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If it weren't for the sloppy controller...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 17 / 18
Date: April 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

When a new Tetris game comes out, I know to expect a few common modes. Marathon and Cascade, and a few new ones as well as some sort of feature that brings out the individuality of its platform. Tetris DS offered new Nintendo-flavored gameplay, some touch-based control, and WiFi multiplayer. Tetris Worlds on the Xbox introduced Xbox Live gameplay. Tetris Evolution, the $29.99 Xbox 360 Tetris title, doesn't actually offer a lot of new stuff. Is it still worth picking up?

Here you'll find eight single-player game modes. Familiar modes like Marathon, Cascade, and Score make a repeat appearance. There are also a few styles I'd never heard of. The first was Ultra-you race against the clock, clearing lines and scoring as many points as possible in the said amount of time. There's Race, which I found to be particularly addictive in my quest to earn Achievement points-you set out to clear 10, 25, or 40 lines as quickly as possible. Points don't matter in this gameplay mode, so setting up huge line clears isn't as necessary-it's all about quick drops and speedy fingers. Hotline and Eraser are quite similar-there are highlighted lines on the board that must be cleared to earn points. The latter ends only when the designated lines are eliminated. Go Low, the final option, distributes points based on the height of the block that clears a line. The goal is to keep the blocks from rising too far above the bottom of the matrix.

All of the gameplay modes are fun to play. For God's sake, it's Tetris! I found myself nonchalantly popping in the game, expecting to play a few rounds and then having to peel my wireless controller out of my hands to go about my normal life. The addictive gameplay accompanied by addictive Achievement collection accompanied by addictive Xbox Live gameplay-well, that's gaming crack if I've ever seen it. Still, Tetris Evolution falls short of being one of the better Tetris games for one sole reason: you have to play it with an Xbox 360 controller. The Xbox 360 controller, which I find ideal for sports games and shooters, is hardly favorable for any sort of 2D experience. The analog stick just doesn't work well for a Tetris game, and the finicky directional pad will work against you from time to time. You will occasionally try to move a falling piece around the board and accidentally just slightly touch the directional pad in an upward direction, sending the piece hard-dropping to the bottom of the board. It's annoying, it causes a lot of gaps, and it can even ruin your round of Tetris. Clearly this controller just doesn't work for the game as well as others do. Still, that's hardly the game's fault-after all, Microsoft called for the directional pad design, not THQ or Mass Media.

Multiplayer (same-screen or Xbox Live) is a blast, but that's to be expected. It's unfortunate, though, that only four players are supported in any given game mode. After all, Tetris DS allowed 10 players to connect wirelessly and clear lines together. The three modes of play in multiplayer matches are Versus (clear lines to plug up the bottom of your opponent's matrix), Hotseat (cooperative Tetris, where players alternatively control pieces as they fall), and Independent (non-competitive play). Versus is obviously the standard Xbox Live mode of play, but I thought Hotseat was an interesting idea-clearing lines back and forth with a friend is an interesting and different concept. One of the perks in Tetris Evolution is the customizable icons, skins, and backgrounds-the icons and skins appear when you play on Xbox Live and allow you to show a bit of your personality, but the backgrounds, I felt, were just really distracting. Fortunately they can be set to still or slideshow settings rather than full-motion video, but truthfully I'd have almost preferred a static or black background.

Tetris Evolution is mostly a no-frills Tetris compilation. It is offered at the low price of $29.99, which I think is pretty fair for a totally-capable Xbox Live-enhanced, Achievement-loaded Xbox 360 game. Tetris fans will enjoy Xbox Live multiplayer and familiar modes in high definition, and newcomers-well, if Tetris newcomers really exist-will enjoy the nice selection of different gameplay styles. Still, I must warn any player of the finicky Xbox 360 controls; they can definitely hamper the otherwise addictive and fun experience and turn it into a frustrating one.

What I expected from a next gen tetris game?

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: April 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

There's only so many ways you can play tetris. This version pretty much comes with all of them. There are 8 different tetris games with some being good and some just being ok. The graphics are a nice step up but are nothing special. The cool thing is there are 10 different songs to choose from and several different backgrounds. The visuals in the backgrounds are pretty cool and its cool that you can change them. There are quite a few options to choose from so you can play tetris just the way you want to. There's no story mode which shortens gameplay and kind of prevents you from playing it a lot. There is however some cool achievments with some being very easy to some being extremely hard. There's also a high score list so you can compete scores with your friends. There's also an online mode which not to many people play and a multiplayer mode where you can play up to 4 people at once which is fun. All in all its a great game but nothing I wouldn't of expected. If you have no other tetris games I would buy this otherwise I would consider. It's a $30.00 price tag which I find a bit expensive. I would of preferred it to be $20.00. That would of been worth it but in my opinion its not worth $30.00.

The Best Tetris yet

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: March 25, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If you liked Tetris on the DS you will love Tetris Xbox live style. It's great single or up to 4 multiplayer. It has cool skins and background music and videos while you play. If you like your 360 and Tetris buy this!

Just as fun as it used to be.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: May 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Growing up my mom and I used to play tetris together on the original Nintendo. It was one of very few games that she would play with me. Now when I go to visit her we can play again.

I was so happy when this came out for Xbox 360 since there were not many games at all that I was interested in and I wasn't disappointed. This version does expand upon previous versions of Tetris and I like the idea that you can have up to four people playing even though I haven't tried that yet.

Some of the achievements are rather hard but it gives us something to work towards.

The Best Tetris yet!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This has to be the best Tetris yet! I love the multiplayer features, which allow up to 4 people to play. Some of the achievements are a little rought to get, but they are doable. We are about 80% through and have had it for a week. A truly great game, but I don't think we will play it any more once we achieve all of the achievements! An easy 1000 points!

Fun but nothing new here

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: June 27, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I purchased this game mainly for my wife, who prefers the simplicity of old-school video games like Tetris and PacMan. My kids and I have enjoyed playing this game as well. Two-player mode is nice.

The game backgrounds are nice, but can be distracting, and can't be turned off. One Con is that besides the nice graphics there really isn't anything new here. Also, the high scores are kept awkwardly, as we still haven't figured out how to keep them from all being assigned to the 1st player. Finally, I really disliked the way the XBox 360 achievements are set up -- you have to play all the different modes to get them, and they're basically just accomplishing the same handful of objectives (e.g. back to back tetrises, getting x points) on each of diffrent modes. Would've prefered to have more of the goals achievable via the standard tetris game that most people will be playing.

Overall -- If you want/need a tetris game for a next-gen system, this is a good choice, but if you already have a tetris game on another platform that you enjoy there's nothing new here that would make this purchase necessary.

Great Game If You DON'T Have Xbox LIVE

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 02, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Here it is in a nutshell, folks. I read the reviews first and decided to purchase the game. The game is ok. The graphics are sharp and anti-aliasing isn't really utilized much here. It LOOKS and FEELS like the regular old Tetris.

The Xbox Live play is kinda lame because you're paired up against kids who are INSANE. I've lost the last 10 games because I (a novice at BEST) was paired against a kid who not only mopped the floor with me in terms of speed, but he ALSO organized by RAINBOW. WTF! HOLY BAJEZUZ!

Anyway, I REGRET buying this game because you can DOWNLOAD a BETTER VERSION off Xbox Live. The Xbox Live version is new age, has animated backgrounds, and is a LOT more fun. I tried the trial for free and will eventually end up buying the full version since this one is a little bit lame.

Take it from someone who's played both. SKIP this one unless you're going to buy it for $10.00 at a tagsale.

Is not ONLY about fun factor

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: November 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

First of all, this is tetris, you will have fun with it.

But, is not a good one execution of a tetris game, is not even the best tetris you will find for xbox 360.

Taste asides, I think the music is poorly selected, poorly secuenced and actually disturbing, if you are at level 10 and start thinking about what's that noise instead how to place the tetrino, is not a good thing.

It doesn't help that you can't select a random music and background, so you MUST take time to change the selection MANUALLY for each game. And to do this, you must FIGHT your way trough very sluggish menues.

The graphic design is also lackluster, from the confusing queue line to the translucid matrix that make you loose tetrinos depending on the background image, specially the blue ones.

If I have to do it again, I probably would choose Tetris Splash from the Arcade, wich cost less than 10 bucks, is a lot better at music and graphics and you can fire up directly from the HD w/o changing discs.

fun fun fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 07, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have always loved tetris so when I saw it for the 360 of course I had to have it. Love playing it and always will.

Good but same old tetris

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Good game on the 360, nice graphics and all but it really should have been a Xbox Arcade game. A lot more people would have got it and played on live.

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