Tetris

Tetris is a time based game of moving tetrad blocks into rows to gain points. The goal is to build rows of interconnecting blocks to gain points before the blocks reach the top of the screen. Created in 1984 by Alexey Pajitov the game was wildly distributed so no legal rights were originally set. This lead to numerous reproductions under different names from different companies. The game has lived through the ages and is still popular today.

Rules

Click here for a step by step tutorial lesson for beginners: Beginner's Guide

The rules are very basic. You have a 10 x 20 pixel space and 7 different tetrad forms to fit in that space. You create lines with these shapes that dive you points. You can move any shape in all 4 orientations to help make it fit. As you progress through the levels the tetrads come down the screen faster giving you less time to place them where you want.

These Advanced Options are in post versions of the Original Tetris

There are more advanced options to this game. You can use the "Ghost Piece" to see where your current moving piece will land. There is a "Next Queue" box that shows the next piece in line that will appear on the top of the screen. This helps in planning on the placement of your tetrad pieces. You can also "Hold" a tetrad piece which is like saving the piece for later.

History

1984: Tetris was originally created in Moscow. Russian scientist Alexey Pajitnov created the very first Tetris prototyle for the Electronica 60.

1985: Tetris is ported to the IBM PC by Vadim Gerasimov and spread like wildfire through the Soviet Union.

1987: Tetris launches on the PC via floppy disk and is spread throughout North America and Europe.

1988: Video Game Designer and Published Henk Rogers plays Tetris in a Las Vegas trade show and falls in love with it. He then produces Tetris for he PC and NES in Japan. It becomes a hit and sells over two million copies.

1989: Henk and Alexey meet for the first time and they become good friends. Henk then get's the rights for Tetris and then licenses the rights to a Japanese Gaming Company called Nintendo. Nintendo then creates Tetris for the Game Boy which is then sold with the Game Boy. Over 35 million copies were sold. The Software Publishers Association awards Tetris four excellence in Software awards.

1992: Scientific research suggests Tetris can make your brain operate more efficiently.

1995: Henk creates Blue Planet Software which then becomes the exclusive agent for Tetris.

1996: The Tetris Company is formed in place of Blue Planet and all of its rights then becoming Tetris Companies. Guildlines are then created for Tetris which create a baseline standard for all Tetris games.

1997: Tetris gets a new logo (see top image)

2000: DTI Software helps Tetris with In-Flight Tetris. Eventually Tetris will fly over 50 airlines worldwide. G-Mode publishes Tetris on mobile phones in Japan. Tetris becomes the number one mobile phone game in Japan.

2002: Henk Rogers creates Blue Lava Wireless to help promote and create Tetris for mobile phones. Tetris rapidly gains popularity in North America. Partnering with name-brands in Korea and Europe becomes the leader in mobile games.

2005: A man named Jamdat buys out Blue Lava Wireless and gains total rights to Tetris for mobiles phones for 15 years.

2006: EA purchases Jamdat and becomes the new holder of the 15 year rights for mobile devises. Tetris for the IPod is launched and becomes the number one downloadable game. Nintendo creates Tetris for the DS and sells over two million copies worldwide.

2007: Alexey Pajitnov recieves the First Penguin Award and the Game Develepers Conference.

2008: Tetris Online launches Tetris for the Wii called Tetris Party. Tetris Party becomes the number one Wii games and is nominated for the Best WiiWare Game of 2008 and Best Puzzle Game 2008 by IGN. EA releases Tetris for the iPhone/IPod touch. It becomes the number one all time 10 paid applications on the apple itunes app store. NHN Hangame launches a new online multiplayer Tetris in Korea which becomes the number one casual game in Korea.

2009: Tetris Online Inc. unveils the Tetris game site Tetris Friends Online. (FORWARDING LINK TO OFFICIAL SITE) This site now has 1.2 million monthly users. Tetris celebrates its 25th Anniversary. Alexey Pajitnov recieves the honorary award at the LARA - Der Deutsche Games Award in Cologne, Germany.

Game Design Elements

Though the game is relatively simple the idea behind it is fairly complex. The possibilities when arranging the blocks are endless. The original game was in black and white but now with so many variations of the game new ways of play are available.

Gameplay

The basic gameplay as described above. You move the 7 different tetrad tiles into interlocking lines to gain points before the tiles reach the top of the screen. The tiles will eventually come down faster and faster before you can no older keep up with the fall of the tiles.

Controls

you can move left or right. You can also switch the orientation of the object. You can then go downwards to gain extra points by placing the tiles faster.

Plot

There is no plot development in Tetris.

Characters

There are no main characters of Tetris. The 7 different types of tetrads that fall on to the screen would not be considered playable characters.

Awards

1989

1989 The Software Publisher’s Association awards Tetris four Excellence in Software Awards, which were then considered the “Oscars” for the software industry.

1997

Tetris comes in #1 in Electronic Gaming Monthly's 100th issue.

2001

Game Informer Magazine's 100th issue lists Tetris in the #3 spot on its “Top 100 Game of All Time.”

2006

Electronic Gaming Monthly ranks Tetris #4 in “The Greatest 200 Videogames of Their Time.”

2007

Alexey Pajitnov receives the First Penguin Award at the Game Developers Conference. Tetris is widely recognized as the game that gave birth to the casual gaming industry.

Fun Facts

- Tetris has even been played on the sides of buildings! The record for the world’s largest working game of Tetris belongs to the Dutch students of the Delft University of Technology, who in 1995, lit up 15 floors of their Electrical Engineering Department.

- In 2006, Honda released an awesome commercial for the Honda Jazz in Europe where pieces of furniture and luggage were organized to fit like Tetriminos into the trunk of the vehicle.

- Have someone teach you how to play Tetris! In 2009, Tetris training lessons were advertised on Craigslist in Vancouver, Canada offering sessions for beginners and more advanced players.

- Even artists love Tetris! In January 2009, an outdoor art exhibit in Sydney, Australia featured giant Tetrimino sculptures that lit up the corridors of Abercrombie Lane.

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