Review: Tetris Party Deluxe (DS)
Tetris is a game I assume most (if not all) gamers are aware of. And while the base game is at the core of what made it such a staple, some would muse that it was Nintendo’s decision to include it as a free pack-in to the world’s first portable video game system, the Game Boy (cue cheap plug for my chip music act), that shot its popularity into the stratosphere. So it’s no surprise that the game comes around each time a new portable gaming device shows up. It lives and breathes on the go, in most people’s eyes. Nintendo themselves developed a version of Tetris for their wildly popular DS system early in its life but it seemed to come and go in the blink of an eye, fetching some crazy prices on the resale market once it went out of print. Finally, developer Hudson steps in to bring Tetris back to the DS with Tetris Party Deluxe, a portable version of a game they had previously released on WiiWare.
Right off the bat, you’ll realize that Tetris Party Deluxe is filled to the brim with modes and features. There are eight single player modes and eight multi-player modes (most with their own versions and rule variants). There are a lot of ways to play! You can play multi-player with multiple cartridges (where most of the game modes lie), with only one cartridge (offering only Battle and Co-op modes) or over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection with voice chat (offering Battle and Duel Spaces mode, either with friends or worldwide).
Marathon mode is your standard Tetris game, and this is probably where most people will spend the bulk of their time with Tetris Party Deluxe. Computer Battle mode pits you against the CPU as you send garbage blocks to each other as you race to complete the most lines and force your opponent to lose. Field Climber mode is a really neat mode where you have to guide a little stick figure man to the top of the screen by carefully building a set of stairs for him to climb up. Shadow mode is a series of stages where you have to use your blocks to match a shape in the background as accurately as possible.
But wait, there’s more! Stage Racer mode is a series of stages where you you guide one block down a series of tunnels as fast as possible without landing on any of the obstacles (this mode is great for teaching you how you can rotate pieces in and out of each other for use in other modes). Sprint mode is simply a mode where you try to create 40 lines in the fastest possible time. Master mode is similar to Marathon mode except that the pieces drop instantly and you have mere microseconds to arrange them as they hit the bottom. Bombliss mode is another mode with a set number of stage in which you attempt to remove a special piece by clearing lines that trigger bombs. Most of these modes have their own customization options to suit your play style and mood.
Multi-player modes are mostly based on the single player modes, with the majority being VS versions where you compete for lines and simply race towards the specific mode’s goal. One unique (and really cool) mode is Co-op mode, where two players play in one extra wide field at the same time. VS Battle mode also includes items you can earn and use against each other that affect the other player’s playing fields or controls.
One last thing to mention is the Records section, including a LOT of data on your playing including high score tables for every mode (and every variant), online rankings and an achievement list, tracking over 130 achievements. It’s a really cool little section to go over after you’ve put some time into the game to see how much you’ve accomplished and maybe to motivate you to branch out and try something new.
Overall, Tetris Party Deluxe is a incredibly feature-packed version of the timeless game, with both classic and new ways to play. If you need a Tetris fix on the go for your DS, this one will keep you occupied for quite some time with the amount of content in the package. The only wish I have, as a DSi owner, is to maybe have a trimmed down version with just the basic Marathon and VS modes for DSiWare as a way to have a Tetris fix permanently attached to your DSi.
