GAME REVIEW: TETRIS 99
If you are a fan of Tetris, you probably have heard about the latest version of the all-time famous game on Nintendo Switch. This version is free to download, exclusively for members of Nintendo Switch Online. As the popularity of the battle royale format is rising, Tetris 99 is a combination of classic Tetris and last-man-standing gameplay, which you combat against 99 other people. I have had the chance to play Tetris 99 on my friend’s Nintendo Switch over the weekend. Let me tell you, the game is dangerously addicting. My friends and I were impatiently waiting for each other to finish their turn so that the other could play. As opposed to normal Tetris where one just has to focus on one’s gameplay only, Tetris 99 opens up a whole new kind of pressure to the players. When you clear a line or get a tetris, your opponents get attacked. There are four modes for players to choose from: Randoms (opponents and targets
are random), Attackers (one attacks the players who attack them), K.Os (one is opted to attack players who are about to lose) and Badges (which you collect from K.Os). After reading a few articles online, the game is far more intricate than it may seem, I had a hard time completely grasping the concept of the game, but that is basically the general idea. Other than that, the rule is exactly like the classic version, with your regular pieces and tactics. Competing with 99 other people is not easy. The furthest I could go is #16, while my friend somehow made it to top 5. We were playing with the Switch itself, so it got heavy and difficult to hold at times, so if you can, grab a controller and play it on a bigger screen for maximum gamer experience. A twist on the most played game of all time, why not?
Text and photo: Minh-Trang Le
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