Tetris

This is the best puzzlegame ever. I don't it is possible to make a better puzzlegame. I am only 14 years old, but i've been playing this game since i was 3. The way this game captures you, and when your lost in tetris then there is no way back.

Is there anything more entrancing than viewing a barrage of randomly-shaped blocks raining down on your computer screen? In theory that probably doesn't sound like it guarantees a thrill-ride, but this simple, ingenious little classic in the video game realm knew how to put it into deliciously addictive practice. You know how it works – a succession of square-based shapes start falling one by one and it's up to you to arrange them into perfect horizontal lines, allowing them to disappear the second they're completed. Keep the pile of blocks low and manageable at all times – they'll keep on falling no matter what, and if the pile gets out of control, that's when the fatal 'Game Over' slogan flashes. I have clear memories of playing it as a kid through to my early teens, and no matter how many lines I sorted and blocks I eliminated, and the eventual pile-ups I would inevitably endure, it was a game I kept on going back to. Then I'd end up getting side-tracked by something else, leave it dormant for a while, then finally rediscover it and get addicted all over again. I'm sure I'd still be giving it a go every so often even today if I hadn't misplaced my copy. :(

A fraction of this humble game's appeal would have to be attributed to the unforgettable theme music – and was there ever a more beautifully catchy electronic score to accompany your game play? I never got tired of hearing that tune, or the sound effects at that (including that particularly satisfying sound bite you'd hear whenever you were slick enough to nail five lines in a row). But even if you removed that from the mix, it wouldn't have kept 'Tetris' from being the endearing smash that it so rightfully was. It remains full-on evidence that video games don't necessarily require cutting-edge graphics or complex game-play to be involving or successful. This one was basic, but it was fun and it was challenging, and in the end that's all you really need to have a classic on your hands. There probably isn't anything else to say, except "great game".

You can't review Tetris. It's like reviewing . . . . water. A simple puzzle game, that still sets the standard that all other puzzle games are judged against.

In a random order, one of seven differently shaped blocks falls slowly down the screen and it's the job of the played to create a complete horizontal line from one edge of the screen to the other. Once the line is created, it disappears. Points are scored for lines created and as the score increase so too does the pace that the blocks drop. The game is over when the collection of blocks reached the top of the screen.

Graphically it's not up to much, but nor does it have to be. The music varies based on which version of the game you are playing - usually some adaptation of a piece of classical music - though special mention must go to the iconic tune that Hirozaku Tanaka created for the Gameboy version. Those are just dressing though for the gameplay, which is amongst the best of any game, ever. You understand it immediately, it's eternally addictive and each game goes from placid organisation to manic, frantic choices in what is one of the most stressful gaming moments possible.

There is little more to be said. Just a wonderful game.

Tetris is the hands down, best video game ever. Though only slightly ahead of Pong, and only because of better music. Some may think that more recent games such as

Millipede or Pole Position II are vastly superior, but they have never played Tetris for 7 hours straight. Once your mind has become numb by watching falling groups of blocks, you are likely to believe anything. Hence, Tetris is the best game ever. Almost 20 years of improved technology has not improved gaming past this classic.

Oh, I have decided to change my mind. Q*Bert is actually the best game ever.

Tetris is an addictive and fun puzzle game designed for all ages. The innovation is classic as you fit block after block to create horizontal lines that fade out once you've made them. Alexey Pajitnov has created a classic for any system. Basically, it has always been with Nintendo spawning new Tetris games (Playstation had one, Tetrisphere), but I recommend the following titles for you to play with. Tetris (not DX), for the Game Boy, reason not being the DX is the absence of everyone's favorite theme song. Then the New Tetris for Nintendo 64, because it is beautiful, has a great soundtrack and you can have four people to play against you. There are so many puzzle games out now, but Tetris is the best.