Tetris
Tetris is a puzzle game, developed in the Soviet Union in 1985.[1] The game has a simple goal of destroying lines of blocks before it reaches the top. The line is made up of a square block. The Tetrimino is the shape of the 4 connected blocks that fall down.[2] The player will have to use the Tetriminos to create lines that fill the box. This will clear the lines of blocks. The game continues, the lines of blocks that is not completely filled will drop down as many lines that were cleared. The game has levels of difficulties which rises as the game is being played.
| Tetris | |
|---|---|
 A typical Tetris game screen | |
| Developer(s) | Vadim Gerasimov Vladimir Pokhilko Alexey Pajitnov  |
| Designer(s) | Alexey Pajitnov |
| Platform(s) | List of Tetris variants |
| Release | Electronika 60
|
| Genre(s) | Puzzle, tile-matching |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Tetris has appeared on many video game systems. It has become very common from back when Alexey Pajitnov first made it in 1985. With over 500 million copies sold across all of its different versions, it is the best-selling video game of all time.[3]
Gameplay
The goal is to drop blocks, called Tetriminos, down into a 10x20 playing field to make horizontal lines. Tetriminos are made of four connected squares each. There are seven Tetriminos.[2] Levels have a set goal, or number of lines to clear. When the goal number reaches zero, the player moves to the next level. As the levels go up, Tetriminos fall faster. Clearing lines give points. A player gets more points if they clear more than one line with one Tetrimino. Clearing four lines is called a "Tetris", three lines a "triple" and two lines a "double".[4] Clearing two Tetrises in a row is called a Back-to-Back Tetris. The player can also turn a T-shaped Tetrimino into a hole, called a T-slot, to get more points.[4] This move is called a "T-Spin". In older versions of the game, the player loses when the tetrominos make it to the top of the playing field. In more modern versions of the game, they can lose in two ways. The first is when they place a piece completely above the playing field. The second way to lose is if a player places a piece that blocks the next piece from spawning in.
Music
On the Game Boy, there are several musical themes played. The theme for level 1 and used in the Game Boy version is often called the "Tetris Theme". It is actually a Russian dance called Korobeiniki, or "The Peddlers." Other themes include music by Johann Sebastian Bach and the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
References
- "Tetris | video game | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
- The Tetromino Facts. 2009, Tetris Press.
- Langston, Keith (August 22, 2021). "The 10 Bestselling Video Games Of All Time". Screen Rant. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- "Tetris Terminology". Archived from the original on 2011-10-20. Retrieved 2011-10-30.