Next Tetris

Copyright: KBkids.com

The highly addictive game Tetris has been around for over fifteen years in one form or another. For those who remember the original Atari systems, it brings back fond memories of hours spent huddled around the television set. While there have been many attempts at upgrading this game, no one has really improved dramatically on the original. Hasbro adds some nice twists here, but nothing earth shattering. It's a nice addition, but some may still prefer the original version (included on the CD.)

Classic Tetris involves placing falling blocks into a grid. Once you have filled up a row with blocks, the row disappears. The object is to not let your blocks pile up to the top... not as easy as it sounds. Each successive level moves faster, and is a bit tougher. This classic version is included in Next Tetris. There are single and multi-player versions.

The Next Tetris adds a new concept called Cascading blocks. The blocks that are falling are either solid colors (Tetraminos), or multicolored (Mulitminos). Tetraminos are just like classic Tetris blocks. The Multiminos are multicolored. As they land, the non-matching color separates and continues falling as far as it can. As a result, you can clear multiple levels with one block. Because this would not work in Classic Tetris, Hasbro has added garbage blocks at the bottom of the screen to make it harder. The higher the level, the more garbage blocks you must contend with. These blocks basically put obstacles in your way. The object is to clear the bottom line of blocks before your time runs out.

If you do not have a version of Tetris for your computer, this is a great program. The new version may not be as addictive as the original for some, but it makes a nice package. The multi-player capabilities are fairly well done, with no major glitches.

Bottom Line: A good new upgrade to the Tetris classic which also includes the classic version. Some may still opt for Classic Tetris.

Ratings: (based on KBkids.com's 4 star rating system)

Overall: 4

BrainGain: 3

FunFactor: 4

EasePlease: 4

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