Software:Tetris Plus

From HandWiki
Short description: 1996 video game
Tetris Plus
North American Saturn cover art
Developer(s)Jaleco[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)Jaleco
JVC Music Europe (Europe)
Nintendo (GB, North America & Europe)
SeriesTetris
Platform(s)Arcade
Sega Saturn
PlayStation
Game Boy
ReleaseArcade
  • WW: Script error: No such module "Date time".
Saturn
  • JP: Script error: No such module "Date time".
  • NA: Script error: No such module "Date time".
  • EU: Script error: No such module "Date time".
PlayStation
  • JP: Script error: No such module "Date time".
  • NA: Script error: No such module "Date time".
  • EU: Script error: No such module "Date time".
Game Boy
  • JP: Script error: No such module "Date time".
  • EU: Script error: No such module "Date time".
  • AU: Script error: No such module "Date time".
  • NA: Script error: No such module "Date time".
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Tetris Plus (Japanese: テトリスプラス, Hepburn: Tetorisu Purasu) is a puzzle video game developed and published by Jaleco for arcades in 1996, and ported to the Sega Saturn, PlayStation and Game Boy later that year. The game would be followed by a sequel, Tetris Plus 2, in 1997.

Gameplay

Arcade version screenshot.

The game consists of two main modes, Classic Mode and Puzzle Mode. Classic Mode is a standard Tetris game. Puzzle Mode is a mission-based mode where the player must clear a pre-arranged puzzle layout in a limited time. Also included is an editor for making Puzzle Mode levels, and capability for competitive multiplayer in either game mode. The console versions also have a two-player Versus Mode, which is essentially puzzle mode with two players racing for the finish line.

Puzzle Mode

The biggest addition to Tetris Plus is the Puzzle Mode. The player starts with the first zone, the Egypt; later there are in order: Angkor Wat, Maya and Knossos. The final area, Atlantis, is unlocked by successfully completing the other four stages. Each of the four locations has a different level set. Once the game starts, the player is presented with a cluster of pre-placed bricks, and a professor character who enters the play-area through a disappearing gate and gets trapped along with a spiked ceiling. The objective is to get the professor to fall to the bottom, by placing blocks and clearing lines, before the spiked ceiling at the top comes down and crushes him. Two blocks wide and tall, he will aimlessly walk forward until he bumps into a block, after which he turns around and walks the other way. If he comes across a gap that is large enough for him to fit through, he will fall down onto the blocks below him. Conversely, if blocks are placed on top of him, he will climb up them until he reaches the top.[1] But if he is unable to move, he will fall asleep until either a block comes down onto him or the ceiling reaches his current position. If these blocks lead too closely to the spikes or the spikes reaches closer, the professor will die.

Upon starting the level, the spiked ceiling will start at the top of the play area. About once every eighteen seconds, it will move down one notch, slowly taking away workable space. The player is able to make the ceiling go back up, however, if they can clear three or four rows at once. The ceiling will also destroy any placed blocks that are in its way. This can be used to remove any unwanted pieces until the piece the player wants appears. If the timer go up for over 125 seconds, the ceiling will come down faster and the professor will get crushed.

Release

The game was published in 1996 in the United States by Jaleco, shortly after the company signed an agreement with Blue Planet Software giving Jaleco exclusive rights to publish Tetris games for the Saturn and PlayStation in the United States for the following two years.[2] The PlayStation version sold well enough to be re-released for the Greatest Hits budget range.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameSAT: 1.5/5[3]
EGMSAT: 7.5/10[4]
GameSpotSAT: 4.6/10[5]
Next GenerationSAT: 3/5[6]
Sega Saturn MagazineSAT: 78%[7]

In Japan, Game Machine listed Tetris Plus on their February 1, 1996, issue as being the sixth most-successful arcade game of the month.[8]

Critical response to the Sega Saturn version was generally unenthusiastic. GameSpot editor Peter Criscuola referred to it as "a feeble attempt at reviving a legend",[5] GamePro's Scary Larry as "a poor addition to the Tetris library",[9] and Stephen Fulljames of Sega Saturn Magazine as "certainly nothing to get excited about."[7] The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly were more positive than most, with Dan Hsu deeming it "a good package for even a part-time Tetris fan" and Sushi-X "a rewarding title with multiple levels of fun with the same classic challenge."[4] The Puzzle Mode was met with disapproval for various reasons: Criscuola said it was too easy,[5] Fulljames said it was frustratingly hard,[7] Scary Larry said it didn't differ enough from the original Tetris,[9] and a Next Generation critic said it simply wasn't as appealing as the original.[6] Other frequent criticisms were that the graphics are subpar,[4][5][7][9] and that the controls in all the modes are more difficult and counterintuitive than in previous versions of Tetris.[4][5][7]

In a retrospective review, Allgame editor Jon Thompson called the Saturn version "boring".[3]

Sequel

Tetris Plus 2 (Japanese: テトリスプラス2, Hepburn: Tetorisu Purasu Tzū) is an arcade game released by Jaleco in 1997.[10] It was the only sequel to Tetris Plus. The main difference was that the professor's assistant was made playable, with her movement speed being faster.

Notes

  1. ↑ Ported to Saturn, PlayStation, and Game Boy by Natsume Co., Ltd.

References

  1. ↑ "Preview: Tetris Plus". Sega Saturn Magazine (Emap International Limited) (14): 24. December 1996. 
  2. ↑ "Tidbits". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (87): 28. October 1996. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Thompson, Jon. "Tetris Plus - Review". Allgame. http://allgame.com/game.php?id=1968&tab=review. Retrieved November 6, 2017. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Review Crew: Tetris Plus". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (87): 61. October 1996. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Criscuola, Peter (December 1, 1996). "Tetris Plus Review". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/tetris-plus-review/1900-2534128/. Retrieved November 5, 2017. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Tetris Plus". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (23): 272. November 1996. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Fulljames, Stephen (January 1997). "Review: Tetris Plus". Sega Saturn Magazine (Emap International Limited) (15): 78–79. 
  8. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (511): 21. 1 February 1996. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "ProReview: Tetris Plus". GamePro (IDG) (99): 146. December 1996. 
  10. ↑ "IGN: Tetris Plus 2". IGN. http://uk.cheats.ign.com/objects/886/886631.html. Retrieved 2008-11-02. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari





Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Tetris_Plus&oldid=3961772"