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Tetris (BPS) |
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LAST UPDATED: 08/04/06 |
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REVIEWED BY:
Jedi |
"It
doesn't quite stand up to Tengen's unofficial title, but it stays
more traditional than Nintendo's.
All in all, each Tetris
stands on its own." |
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THE
DATA
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NAME |
Tetris |
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PLATFORM |
Famicom |
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DEVELOPER |
Bullet-Proof Software |
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PUBLISHER |
Bullet-Proof Software |
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PLAYERS |
1 player |
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RELEASE DATE |
1988 |
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GENRE |
Strategy |
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SAVING OPTION |
No |
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NES NTSC |
Tetris |
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NES PAL |
Tetris |
THE RATINGS
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STORYLINE |
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2/5
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GRAPHICS |
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3/5 |
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AUDIO |
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3.5/5 |
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GAMEPLAY |
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3.5/5 |
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CONTROL |
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3.5/5 |
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FUN FACTOR |
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3.5/5 |
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FRUSTRATION |
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3/5 |
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OVERALL |
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3/5 |
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The Famicom version of Tetris is a well known copy of Alexey
Pazhitnov's Tetris; oh wait, no it isn't! Many NES fans may
already be familiar with the two Nintendo Entertainment System versions:
one by Tengen and one by Nintendo. The unofficial Tengen version came
before Nintendo's official adaptation of the same title, but many
believe that Tengen's work was superior. It allowed for two players,
contained four Russian compositions, and featured five selection modes,
including a cooperative type. The Nintendo release, solo, had two
distinct modes, and three scores (including Dance of the Sugar-plum
Fairy), as well as some witty intermissions.
The Famicom Tetris was developed by Bullet-Proof Software (BPS) in
1988, about a year before the other two clashed into action.
The manual's front cover.
The box's front.
The box's back.
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Unless you consider the
copyright intro, there really is no story to Tetris. You
stack blocks, in hopes of preventing the screen from cramming to the
top, and, when it does, you "die." Regardless of any storyline, the
atmosphere is present, with a setting of St. Basil's and melodies of
Karinka and Troika!
Even Bullet-Proof Software claimed Tengen had a
license.
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After the copyright
screen closes, we are introduced to a weary, yet fine looking
graphic, of St. Basil's Church, a still picture with its foundation
descending into Tetris articles underneath -- very unique compared
to the more common depictions. As for the rest of the game, the
colors seem a little drab. It's a pleasant style that very well
gives an aged impression. The backdrop during gameplay is a fine
touch, though it's too bad the colors don't change through the
progression of the stages like in the Nintendo version.
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The music is excellent.
The opening plays a component of the Tetris theme, and the first
selectable track, Technotris, is an outstanding arrangement
by the composer; however, the sound effects get in the way of
certain channels during main play. This is noticeable while shifting
left and right. The SFX themselves are quite remarkable and varied
as well. They are reminiscent of the sounds from Metroid. The noises
between the objects being forced down intentionally and falling on
their own are distinct, allowing one to figure out that when a
crucial one lands unexpectedly it's the player's fault for taking
too long, instead of bashing the game for its terribleness. Overall,
exceptional audio with minor discrepancies.
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There's only one method
of play, with a couple of options that affect the speed and amount
of debris left in the field. BPS Tetris is, of course, one
player. It plays like
'Mode
B' on the Nintendo Tetris, allotting an amount of lines that must be
completed, and, when successfully accomplished, clears the field for the
next phase; in contrast to the Tengen Tetris, which plays like 'Mode
A' on the Nintendo version, a relentless wave of levels one after another.
One strange aspect of BPS Tetris is the "lives" attribute. You are
given three attempts to form 25 lines, represented by the hearts in the
top-left corner. It's a nice add on, but unnecessary, considering the
difficulty is rather mild. Even on Stage 9, with the Round set to 0, a
novice can undertake it with little to no dilemma. In fact, one may end up
clearing all the stages and repeating the first one with the tempo reverted
back to normal again, thus resulting in a loop of endless endeavor. This is
an inferior programming quality compared to the subsequent titles that,
instead, rev up the speed to a higher-than-normally-selectable difficulty.
Tip: Hold Down and A after a piece has
been dropped to "freeze" the game.
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The first notable factor is
the awkward controls. It takes a little getting used to. Pressing Down
on the D-pad causes the rotation, while the A button drops the object.
Actually, it doesn't 'drop,' it actually gets slammed to the bottom of
the deck immediately, prohibiting any further adjustments. This is a bit
of a setback, because it forces one to wait in order to 'slide' a piece
into an enclosed space. Another problem is the lack of a clockwise
turning ability; there's only one button to rotate the item, and it
revolves counter-clockwise. Choppy controls = Bad experience.
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The music adds a sort of
ambiance to the gameplay, which is simply too easy. The hyped up
Technotris, as melodious as can be, can't help this port from
being as bland as it is. Adjustments to the settings must be made to
get the desired amount of intricacy. Do keep in mind that this is an
early release and can still be found somewhat more enjoyable than
the Nintendo Tetris. For one thing, it is compelling to
rapidly slam down Tetris pieces at command.
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Despite
the distinctive controls, the single direction rotations, and the
immediate plunge of the objects, there is one more unnerving
element. When the blocks pile up too high, and the following piece
starts out touching a part of the stack, the game is over. Nintendo
does this, too. So what's the difference? In BPS Tetris,
blocks are created one space from the top, creating an illusion that
there are twenty vertical spaces as opposed to nineteen. The three
lives makes up for that. The lack of ability and smoothness is made
up for in overall easiness.
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BPS Tetris is slightly more comprehensive compared to
Nintendo's efforts. In addition to the hearts, BPS Tetris
incorporates a results screen that tallies up the individual points
to the total score. Tengen Tetris includes something similar,
yet. In general, Bullet-Proof Software retains a decent port. It
doesn't quite stand up to Tengen's unofficial title, but it stays
more traditional than Nintendo's. All in all, each Tetris
stands on its own. BPS and Tengen keep true to the theme. Tengen
contains many play options. Nintendo and Tengen display bright,
vivid graphics. Nintendo combines both modes of play between BPS and
Tengen. Finally, BPS has a unique style that is unmatched by either
Tetris port. Ban that, Nintendo!
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HINTS
Hold Down and A after a piece has
been dropped to "freeze" the game. |
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