Tetris Dx

It was 1989 when the original Game Boy made its debut, and right there alongside it (actually, bundled with it), was the system's very first game, Tetris. Now, nearly 10 years later, Game Boy Color is finally upon us, and not coincidentally, the first available game for the system is none other than the latest update to Alexey Pajitnov's classic--Tetris DX.

Fortunately, Nintendo didn't just update Tetris on a graphical level. They also went and added four new modes of play and some useful features to enhance the gameplay.

First of all, and most importantly, Tetris DX allows you to save your game data. Not only does the game save all high scores across each mode of play, but it also allows for up to four players to enter their names and save their personal stats to the cartridge. This is great for competitive Tetris junkies like most of us on the staff. Oh, and best of all--if you want to stop play and continue later, just press Pause during play and turn off the power. When you return to play later, the game will ask you if you'd like to continue your previous game. Sweet!

OK, now on to the four game modes. First there's Marathon, which is pretty much the ?-Type game from the original Tetris. You pick a starting level and play for as long as you can to rack up the most lines and/or points. Next up is Ultra, which gives you three minutes to score as many points as possible. Simple, but fun. Then there's 40 Lines Mode, which is similar to the old ?-Type game. Basically, you adjust your starting level (1-9) and height (1-5), and then try to clear 40 lines as fast as possible. Finally, there's the Vs. Com Mode, which is probably the most fun of all the modes. It's set up just like the two-player mode, except you can choose to take on any of three CPU opponents (Easy, Normal or Hard), OR CPU versions of any of the real people whose names are entered at the Entry Screen (since each player is given a Power rating based on his/her overall performance, the CPU will play according to how well that user's rating is--a very cool feature). Of course, two-player play via the Link Cable is loads of fun, too, but remember--you need two Game Boy Colors, two copies of Tetris DX, and of course, a Link Cable, before you can play.

Ultimately you may be wondering if Tetris DX is really worth it if you already have Tetris. The answer depends on what you're looking for. If you're the competitive type, it's great because of the various modes and the fact that it saves all records. Then of course, there's the color factor. If neither of these factors matter to you, you may as well stick with good old Tetris. It still is, after all, pick for number-one video game of all time.