Tengen Tetris
So I figured I'd give "the other Tetris" a try, and i have mixed feelings about it.
I don't think the music is as good (but I was one of the weirdos that likes Music C on the Nintendo version).
Also, something about how the pieces and playing field are drawn make it a lot harder to quickly process what columns the blocks are lined up with. It's made for quite a few errors that I wouldn't have made on the NES version.
I do think the level style is pretty neat, though, where you take 30 lines per level, and it appears that starting from level 0 actually guarantees the higher score, since there isn't the same line build-up required as the Nintendo version of the game. Am I missing something regarding the scoring?
Anyway, it's "different", maybe it will grow on me some more, but I think I prefer the official release.
Thoughts?
I don't think the music is as good (but I was one of the weirdos that likes Music C on the Nintendo version).
Also, something about how the pieces and playing field are drawn make it a lot harder to quickly process what columns the blocks are lined up with. It's made for quite a few errors that I wouldn't have made on the NES version.
I do think the level style is pretty neat, though, where you take 30 lines per level, and it appears that starting from level 0 actually guarantees the higher score, since there isn't the same line build-up required as the Nintendo version of the game. Am I missing something regarding the scoring?
Anyway, it's "different", maybe it will grow on me some more, but I think I prefer the official release.
Thoughts?
Comments
The reason that starting at 0 gets more points is that levels take longer to pass through, and the base bonus for lines I don't believe gets modified the same way so it encourages you to work it through the levels to get your best out of it. I also think this title has more speed to it at the higher levels (not sure seems like it) which is good.
I'm not sure why you say the point system is more "accountable and meaningful". The point system in the Nintendo version makes perfect sense and is very easy to understand.
I think it's superior to the licensed version because of the music, the co-op multi-player, and of course, the dancing Russians.
The only thing i like about tengen tetris more is the multiplayer feature
Yeah, pretty much
The only thing i like about tengen tetris more is the multiplayer feature
Yeah, pretty much
Agree. This game is really fun when you play as a team.
The only thing i like about tengen tetris more is the multiplayer feature
Yeah, pretty much
Agree. This game is really fun when you play as a team.
I love the two player set up, though it can be a nightmare if you and your partner think completely opposite of each other.
This is SOOO true...it takes a couple games for us to learn to work together and not get pissed at each others moves...
Definitely prefer the Tengen version myself, the great music and 2 player modes seal it.
But I was one of the weirdos that likes Music C on the Nintendo version.
Hello, fellow weirdo.
I only played the Tengen Tetris as a ROM for a few minutes on a computer, but I also made the same mistakes since I had a hard time distinguishing the blocks at the bottom. Also, the fast drop seemed a bit weird. If I recall correctly, they accelerate as you push down on the d-pad. So they start off dropping slow and then get faster.
Here are my thoughts...
(1) I dislike that some of the pieces rotate around the wrong square.
(2) I think the speed increases more quickly (levels 10-13 FEEL faster, at least), but it definitely plateaus lower, in total.
(3) It's exhausting to get through a game on this version...once I've hammered through 600+ lines it's tough to focus. The average game on this version takes SOOO long.
(4) The random number generator is terrible for Tetris. The Nintendo version is "weighted" by what has happened previously, so you typically won't see a run of 10 of the same piece in a row. With the Tengen version, I frequently get 5 - 7 identical pieces in a row.
You really have to play this version differently to survive, just due to the abusive "pure 1-in-7" RNG.
Well you can coax out a little relief in the game using the konami code. It's wrong online saying once a game, it's once per level.
What do you mean? What does it do in-game?
ETA: besides, cheating at Tetris is a mortal sin
Arch it gives you ONE free LINE piece. Sure it's an moral sin, but it also bails ya out in a pinch.
Honestly, I can't envision when it would be possible to execute the Konami code "in a pinch" during a game of Tetris without getting yourself into worse trouble
That is what I was thinking...do you actually "execute the sequence" when the game is in play, or is between levels?
Maybe you pause it. That would be the only thing that makes sense.
I'm not sure if the NES port duplicates everything in the arcade version perfectly, but I enjoyed the level mix-ups of the arcade one. I remember it bouncing between standard line-dropping and the puzzle mode after every certain amount of lines. It was cool.
(4) The random number generator is terrible for Tetris. The Nintendo version is "weighted" by what has happened previously, so you typically won't see a run of 10 of the same piece in a row. With the Tengen version, I frequently get 5 - 7 identical pieces in a row.
This make so much sense. I thought it was just in my head. Here take 7 s pieces now 5 z pieces. Only on the Tengen version.
(1) I dislike that some of the pieces rotate around the wrong square.
Hard Drop has the full details on its rotation system.
(4) The random number generator is terrible for Tetris. The Nintendo version is "weighted" by what has happened previously, so you typically won't see a run of 10 of the same piece in a row. With the Tengen version, I frequently get 5 - 7 identical pieces in a row.
And some variants are weighted even more heavily against repeating recent pieces. Hard Drop describes the randomizer used in Tetris the Grand Master series, which tries to avoid repeating the last four pieces. It also describes the bag system used by most modern Tetris games. LJ65 uses something very close to TGM.
Entering the Konami code while paused changes the falling piece to an I tetromino. It's the closest thing that pre-1999 Tetris games have to the "hold piece" in modern Tetris. I don't consider it a mortal sin for the same reason that using hold in modern Tetris isn't a sin. They just had to bind it to a key sequence on pause because the NES doesn't have shoulder buttons.
And, I don't really agree with the bag method. The original RNG (from the gameboy version) is fine. Never getting two-in-a-row (or VERY rarely more) would kind of break an element of uncertainty in the game and make it way too easy to plan your layout, IMO. If I know what I"m NOT going to get, it's pretty straightforward to be accommodating to what actually shows up.
But the way the RNG works in the Tengen version feels downright broken, sometimes. It forces you to play way too conservatively, since if you get near the top and get a run of 10 z's you're pretty well fucked.
(and we'll have to agree-to-disagree on the "hold piece"...I think using that in modern Tetris is cheating, as well )
Finally
Finally the nes pimp can play 2 player tetris on the nes, I really dont understand why the nintendo version did not have 2 player thats what it was missing.
Licensced version would be the obviouse better game but you cannot play 2 player tetris which is the reason why tengen tetris is obviousely the rarer game.