Games don’t usually offend me. I understand that there are bad games out there, and that’s fine (to some degree), but when classic games are repackaged in such a way that they are merely vehicles for a hidden, more sinister objective to ride in, I tend to get a tad pissed. But I digress, I’m getting a little ahead of myself…
The game’s title screen of the Tetris Online logo morphing into the Tetris Splash logo does a nice job of setting the tone for the entire experience. Make no mistake, this is the same ol’ Tetris online that you know and (may) love with a gimmicky background and screensaver.
If you’re a fan of the core gameplay that is Tetris, you’ll be pleased to know that everything you would expect it to have has been included: multiple stages, unlimited mode, online play — it’s all here and to great effect. The gameplay is smooth and I experienced virtually no lag while playing online. That’s it. That’s the entire "game" part of this package.
The Splash part of it is simply a customizable fish tank background and screen saver (activated in the options menu) where you can choose the type of water, the types of fish, and the "theme." When you buy the game for 800 Microsoft points you get to choose between a very limited amount of fish and absolutely no themes. If you want more you have to download them via the marketplace. Fish bundles, as of writing, are 50 Microsoft Points and themes are 150. These have been available since day 1, which begs one to ask: why not include them with the game? I have an answer to that: because this game isn’t about Tetris as much as it is a vehicle for digital distribution experimentation.
This is currently one of the most overpriced games on XBLA and because of the Splash elements, it almost reaches the heights of corporate stench set by the Toyota-funded Yaris. As a gamer, I’m offended by this package, and even the legendary Tetris can’t persuade me otherwise.
