Tetris (NES, Tengen)

Tetяis
Developer(s)	Tengen
Publisher(s)	Tengen
Platform(s)	NES
Release	17 May 1989
Gameplay info
Next pieces	1
Playfield size	10 × 20 (regular), 12 × 20 (co-op)
Hold piece	No
Hard drop	No
Rotation system	Atari

Tetяis: The Soviet Mind Game is a tetromino game for NES published by Tengen, the home video game division of Atari Games. Much of the gameplay mechanics and the graphical style were lifted from the arcade Tetris by Atari Games. This Game Pak is rare because it was recalled after Andromeda Software, which at the time was Elorg's Western agent for the Tetris brand, lost the game console rights (see History).

Modes

• 1-player: Standard endless mode.
• 2-player: Simultaneous endless mode, aim to outlast the other player. Both players receive the same sequence of pieces.
• Cooperative: Co-operate to clear lines on a common playfield. Both players receive the same sequence of pieces.
• Versus Computer: 2-player with a CPU player.
• With Computer: Cooperative with a CPU player.

Levels

Initially levels advance every 30 lines. After clearing 5 levels they will occur every 50 lines instead (i.e. 200, 250, 300, etc.). The maximum level is 17.

In cooperative mode levels will advance when either player reaches the appropriate threshold.

Level	Frames per row
0	33
1	28
2	24
3	20
4	17
5	14
6	11
7	9
8	7
9	6
10	5.5
11	5
12	4.5
13	4
14	3.75
15	3.5
16	3.25
17	3

Scoring

The score for each tetromino that the player places is min(d*r*(r + h),999), where

• d = 1 for normal gravity or 2 for soft drop when the tetromino lands
• r = the level number plus 1
• h = the row on which the tetromino was placed, minus 1 (0 = bottom)

The game gives line clearing bonuses only after completing each level (or after every 50 lines at level 17). These are scored as follows:

Line clear	Score
Single	100
Double	400
Triple	900
Tetris	2500

In cooperative mode both players receive the line clearing bonuses.

Rotation rules

• Pieces spawn with left side of bounding box at column 5 and top at row 22.
• Rotations in all states touch left and top of bounding box. Exception: vertical I, which is placed in the second column from the left.
• Same 1 square to the left wallkick rule as arcade original!
• All tetrominoes become the same color when they lock, due to limitations of the NES picture memory. This color varies from level to level.

External links

• Classic Gamings Tengen Tetris Page
• Blockstats Tengen Tetris Page
• Manual