Tetris is a tile-matching video game created by Russian software engineer Alexey Pajitnov in 1984. It has been published by several companies, most prominently during a dispute over the appropriation of the rights in the late 1980s. After a significant period of publication by Nintendo, the rights reverted to Pajitnov in 1996, who co-founded The Tetris Company with Henk Rogers to manage licensing.
In Tetris, players complete lines by moving differently
Tetris (Nintendo NES version)
shaped pieces (tetrominoes), which descend onto the playing field. The completed lines disappear and grant the player points, and the player can proceed to fill the vacated spaces. The game ends when the playing field is filled. The longer the player can delay this inevitable outcome, the higher their score will be. In multiplayer games, the players must last longer than their opponents, and in certain versions, players can inflict penalties on opponents by completing a significant number of lines. Some adaptations have provided variations to the game's theme, such as three-dimensional displays or a system for reserving pieces.
Built on simple rules and requiring intelligence and skill, Tetris established itself as one of the great early video games. It has sold 202 million copies – approximately 70 million physical units and 132 million paid mobile game downloads – as of December 2011, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time; the Game Boy version in particular is one of the best-selling games of all time, with over 35 million copies sold. The game is available on over 65 platforms, setting a Guinness world record for the most ported video game title. Tetris is rooted within popular culture and its popularity extends beyond the sphere of video games; imagery from the game has influenced architecture, music and cosplay. The game has also been the subject of various research studies that have analyzed its theoretical complexity and have shown its effect on the human brain following a session, in particular the Tetris effect.
This version of Tetris is one of many conversions of the famous block-stacking game, as well as the best-known (but not the only) version on Nintendo's first home console. The goal is to place pieces made up of four tiles in a ten-by-twenty well, organizing them into complete rows, which disappear. As rows are cleared, the pace of the game increases, and the game ends if the stack reaches the top of the well.
The game offers two different modes of play, 'Type A' and 'Type B'. 'Type A' is a standard endless mode, where the speed of the game increases every ten lines, with an option for the starting level when beginning the game. 'Type B', on the other hand, is a race to clear 25 lines, with options for both drop speed and starting garbage. In both modes, successful play is rewarded with cute animations. There are also three different background songs to choose from.
More details about this game can be found on
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Find digital download of this game on
GOG
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Steam.
Game controls:
The NES version of Tetris was originally controlled via the NES controller with a cross-shaped joypad and two action buttons. The basic description of game controls is summarized in the table below. Detailed description of how to play this game can be found a in the attached game manual. Please note that individual
gamepad buttons are emulated by different keys on your PC keyboard depending on the settings of your online emulator (see the table next to the game).
Press left and right to move blocks in the same direction. Press down to make the blocks fall down fast. Use these controls to select TYPE, LEVEL and HEIGHT.
Press the A button to rotate falling block 90° clockwise.
Press the B button to rotate falling block 90° counter-clockwise.
Press Select to delete the NEXT display during play. (Press again to restore.)
Use to start the game. Press during play to pause. Press again to resume play.
Videogame Console:
This version of Tetris was designed for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), which was an eight-bit video game console manufactured
by Nintendo in the years 1983 - 2003. In that time, it was the best-selling video game console for which more than 700 licensed games and a number of non-licensed
games were created. Worldwide, approximately 62 million units of this console were sold at approximately price $ 100 per unit. More information about the
NES console can be found here.
Recommended Game Controllers:
You can control this game easily by using the keyboard of your PC (see the table next to the game). However, for maximum gaming enjoyment, we strongly recommend using a USB gamepad that you simply plug into the USB port of your computer. If you do not have a gamepad, you can buy one of these NES controllers:
Available online emulators:
6 different online emulators are available for Tetris. These emulators differ not only in the technology they use to emulate old games, but also in support of various game controllers, multiplayer mode, mobile phone touchscreen, emulation speed, absence or presence of embedded ads and in many other parameters. For
maximum gaming enjoyment, it's important to choose the right emulator, because on each PC and in different Internet browsers, the individual emulators behave differently. The basic
features of each emulator available for this game Tetris are summarized in the following table:
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