase of Tetris Splash, you acquire your own virtual fish aquarium. By completing achievements, new fish are added to your aquarium. If you’re not satisfied with those, for a mere 50 Microsoft Points, you can purchase additional fish such as angel fish or neons and for a mere 150 Microsoft Points, you can add backgrounds such as coral or a pirate scene. Now, what does the fish aquarium have to do with Tetris Splash? It serves as your background during playtime (who has time to view fish swimming to and fro while blocks are demanding your immediate attention) and also as a screensaver if your game is idle too long.
Tetris Splash doesn’t bring anything exciting or more enjoyable to the table of Tetris. Unless you’re feeling extremely nostalgic or wanting to add an additional 200 achievement points to your gamer score, I suggest you pass this one by.
