Tetris has always been a worldwide sensation, a game that has remained timelessly perfect for quick playthroughs. Digital Eclipse has beautifully captured this legacy in their latest project, Tetris Forever. This tribute takes you on a journey through the game’s fascinating history—from its origins with Alexey Pajitnov to becoming a household name with the Game Boy. Unlike the dramatic flair of the 2023 Tetris movie, this collection offers a thoughtful exploration of a significant era in gaming history.
Following in the footsteps of titles like The Making of Karateka and Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, this installment is a part of Digital Eclipse’s Gold Master series. It’s designed like a beautifully curated virtual museum, where each point on the timeline unveils high-resolution images of pivotal documents, iconic software, and vintage hardware. The experience is enriched with new interviews and rare archival footage, providing fascinating insights into how the beloved game was developed and licensed.
The story of Tetris is interwoven with other 1980s gaming breakthroughs, especially the intense battle for licensing rights to the next big hit. A standout narrative involves Henk Rogers, one of the game’s co-founders, who also played a critical role in the rise of Japanese RPGs. Using his skills in the board game Go—which is featured here in its Famicom version—Rogers established rapport with Nintendo’s leaders and successfully secured the handheld rights to Tetris in Moscow. These intriguing details, along with many others, make up the comprehensive content of this collection.
While it’s easy to get caught up in the historical and documentary aspects, it’s important not to overlook the games included in the Gold Master series, all presented with meticulous and customizable emulation. Although some iconic titles like the Game Boy version appear only fleetingly, the collection does well to showcase NES, Game Boy Color, and various other PC and console takes on Tetris. It’s especially exciting to see some lesser-known attempts like the oddly gripping Hatris or the Japanese sequel, Bombliss.
Two games stand out as highlights. The first is a stunning recreation of Pajitnov’s original Electronika 60 prototype, embodying the pure simplicity at the heart of Tetris. Its basic wireframe visuals and gentle audio cues create a surprisingly soothing experience.
The other standout is Tetris Time Warp, a fresh installment that lets players journey through each era of the franchise using special warp blocks. It’s best enjoyed after delving into everything this collection has to offer—only then can you truly understand and appreciate the destinations these Time Warp Tetriminos will take you.
