Video Game Review: Tetris Attack for Super Nintendo (SNES)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Highly addictive and fun puzzle game

Cons: Graphics dated; some elements are childish

The Bottom Line: 

Don't stop flipping blocks

They'll rise before you know it

You won't want to stop

Addicted to this Puzzle Game after Just One Time Playing It

I was introduced to the SNES version of Tetris Attack at a friend's house.  I was immediately hooked and haunted Best Buy to play their in store version until I was able to get my own copy of the game.  Even know, I'll pull it out and enjoy some time playing it.

While the game has Tetris in the title, it bears no resemblance to the famous Russian game.  Here, you are trying to clear a field of blocks coming up from the bottom before they reach the top of your screen.  You can move two adjacent blocks at a time horizontally, and when you make a match of three or more bricks, they disappear and the rest of the field lowers to fill in the gap.

Sounds simple and easy enough, right?  It can be, but it can also be quite challenging depending on speed and level of play.  It's amazing how addicting it can be.  Just one more time so I can beat the level.

This game works for one or two players.  As one player, you can all kinds of options.  You can play for time and score, work to solve a puzzle, or work to clear blocks below a line.

While those are fun, I always found the two player version to be the best.  You can play this version with an opponent or against the computer.  The object here is to keep your blocks from getting to the top while forcing your opponent's to the top.  How do you do that?  Well, every time you clear more than three blocks at a time or create a chain of clearing blocks, a "garbage" block lands on top of your opponent.  First, they must clear a block touching these garbage blocks.  That will case the garbage block to break down into regular blocks which can then be removed.  If you are good at the game, those garbage blocks can add up quickly, making it very hard on your opponent.

The one player "vs." mode creates a bit of a story based on the Nintendo character of Yoshi.  His friends have been placed under a spell by Bowser.  As you defeat them, you free them from the spell.  Once they are all free, you have to defeat some of Bowser's minions and then Bowser himself.  Obviously, the higher up you go, the harder the opponent is.

That does bring up my only real gripe with the game - by centering it around Yoshi, it seems a little childish.  The graphics surrounding the game board are very cartoony, and the SNES graphics don't help that.  The sounds, also, are very much aimed at kids.  Fortunately, the sounds have no impact on the game play, so I usually turn the volume down and play without the sound.

Even the game board is rather simple graphically.  Then again, that's not really an issue since you don't really need much.  We are talking about squares with different shapes on them.  Yes, it would look better on a system that isn't almost 20 years old, but the graphics are never an issue with game play.

The controls are also straight forward.  You use the plus to move up and down or left and right and you use the buttons to switch the two blocks you've selected.  The game is very responsive and, much as I'd like to, I can't blame the controller when I lose.

Tetris Attack for the SNES may be dated graphically, but it is just as addicting today as it was when it came out in the 90's.  I suggest you set aside some time when you sit down with this one because it will fly by before you know it.