It's about time that a "real" Tetris game gets on the Nintendo 64. And there is no question about it -- this the best Tetris game yet. Of course, the other N64 Tetris games (Tetrisphere and Magical Tetris Challenge) should also be played, as they are very good puzzle games. But The New Tetris definitely raises the bar.
H2O Entertainment developed the music for this game. H2O is the same company that made the music for Tetrisphere. So, as expected, there's lots of quality techno-music in this game. Which is a plus, if you enjoyed the music from Tetrisphere.
The graphics are pretty good too. Especially the backgrounds, each one showing the general area of each of the seven wonders of the world. There is a bit of slow-down (yeah, believe it or not) and it does effect play control to the point where you can notice it. And it's a little hard to see your pieces when the background is light. But despite these small problems, the game's overall graphics are top-notch.
Probably the biggest thing about this game is that it is the first 4-player Tetris game. And that, in itself, is one major reason for buying this game. It makes for a great party game.
The main goal of the game is to get as many lines as possible in the shortest time. This gives you a higher "rank". (1 is the lowest rank, you want to get higher than 1.) And all of your lines are added up with lines you got during your previous games. When you reach a specific sum of lines, one of the seven wonders of the world is built and you receive a new song that you can listen to, if you want. You also get a new background for your playing field (or "well"). This gives you something to shoot for.
It's a fun and challenging game. (Kind of sounds like the original Tetris, huh?) But it really is. This is a must-have game for any puzzle fan.
GOOD: H2O-Developed Techno-Music, Nice Graphics, Four-Player Mode
BAD: Some Slow-Down
The New Tetris
