The Next Tetris
1999 video game
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Next Tetris is a puzzle video game in the Tetris series, developed by Blue Planet Software. The game was originally released for the PlayStation by Hasbro Interactive on June 16, 1999.[2] In 2000, a version for the Dreamcast called The Next Tetris: On-Line Edition, which included online multiplayer, was published by Crave Entertainment in the United States.[3] The Dreamcast version was released in Europe the following year with online functionality removed.[4] A version was also included with Toshiba-manufactured DVD players using the interactive Nuon technology.
Bullet-Proof Software (Japanese version)
Crave Entertainment (Dreamcast)
| The Next Tetris | |
|---|---|
European Dreamcast box art | |
| Developers | Blue Planet Software Animatek |
| Publishers | Hasbro Interactive (PlayStation, Nuon) Bullet-Proof Software (Japanese version) Crave Entertainment (Dreamcast) |
| Series | Tetris |
| Platforms | PlayStation, PC, Dreamcast, Nuon |
| Release | PlayStation
|
| Genre | Puzzle |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
Gameplay
The game features two modes. "Classic Tetris" has gameplay fundamentally unchanged from the earliest in the series, and is only playable in single-player.[5]
In "The Next Tetris" mode, the familiar tetromino pieces consist of different colored blocks called "multiminoes". If a block is multi-colored and placed with a gap below the piece, then the colored squares will separate and drop into the space below. This "cascading" feature allows players to drop blocks down after initially making a horizontal line disappear, allowing for larger combos.[6] The Next Tetris mode is playable in single-player, two-player, and online in the North American Dreamcast release only.[7]
Development
The game was developed in 15 months.[8]
Reception
The Next Tetris received a score of 6.5/10 in IGN,[9] while the Dreamcast version scored 8/10. Reviewing the latter, IGN's Anthony Chau described the new cascading gameplay as "an interesting play mechanic" and praised the "industrial-like menu presentation" and "trancy, dreamy melodies" of the soundtrack.[6] Official Dreamcast Magazine's Alex Huhtala dismissed the game as "a poorly conceived and executed version of a classic", pointing to "sluggish controls" and "gameplay tweaks [compared to the original Tetris] that make it too easy".[4] The Next Tetris mode was described as a "novel idea" by Ryan Davis of GameSpot but he argued that "instead of making players take on new strategies, it tends to encourage a barrage of sloppy bricklaying".[7]