It’s All Coming Together
HIGH An incredible collection of titles with excellent presentation to match.
LOW Nearly missing school and work deadlines thanks to my Tetris addiction.
WTF I would love to see a collection like this for games like Galaga or Tecmo Bowl.
Digital Eclipse’s Tetris Forever opens with a quote by videogame designer Henk Rodgers, most famously known for securing the rights to distribute Tetris outside of Russia — “Tetris is the one game that’s still going to be around when all the other games are gone.”
It’s a profound statement that speaks to both Tetris’ impact in the still-relatively-young medium, and the overall quality of the original title itself. For over four decades, everyone from children to grandmothers has likely enjoyed some version of Tetris, and it’s safe to assume that people will still be trying to beat their best score decades from now.
Tetris Forever is a part of Digital Eclipse’s Gold Master Series, accompanied by other docu-games such as Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story and The Making Of Karateka. Part game compilation and part history lesson, it’s full of various Tetris-es released over the years, such as the 1989 port for the Nintendo Entertainment System, all the way up to spinoffs like Hatris.
There are too many to list in full here, but other gems included are Tetris Battle Gaiden, Super Tetris 2 + Bombliss, and a brand-new title called Tetris Time Warp. While some popular entries might not be represented (the most notable omission is the original GameBoy version) there’s still plenty here to make block-droppers happy, and it’s a blessing that there are finally accessible versions of the original Tetris on modern consoles. As much as I love some of the wilder stuff like Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, nothing beats a laid-back, simple and gimmick-free session with a damn-near-perfect game.
Presentation in Tetris Forever is a knockout, with menus that are easy to navigate and a host of accessibility features for every title in the collection. Each version has a manual, a control scheme that can be customized, and a handy rewind feature. I also loved how everything was unlocked and readily available from the start, allowing players to jump into whatever they wanted at any time.
Tetris Forever also includes an extensive interactive documentary. Chronicling everything from the inception of Tetris to the cataloging of virtually every release, there is an impressive history in this package. Every chapter features interviews from both Henk Rogers and Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov, giving players the context behind each of the iterations in the collection. There’s also a great deal of larger context surrounding historical and political events at the time of each title’s release. As players read and watch different sections of the documentary, they can also easily play the corresponding game featured in that segment.
Tetris Forever also does something that I appreciate and I don’t often see — it preserves and legitimizes games in a way that movie buffs have done for the film. Similar to how a Criterion Collection Blu-ray is packaged with essays and supplementary features to an important film, Tetris Forever provides amazing substance to a series that deserves every bit of praise. It’s a titan in an industry that does not often respect or remember its past, and one that will continue to be a key talking point in conversations regarding gaming as an art form.
Overall, Tetris Forever is both for fans of Tetris and also those who deeply care about videogame history. Not only is it collecting an amazing set of entries in a franchise that is both prolific and excellent, but it’s also a much-needed encapsulation that preserves its important legacy.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Disclosures: This game is published and developed by Digital Eclipse. It is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, XBO and XBX/S. This copy was obtained via publisher for review and was reviewed on Switch. Approximately 10 hours were spent in single-player modes and the game was not completed.
Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E for Alcoholic Reference and Mild Language. The games themselves don’t feature any violence or objectionable material, and the documentary portions don’t either.
Colorblind Modes: Colorblind modes are not present in the options menu.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Gamers: Players can choose to turn on subtitles for the documentary segments and even resize them. (See example above.) Audio is not necessary during play. This collection is fully accessible.
Remappable Controls: The controls can be remapped.
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