Does Digital Eclipse sleep?! No, seriously. The development team has been on a tear as of late. It just released another expansion for Atari 50. And it’s putting the finishing touches on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Revenge for next month. In-between the two, it pays a near perfect tribute to the legendary Tetris with a new compilation, Tetris Forever.
This release pays loving tribute to Alexei Pajitnov’s baby, with a number of playable versions of the hit game. Not only that, it chronicles the history of its creation, right up to the release of the R-rated Apple TV Tetris film. (Which, by the way, is surprisingly well done – go watch it!) It features a variety of interviews and archival goodies, showing every piece literally falling into place.
Not only that, but the playable games featured here are wonderful pieces of interactive history. Even the early 2-bit (?) version of Tetris is a gem, as you’re literally playing with your past. There are some games missing (no Tengen’s Tetris, sigh), but that’s a minor complaint.
If you love the series to any extent – or retro gaming in general – you owe it to yourself to enjoy Tetris Forever. Like Digital Eclipse’s other Gold Master Series games, it’s a comprehensive dive into a historic feat. And you might just discover a game or two you didn’t think existed.
Tetris Forever Lives Up To the Gold Standard
Like Karateka and Llamasoft before it, Digital Eclipse’s latest Gold Master Series title doesn’t disappoint.
Tetris Forever features 18 different versions of the hit game, with their own different quirks. Of course, the early builds are a little rough around the edges. But they’re translated perfectly, as if you’re playing right on Pajitnov’s old computer.
A surprising standout for me is Tetris Battle Gaiden, a versus-themed version of the game that’s tons of fun to play. But other games are neat as well, including Tetris 2 + Bombliss, as well as a few others. You’re bound to find favorites as you dig further into the collection. What’s more, they’re incredibly easy to access, thanks to Digital Eclipse’s signature documentary-style menu. You can flip through several pages of archival goodies, or just jump right into the games. Your choice.
Don’t miss the history part, though. There’s a lot of ground covered here, particularly how Henk Rogers partners with Pajitnov to bring his masterpiece to the world. It’s a wonderful story, and covers a generous amount of the bases. This includes the meetings with Nintendo and the push to make gaming legend. It’s really something, and backed by some entertaining interviews. If I were you, I wouldn’t skip anything.
The games themselves are great. But I can’t help but think the history isn’t entirely complete. While the Famicom version of Tetris from Bullet-Point Software is included, Nintendo’s version isn’t. That’s easily understood, since the company likely wants to keep it on its own service. (It’s coming to Nintendo Switch Online sometime soon – maybe this month?) Also, Tengen’s Tetris – based on the Atari arcade game – is a no-show. This is likely due to legal reasons, though Digital Eclipse does have a solid friendship with Atari. Maybe it’s a Warner Bros. legal thing, who knows.
Tetris Effect is missing as well, but you can buy it for a very reasonable price these days. In fact, you totally should.
To make up for this, there is a new game — well, sort of. Tetris Time Warp allows you to play through a game as eras change automatically. This adds a fun little unpredictable style that is quite addictive. It’s very cool, to say the least.
A ton of ground gets covered in Tetris Forever, so you won’t mind the missing aspects. You get a huge part of the story, and a number of impressive playable builds of the game. It more than earns its value here, and also introduces titles you might have missed. After all, not every version of Bombliss came out here. (Or did it? I need to dig further.) You shouldn’t miss this collection.
A Great Looking Set of Pieces
To go along with the strong gameplay aspects and sharp interaction, Digital Eclipse also makes the game easy to indulge visually.
The menu system is great, as you can rifle through a number of historic pieces and learn more about Tetris. From Pajitnov’s inception to discussion over the recent movie, there’s a lot covered here. The video footage is impressive (if a little fuzzy at times), and hearing Pajitnov speak is the stuff of legend. Rogers lends a lot too. And even Tetsuya Mizuguchi shows up to talk Tetris Effect. Yes!
The audio is top notch, as you can hear the parties easily. The in-game audio sounds rad too, thanks to masterful emulation. The early games don’t have much to offer, but they’re still a trip to listen to anyway.
Honestly, every aspect of the game just shines. Even if some of them are showing a bit of their age. But that’s just the way we like it – video game history lovingly preserved by Digital Eclipse. These guys haven’t missed a beat.
Crossing the 4 Lines
We know you’re probably busy already buying Digital Eclipse’s other releases on the market. But make room for Tetris Forever. It’s amazing how well this collection comes together, and presents the history of one of gaming’s greatest efforts. You heard me.
The archival history footage is fun to watch, and playing through various versions of the game is a blast. Yes, even the older ones. Again, some games are missing, but it’s understood given the legal waters we’re in these days. What’s here will certainly keep you occupied.
Really, you owe it to yourself to see what Tetris is about. There’s a story here, and Tetris Forever covers it remarkably. Cheers to Digital Eclipse for doing a splendid job, and here’s hoping the Gold Master Series can keep going forever. (But get some sleep, will you, guys?!)
GAMERHUB RATING: 4.5 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to Digital Eclipse for the review code! Tetris Forever releases on November 12 for Xbox, PlayStation,Nintendo Switch and PC!
Need more Gold Master Series games? Check out our reviews of Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story and The Making of Karateka!
