Tetris is turning 30 this year and “F***, I’m old” doesn’t even begin to describe the effect this game has had on our medium over the years. Seriously, Tetris has been around for so long and touched so many gamers (even in their dreams) that you could make the argument it’s the Freddy Krueger of video games.
That sounds bad, but Tetris is good. Tetris is so good and now the Tetris company hopes to give fans all around the world the opportunity to celebrate with others by staging Meet-Ups in gaming communities everywhere. Just head to Meetup.com/Tetris30 to find a group near you and then take your favorite version of Tetris to hang out with others and complain about how many times the Z-shaped bricks have messed up your perfect game.
Oh, and if we’re discussing which version of Tetris is the best, Tetris DS wins, no questions asked. If you’ve never played Tetris DS, I feel sorry for you, but then I feel happy because you can go rectify this right now and have the most amazing time. Tetris DS blended tons of Nintendo characters and music with classic, hardcore Tetris gameplay to achieve a really satisfying mix of new and old.
For example, Tetris DS allows you to “hold” bricks for later, swapping them out for another Tetronimo when it suits you. Some might feel that this mechanic cheats the game’s hardcore puzzle sensibilities, but in reality it opens up the Tetris field for greater scoring opportunities, faster drops, and a hugely satisfying sense of success. Save a long block for a Tetris and then doing the exact same thing with another long block in the lineup just can’t be beat.
The Tetris company wants players to get together and enjoy the game on smartphones, consoles, computers, or any other devices Tetris can be played on (and there are a lot). Meetups are also invited to host tournaments and art inspired by Tetris. The ten largest Meetups will get a celebration kit from the Tetris company while three Meetups will win Ultimate Tetris Fan Prize Packages.
Meetups are scheduled for June 6th, so head to the link above to find one near you and register to attend.
