Software:Tetris DS

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Short description: 2006 video game
Tetris DS
North American packaging artwork
Developer(s)Nintendo SPD
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Masaki Tawara
Producer(s)Hitoshi Yamagami
Programmer(s)
  • Kazuki Yoshihara
  • Masahiro Kawano
Artist(s)
  • Tomoyoshi Yamane
  • Naoko Okamoto
  • Yukio Mishima
Writer(s)
  • Shuici Narusawa
  • Kazuhiro Yoshikawa
Composer(s)
  • Minako Hamano
  • Akira Fujiwara
SeriesTetris
Platform(s)Nintendo DS
Release
  • NA: March 20, 2006
  • AU: April 13, 2006
  • EU: April 21, 2006
  • JP: April 27, 2006
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Lua error in Module:Lang/utilities at line 332: attempt to call field '_transl' (a nil value). is a puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo. It was released for the Nintendo DS on March 20, 2006, in North America, April 13, 2006, in Australia, April 21, 2006, in Europe, and April 27, 2006, in Japan.[1] An installment of the Tetris franchise, the game supports up to ten players locally, and supported online multiplayer of up to four players using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection prior to its discontinuation.

Tetris DS features several new modes of play, each with a different theme styled after retro Nintendo games. They include Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong, and Yoshi's Cookie.[2] Multiplayer gameplay also incorporates items to be used competitively. The game received positive reviews from critics, who cited its additional game modes and multiplayer capabilities. Long after its release, it continued to be upheld as the best portable Tetris title, and one of the best in the series.

Gameplay

The game's standard mode, featuring a scene from Super Mario Bros. on the top screen

The game is split into six unique single-player modes, some of which are usable in the game's multiplayer.[3] Each game variant is represented by a different Nintendo theme and character from a retro game, with the Super Mario Bros. sub-series featured in the game's standard, default mode, while other series appear in the alternate modes that provide a different spin on gameplay.[2]

The game's standard mode plays in a similar manner as classic Tetris, in which the player must move clusters of different-shaped tiles (tetrominos), manipulate them as they drop by spinning them, and place them in a pile at the bottom. Players must stack each piece without empty space so that they can continue clearing lines of the pile.[4] Difficulty of this mode increases with every 10 lines cleared.[3]

The game makes use of the infinite spin feature that was initially introduced in Tetris Worlds, allowing the player to prevent a piece from being locked as long as it continues to spin.[4]

The Zelda-themed[5] Mission mode features changing goals that appear in the top-right of the top screen; sometimes, only certain pieces can fall depending on what goal is active. A "hold" box allows the player to save a piece for later use.[3]

Push mode is a competitive two-player game, where the objective is to push the opponent's pieces towards the bottom of the screen. The player always controls the top screen and must clear two or more lines to shift the block down towards their opponent. If the block is pushed all the way towards the opponent, the player wins; clearing more lines shifts the block more drastically.[3]

Touch mode consists of two variants; Tower mode and Touch Puzzle mode. The former stacks pieces in a disorganized tower, and the player must attempt to get the box of balloons at the top to the bottom by touching and sliding the pieces, or double-tapping them to rotate. The latter contains 50 puzzles ranging in difficulty that must be solved by sliding pieces with the stylus, without rotating them.[3]

In Catch mode, which is themed after Metroid,[6] the player controls a rotating block of pieces that can catch other falling pieces. The central core will detonate once the player achieves a 4×4 block. If enough pieces fall to the bottom without being caught, the player will lose all their energy.[3]

Puzzle mode contains 200 puzzles, ranging from requiring three to five pieces to solve. The pieces must be selected in the proper combination, and rotated the right way to solve the puzzle by clearing all blocks. While the top screen displays the puzzle board, the bottom screen displays the pieces.[3]

The game's multiplayer features player-versus-player basic Tetris, competition Tetris with unique items for up to 10 players locally, and Push mode. Two and four-player competitions could be played over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection before it was shut down, either using a friend code or searching for random players in Worldwide mode, but can only currently be played using a homebrew server.[7] Additionally, the various modes can be played from a single cartridge using Download Play.[8]

Development and release

Tetris DS was first announced on January 10, 2006.[9] It was first released on March 20, 2006, in North America, with releases worldwide following on April 13, 2006, for Australia, April 21, 2006, for Europe, and April 27, 2006, for Japan.[1]

The rights for Nintendo to make a Tetris game were licensed by The Tetris Company. In an interview, an owner of the company, Henk Rogers, stated that he believed that with Tetris DS, Nintendo would both "move Tetris forward" as well as make money. Also stating that Nintendo was given a great deal of creative freedom in designing the game, he called the game's producer, Hitoshi Yamagami, "one of the smartest game designers I know". Saying that he had "complete confidence in him", Rogers confirmed that there had been no issues combining Nintendo properties and characters with Tetris.[10]

Rogers cited Mission and Tower modes as interesting to him because they were unlike anything done before in Tetris. He stated that the inclusion of the "infinite spin" feature in games such as Tetris DS was done so that games could progress to faster action more quickly without becoming overly difficult, since people had less time to play while on the go. Saying that he believed a sequel on DS was not necessary due to the game's "solid play", he said that his only complaint about the game was that its online mode was "uneven" in its matchmaking.[10]

To promote the game in Japan, Nintendo held an event in August 2006 in which 30 people with Club Nintendo memberships were selected to play against singer Hikaru Utada, who won most of the matches.[11][12][13][14]

In 2016, The Cutting Room Floor discovered and released a prototype for Tetris DS developed by Tose Software originally to be published by THQ, but cancelled in favor of Nintendo's version.[15] THQ had been working on the game since late 2004, but was prevented from releasing the game in March 2005 by The Tetris Company, causing THQ to file a legal complaint against the company alleging a breach of its license agreement.[16] The legal dispute was later settled.[17]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic84/100[18]
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGM3/5[19]
Edge7/10[20]
EGM7.83/10[21]
Eurogamer8/10[5]
Famitsu35/40[22]
Game Informer9.25/10[23]
GamePro5/5[3]
GameRevolutionB−[24]
GameSpot7.5/10[25]
GameSpy4.5/5[6]
GameTrailers9/10[26]
GameZone9/10[4]
IGN9/10[8]
Nintendo Power9.5/10[27]
Pocket Gamer4.5/5[30]
The Sydney Morning Herald3.5/5[28]
The Times3/5[29]

Tetris DS received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregation website Metacritic.[18]

Several publications gave the game very high or perfect scores. GamePro rated the game 5/5 stars, praising the game's large variety of modes, and calling it "an amazing puzzle package, and [...] easily one of the best DS games to date".[3] Nintendo Power gave the game a rating of 9.5/10, stating that "you may not love all of it, but you will love much of it".[27] Game Informer rated the game 9.25/10, calling it an "excellent reinvention of one of gaming's greatest titles".[23] Pocket Gamer UK rated the game 4.5/5 stars, saying it was a "must-buy", although commenting that "zealots" may call the game too easy.[30] 4Players rated it 90/100, calling it "next to Meteos the most important puzzler of modern times".[2] Famitsu gave it a score of two nines, one eight, and one nine for a total of 35 out of 40.[22]

More mixed reviews included that of Ryan Davis of GameSpot, who rated the game 7.5/10. In his review, he said that while the game was much better than other recent versions, it also made "enough minor, obvious mistakes to keep it from becoming essential", calling it "saddled with some unfortunate compromises".[25] The A.V. Club gave it a B+, praising the game's modes as "innovative", but criticizing the game's online, where "dedicated fanboys [...] will eat newbies for breakfast".[31] The Sydney Morning Herald rated the game 3.5/5 stars, calling multiplayer the game's best addition, but suggesting purists would not like changes such as the hold box and infinite spin.[28] The Times also rated the game 3.5/5 stars, calling the game "a little too retro to be anything other than a game to play in short bursts".[29]

Sales

By August 1, 2006, Tetris DS was close to going platinum in Japan, with more than 800,000 units sold.[32] By July 25, 2007, the game had sold 2.05 million copies worldwide.[33]

Awards

  • GameSpy: #2 Nintendo DS Game of the Year[34]
  • IGN: Editors' Choice Award[35]

Legacy

In the years following the game's release, English copies of the game became rare and difficult to find due to its popularity in the West, leading many to purchase more plentiful Japanese-language copies.[36]

Long after its release, Tetris DS continues to be held in high regard by critics as one of the best Tetris games ever made. In 2011, Stephen Totilo of Kotaku compared Software:Tetris: Axis to Tetris DS, finding the latter significantly better and recommending people play it instead.[37] In a 2018 retrospective, John Linneman of Digital Foundry called the game the third-best in the series after Tetris Effect and Tetris: The Grand Master 3 - Terror Instinct, as well as the best portable Tetris game.[38] Christian Donlan, also of Eurogamer, stated in 2020 that his DS was "largely still active" due to the game, calling the series the "final boss of video game consoles".[39]

Notes

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Tetris DS (2006) Nintendo DS release dates". https://www.mobygames.com/game/nintendo-ds/tetris-ds/release-info. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Kautz, Paul (2006-04-28). "Tetris DS" (in de). https://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht/NDS/Test/7834/4489/0/Tetris_DS.html. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Mr. Marbles (2006-03-20). "Review: Tetris DS". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/ds/games/reviews/52736.shtml. Retrieved 2018-09-24. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Sandoval, Angelina (2006-11-29). "Tetris DS - NDS - Review". https://www.gamezone.com/reviews/tetris_ds_nds_review/. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bramwell, Tom (2006-04-04). "Tetris DS". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ss_tetris_ds. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Theobald, Phil (2006-03-20). "Tetris DS Review". IGN Entertainment. http://ds.gamespy.com/nintendo-ds/tetris/697101p1.html. 
  7. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (2014-06-20). "How to get your DS and Wii back online, and the people who made it possible" (in en). https://www.polygon.com/2014/6/20/5775924/how-to-get-ds-wii-online. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Harris, Craig (2006-03-15). "Tetris DS". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/03/16/tetris-ds. 
  9. ↑ Greenwald, Will (2006-01-10). "Tetris coming to the DS with online play" (in en). https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/tetris-coming-to-the-ds-with-online-play/. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Metts, Jonathan (2006-04-06). "Tetris from the Top: An Interview with Henk Rogers - Interview". http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/interview/11267/tetris-from-the-top-an-interview-with-henk-rogers. 
  11. ↑ "宇多田ヒカルは本気で『テトリス』超人だった！　"宇多田ヒカルとテトリス対戦"開催！" (in Japanese). 12 August 2006. https://www.famitsu.com/game/news/2006/08/12/103,1155380343,58627,0,0.html. 
  12. ↑ Saeki, Kenji (12 August 2006). "その腕前はホンモノだった! 任天堂、「宇多田ヒカルさんとテトリス対戦!!」イベントで怒涛の快進撃" (in Japanese). Impress Watch Corporation. https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20060812/nin.htm. 
  13. ↑ "宇多田ヒカルさんが一般参加者30名と『テトリスDS』で真剣勝負！その結果は……？" (in Japanese). Kadokawa. 14 August 2006. https://dengekionline.com/data/news/2006/8/14/2a30a56b28e3246904a930d918562b28.html. 
  14. ↑ "クラブニンテンドーで宇多田ヒカルと『テトリスDS』で対戦！" (in Japanese). 24 June 2006. https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2006/06/24/18641.html. 
  15. ↑ Renaudin, Clement (2016-06-06). "On Tetris' birthday, a wild prototype for cancelled Tetris DS by THQ appears" (in en). https://www.pocketgamer.com/articles/070319/on-tetris-birthday-a-wild-prototype-for-cancelled-tetris-ds-by-thq-appears/. 
  16. ↑ "Prototype Release: THQ's unreleased Tetris DS". 2016-06-06. https://tcrfwiki.tumblr.com/post/145420915583/prototype-release-thqs-unreleased-tetris-ds. 
  17. ↑ Jenkins, David (2006-06-09). "THQ Settles Tetris Rights Dispute" (in en). https://www.gamedeveloper.com/console/thq-settles-i-tetris-i-rights-dispute. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Tetris DS for DS Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/tetris-ds/critic-reviews/?platform=ds. 
  19. ↑ "Tetris DS". Computer Games Magazine (theGlobe.com): 92. June 2006. 
  20. ↑ Edge staff (May 2006). "Tetris DS". Edge (Future plc) (162): 97. 
  21. ↑ Tsao, Jennifer; Parish, Jeremy; Boyer, Crispin (2006-04-05). "Tetris DS". Electronic Gaming Monthly (203): 108. https://archive.org/details/electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-203-may-2006/page/107/mode/2up. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Gantayat, Anoop (2006-05-04). "Now Playing in Japan". https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/05/04/now-playing-in-japan-100. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Tetris DS". Game Informer (GameStop) (156): 134. April 2006. 
  24. ↑ Mike Reilly (March 29, 2006). "Tetris DS Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/36751-tetris-ds-review. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Ryan Davis (March 17, 2006). "Tetris DS Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/tetris-ds-review/1900-6146173/. 
  26. ↑ "Tetris DS Review". Viacom. July 4, 2006. http://gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?id=2416. 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Tetris DS". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 203: 90. May 2006. 
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Jason Hill (April 27, 2006). "Tetris DS". The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media). https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/tetris-ds-20060427-gdnffr.html. 
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Nigel Kendall (May 13, 2006). "Tetris DS". The Times. https://www.thetimes.com/culture/gaming/article/tetris-ds-2df9hxshz7w. 
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Jordan, Jon (2006-04-30). "Tetris DS" (in en). https://www.pocketgamer.com/articles/000973/tetris-ds/. 
  31. ↑ Bonnie Ruberg (August 16, 2006). "Tetris DS". The Onion. https://www.avclub.com/tetris-ds-1798209639. 
  32. ↑ Jenkins, David (2006-08-01). "DS Becomes Fastest Selling Japanese Console" (in en). https://www.gamedeveloper.com/. 
  33. ↑ Matt Casamassina (July 25, 2007). "Nintendo Sales Update". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/07/25/nintendo-sales-update. 
  34. ↑ "GameSpy's Game of the Year 2006". 2006-12-13. http://goty.gamespy.com/2006/ds/index5.html. 
  35. ↑ "Editors' Choice (Nintendo DS)". Ziff Davis. http://ds.ign.com/index/choice.html. 
  36. ↑ Fletcher, JC (2008-04-10). "Navigating your Japanese copy of Tetris DS" (in en-US). https://www.engadget.com/2008-04-10-navigating-your-japanese-copy-of-tetris-ds.html. 
  37. ↑ Totilo, Stephen (2011-09-28). "In the Case of the Inferior New Tetris Game, I Declare the 3DS: Not Guilty" (in en-us). https://kotaku.com/in-the-case-of-the-inferior-new-tetris-game-i-declare-5844764. 
  38. ↑ Welsh, Oli (2018-11-14). "The evolution of Tetris - and why Tetris Effect is "the perfect game"" (in en). https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-11-12-the-evolution-of-tetris-and-why-tetris-effect-is-the-perfect-game. 
  39. ↑ Donlan, Christian (2020-11-12). "Tetris Effect: Connected review - pure multiplayer joy" (in en). https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-11-12-tetris-effect-connected-review-pure-multiplayer-joy. 

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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