PLATFORM: PC, PS4/5, SWITCH, XBOX ONE/SERIES (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 12TH

Compiled by Digital Eclipse, Tetris Forever follows the same template as many of DE’s other collections, this time bringing together a selection of Tetris titles together along with plenty of archive material in to celebrate the iconic game’s 40th anniversary. Eighteen games are included here, taking us on a journey from the original 1984 version of Tetris – where points were awarded based on how quickly the pieces are dropped into place, rather than for clearing lines – all the way up to the 1998 release of Super Bombliss DX on the Game Boy Color, as well a brand new original version of the game called Tetris Time Warp.

The five fully-playable versions of standard Tetris include a recreation of creator Alexey Pajitnov’s original for the Elektronika 60 computer, as well as an early MS-DOS version from 1986 which was never officially released (although it was widely traded between players at the time) and the game’s very first console appearance on the Famicom in 1988. From there, we move on to three versions of Hatris, the 1990 Tetris follow-up in which players were challenged with creating stacks of hats which fall from the top of the screen in pairs. There are three versions of Tetris 2 + Bombliss (lines are cleared by exploding pieces of bombs), three further versions of Super Bombliss, the manic and supremely entertaining multiplayer Tetris Battle Gaiden, and Super Tetris 3. Many of these were exclusively released in Japan, so seeing them revived for a western audience is very pleasing indeed, and there are more than enough modes and minor changes here and there to make each one worth playing.

Last but by no means least, Tetris Time Warp is an all-new version of the game that temporarily warps players to classic versions of Tetris when clearing lines using Time Warp Tetriminos, where you’re given objectives to complete to earn bonus points before the timer runs out. Warps can also be used strategically in multiplayer mode (for up to four players) to attack your opponents, which proves to be a fun and unique way of adding a bit of extra excitement to the standard Tetris formula. There are only a handful of warps, though, and you’re likely to see (and clear) all of them within your first couple of games. It’s a fun mode, but feels like more of a proof of concept rather than a fully-fledged Tetris title.

Also included are around 90 minutes of documentary footage and interviews with the key players in the game’s history, along with countless photos, artwork and other memorabilia. The interview subjects, including creator Alexey Pajitnov and the man largely responsible for bringing Tetris to the masses, Henk Rogers, are all affable and animated, making for an entertaining tour behind the scenes. Overall, Tetris Forever is a satisfying compilation that gives you more Tetris than you could ever need in one go!