Xbox 360
To some, fiddling about with the fundamentals of the godfather of gaming, Tetris, is the equivalent of squatting on the Mona Lisa and curling one out. Yet with a now yearly update to the mobile version of Tetris, game makers (well, Electronic Arts) have become fed-up with the minor adjustment of yearly re-branding the game and given the classic puzzler a complete overhaul for the mobile generation.
This isn't actually as sacrilegious as it sounds. Recent mobile Tetris games have been pointless cash-ins, offering little new per annual release other than the odd, rushed sub-game to cater to the steady influx of new mobile gamers. So it's actually strangely refreshing to encounter this multi-game mode bastardisation of the original concept. But, is it any good? Well, yes. Yes it is actually.
Besides the somewhat predictable, but welcome bells and whistles makeover from EA (i.e. colourful graphics and animated backgrounds), Tetris Pop is divided between Tetris Chrono, where you select the amount of time you have to kill, or the main game known as Tetris Pop. It's in the latter where you spend most your time, with each level split into 3 or 4 mini games lasting a minute each. These mini games range from the traditional (Tetris Vanilla), to more extravagant concepts. For instance, sometimes you try to connect fuses to bombs via red blocks (sorry, ‘Terimino's'), recreate images using blocks, or try to clear lines while random blocks fall from the sky.
The new mini-games are a welcome distraction to a game that hasn't really changed in 20 years, and suit the time-intensive nature of mobile gaming. It's slightly annoying that games can't be saved mid-level, and infuriating when games can't be saved on more difficult levels. In addition, some mini games, like 'Scanner', are pointless afterthoughts.
All that aside, Tetris Pop is a welcome addition to the franchise. Although its gimmicky nature will hardly make it a classic release or essential purchase, the unwillingness to be a lazy cash-in and the game makers' innovative approach adds a spark of variety to what was becoming a very tired concept.