Tetris Evolved

Every gamer out of their teens can remember with vivid clarity their parents asking them to "turn it down" or "turn it off," and nearly as many can recall those same parents snatching their old-school, brick-like Game Boy for a few more seconds of Tetris bliss.

The classic block-based puzzler designed by Alexey Pajitnov (creator of Hexic® HD, incidentally) will always be a classic, but that doesn't mean it can't use an occasional makeover.

One feature is new skins and backgrounds.

Tetris® Evolution for Xbox 360™ is that makeover, a feature-rich, gameplay-mode bonanza Tetris fans have been waiting for.

Classic Marathon
To put the Tetris puritans out there at ease, you can rest assured that the classic Marathon mode is still intact and remains the cornerstone of the Tetris franchise. If you want to set that all-time personal high-score with no timers, and nothing but your own blunders and swiftly falling "tetrominoes" (the fancy name for the Tetris shapes) to stop you, Tetris Evolution has got you covered.

Play competitively or cooperatively with a friend.

For those looking for a bit more variety, check out these different game types:

• Ultra: A fancy name for timed games—choose from one, three, and five minute matches, racing against the clock to the clear the level.
• Cascade: Similar to Marathon except you receive bonus points for every line you clear due to blocks falling from an "initial" line clearing. Tetris veterans will appreciate the vast difference in block placement strategy this mode requires.
• Race: Set speed records for clearing 10, 25, or 40 line levels as quickly as you can.
• Score: Similar to Race except the goal is to reach 5,000, 10,000, or 25,000 points as quickly as you can.
• Hotline: With the Tetris matrix preset, clear six specific, targeted lines on the board, with each unique line worth different amounts depending on difficulty.
• Eraser: Similar to Hotline except your score is based on how quickly you can eliminate the targeted lines.
• Go Low: Go Low offers points based on how low your highest block is when you clear a line. No setting up massive combos in this mode.

Four Players
Tetris Evolution couldn't be called an Xbox 360 game if it didn't embrace multiplayer over Xbox LIVE®, but luckily it does just that and then some. Playing against up to three opponents simultaneously can provide some of the most intense, fast-paced puzzle action available anywhere. What's more, you can play any of the aforementioned single-player modes multiplayer whether online or offline.

Four player mode can get pretty hectic.

Multiplayer includes three different styles, which can be applied to any game mode:

• Versus: This classic style simply pits you against your opponents in a free-for-all for the highest score or quickest time.
• Hotseat: Ever wanted to play Tetris cooperatively? Taking turns, each player will begin where the other left off, cooperating for a combined high score.
• Independent: This mode is similar to Versus, but with each screen operating independently of interference. For example, in Marathon mode, you don't send lines over to your opponents to clutter up their screen.

Achievement Bliss
Few games are so comfortably aligned with Xbox 360 achievements as Tetris Evolution. After all, half the fun of Tetris is in setting some imaginary goal and taking a hack at getting there. With achievements, the goals are already set, and the reward is more cool Gamerscore points.

Here are a few achievements to strive for in Tetris Evolution:

• Cascade Gold Medal: Score 300,000 in Marathon mode.
• Race Gold Medal: Clear 40 lines in under four minutes.
• All About the Hamiltons: Score 100,000 points with the Fill Rate cranked to high in Cascade mode.
• Went Low: Leave no blocks on the board at all in Go Low mode.

Tetris has long defined an entire videogame genre, and with titles like Tetris Evolution keeping the franchise fresh, there's no reason to suspect the acclaimed puzzler is going anywhere any time soon.

Article by Ryan Treit