When Nintendo announced their paid online service for the Switch, I didn’t get it right away.  I imagine playing Smash Bros. online was a big selling point, but as much as I like Smash Bros., I’m not that good enough to play against others online, so I didn’t get it then.  But recently when Super Mario Maker 2 came out, they had a version where you only had to pay ten bucks for the online service instead of 20, so I got that one.  You kind of NEED the online service to play and upload Mario Maker 2 levels, so now I have a subscription (my first Mario Maker 2 level code if anyone is interested, by the way: 19T-PV8-V7G).  So after I got my online subscription, I immediately downloaded another game: Tetris 99.  Tetris is still one of my all time favorite puzzle games, and this one is free but you can only play it with an online subscription.  So I figured now that I have it, I might as well review it.  Better late than never, right? (it came out earlier this year)

Anyway, I don’t think I need to describe Tetris too much to you all.  Most everyone has played it, as it is the most widely approachable game ever.  Even more so than Pac-Man.  And as a big Pac-Man fan, it’s hard for me to admit that, but it is true.  Many folks’ first memories of Tetris are on the Game Boy, but I actually played it on PC a couple of years before, so the Game Boy version wasn’t as impactful for me, even though I still certainly played it a lot!  In Tetris, falling blocks fall into a well, and you must move and rotate them so that you can make full horizontal lines.  When you do, they disappear.  If your blocks reach the top, it’s Game Over.

So what’s the big deal with Tetris 99?  Well you know how in other multiplayer Tetris titles, you can clear lines and send them over to your opponent?  You may have done this with another player, or maybe even three other players.  But this version of Tetris lets you go online against 99 other players!  Wow!  It’s a Tetris Battle Royale, and the first Battle Royale style game I’ve ever played.  And probably will ever play, unless Namco makes a Pac-Man 99 (please do, Namco).  You can even see little boxes all around your playfield, and those are the other competitors.  If you are playing in handheld mode, you can even tap on one of those squares to focus your attacks on one person.  Only problem is that it’s really hard to win, but I can get at least into the 20’s and 30’s before I lose, so I guess that’s not TOO bad.

There are a couple of offline modes you can purchase.  One where you go against 99 CPU players, and one that plays like a regular Tetris endless mode.  But they’re both ten bucks each, and I don’t even think they’re worth half that.  You can also unlock new skins to change your playfield, but I don’t know how to do that.  I heard there was a Game Boy skin and a Splatoon skin at one point.  Overall, if you have a short amount of time to kill and have an online connection, Tetris 99 is great for moments like that.

Kid Factor:

Nothing violent or objectionable here.  Even the online interactions are safe from what I can tell.  Parental supervision is recommended for the in-game purchases, though.  Tetris 99 is rated E for Everyone.

Tags: Game Reviews