Gaming Tetris

[Stuart]

[FONT=Tahoma]Ok this may sound a little odd but I'm doing a report for my english class on... Tetris and I have a wonderful report all about Tetris and it's goodness but in my report I need an opposing arguement on why people might dislike Tetris. Now I already know many people simply say "It's lame" or "It's boring" but I need something a little more deep, So I have come to ask my fellow OBers' for a little help out with this one.

Now I won't just won't copy/paste your remarks to my report. You have my word that you will be properly quoted and added to my report. I know it's hard to think that someone could bad mouth Tetris, Thats why I need help out on this one.

What are the negatives of Tetris?[/FONT]

[Semjaza]

I'd say the main negative of Tetris is how many stupid variations there are on it now. There was very little that needed to be changed since the original. It's one of those few games that was pretty much perfect in its original incarnation, aside from graphic and sound enchancements over the years. There was no need for Tetris 2 (aka Flash Tetris, which had bombs), Hatris or Wordtris. None of them are talked about anymore for a reason.

The only decent Tetris "spin-off" was Nintendo's Tetris Attack, which is arguable because of its origins. I put that in quotes because the original was called Panel De Pon in Japan, but was edited and renamed for US release seemingly just to sell more copies.

Otherwise, all I've stuck with are different ports of the original Tetris, like Nintendo's Tetris DX on the GBC.

It's not my favorite game ever and I don't play it for long periods of time, but it's definitely not boring or lame. I think the people who dislike it most are generally the worst players lol.

So yeah, I don't particularly dislike anything about the main game itself.

[Dirt]

[b][color=darkgreen]The only negative things I can say about Tetris is that it diverted me from precious study hours with it's simplicity and addictiveness and that once I would finally stop playing, I would try to fit ordinary objects together in my mind as I stumbled off to bed, class, etc... delusional Tetris Syndrome, I guess you'd say (though Homer Simpson did quite well packing his car with Tetris Syndrome).[/color][/b]
[b][color=#006400][/color][/b]
[b][color=#006400]Hmmm..guess I'm not much of a help...[/color][/b]

[AzureWolf]

[COLOR=blue]I remember someone did mathematical research on Tetris. I don't remember who it was, nor what his algorithm looked like, but it was apparently sound. His conclusion based on his algorithm was that it was theoretically impossible to win in Tetris. By win, I merely mean never lose.

The problem stemmed from one of the zig-zag pieces or something, as it created an absolutely certainty that a person would eventually "pile up" his side, even if we were to assume perfect moves and infinite playtime/health.

False sense of hope seems like a negative to me. =P[/COLOR]

[Semjaza]

Considering the main game is more or less "endless" last I checked, I don't see how anyone could actually complete/win the game in the first place.

[Retribution]

[SIZE=1]While the game is definitely fun, it gets old tiresome after the first ten levels or so.

What I mean to say is that, while Tetris is quite a fun and well-respected game, as it should be, it's still very monotonous, and loses people's attention. Repetition isn't always good in a videogame. Besides, whenever I step up to a game of Tetris, in the back of my mind I know there's no way possible for me to beat it. It's this looming feeling, knowing that there's nothing humanly possible to do in order to conquer that blasted computer. It reminds you that computers are better than you. Hah.[/SIZE]

[MissWem]

[COLOR=DarkRed] [SIZE=1]Hahaha!Tetris.. ah, that old thing.

I do occassionally enjoy Tetris, however it is predictable, it always has a terrible sound track and lacks multi-player capabilities. I guess that's the worst of it.

Darn, that was difficult ^^"[/SIZE] [/COLOR]

[roxybudgy]

Tetris was one of the few games that I used to play on my old console. Now, I probably wouldn't bear to play that game because I dislike how the game will never end, no matter how hard you try, things just get harder and harder. You feel stressed and in the end, you can only lose.

[Desbreko]

[QUOTE=DerelictDestiny][COLOR=DarkRed] [SIZE=1]Hahaha!Tetris.. ah, that old thing.

I do occassionally enjoy Tetris, however it is predictable, it always has a terrible sound track and lacks multi-player capabilities. I guess that's the worst of it.

Darn, that was difficult ^^"[/SIZE] [/COLOR][/QUOTE]
[color=#4B0082]I love my A-Type and B-Type themes (C-Type is sort of meh) from the Game Boy version of Tetris. That's quality 8-bit generation sound right there! :p

Also, the Game Boy version also has Link Cable support for multiplayer. Those games get intense sometimes and can easily eat up even more time than the single player mode.

Something bad about Tetris, though? Well, I think the main thing is that it doesn't really draw me in. Sure, once I start playing I can get hooked and spend a good while on the game. But when I'm just sitting there, looking for something to do, Tetris is usually my last resort. I barely ever feel the desire to play it until I've already started, so it's almost always an outside influence that makes me want to.[/color]

[Kamuro]

Whats the problem with Tetris? Its tedious. Although theres tons of levels, each one revolves around the same concept. Its addicting at first, but in about five minutes your wondering why your wasting your time trying to make a row of blocks. There isn't really much thought to the game, which attracts some, but when it comes to the real gamers, its just not intriuging. You can make as many versions and/or installments of the Tetris series as much as you want, but as long as it has the basic idea of Tetris, it will quickly get old and people will move on to something else.

[BlueYoshi]

[quote name='Desbreko][color=#4B0082']I love my A-Type and B-Type themes (C-Type is sort of meh) from the Game Boy version of Tetris. That's quality 8-bit generation sound right there! :p[/color][/quote]

[color=darkred]I absolutely love the music in the original Game Boy Tetris. Since the first time I heard A-Type back when the game was released, I've found myself whistling to that tune over the years, 'cause I never get tired of it. And the remixes you can get on the net rock, too.

When considering the bad things about Tetris, I'd have go along with the other variations of it. They were totally uncalled for, and stresses that simplicity is the key when going about these kinds of games. The only other bad thing I can think of that hasn't already been mentioned in this thread is how ironic the game can be. There have been so many situations where a shape drops that I don't need, and has absolutely no bearing to the rest of the puzzle, or when a shape drops that I desperately needed before, but not anymore. Darn, that is so frustrating, especially in the harder levels... you're left with no time to think whatsoever.[/color]

[Stuart]

Heres a short piece that I wrote for my persuasive essay on Tetris.

Tetris is one of the few games that achieves ultimate popularity. It is
remarkably simple, yet remarkably difficult. It's been ported to every computer
and game console known to man, and has sold millions of cartridges, tapes, and
disks across the land. Everybody who played video games knows Tetris, the
world's most famous puzzle game, known for its spawning of countless imitators,
and the Nintendo-Atari lawsuit. Nintendo brought out a version of Tetris to the
NES, and it's a great game.
The object is very simple: these geometric pieces fall down the screen and you have to rotate them to form lines. Making a full line horizontally causes it to
disappear, and gives you points. You can even move pieces to remove two or three
or, with a four-bar piece, four lines (that's a Tetris). Broken lines with gaps will cause the pile to rise higher and higher, and if the pile touches the top of the creen, the game is over. It's simplistic, but takes awhile to trulymaster. That's one of the game's charms.
The graphics aren't very good. All you see is the screen and the pieces, which change color depending on the level, so I guess that's a plus. The sounds are alright with nice sound effects and three different musics to choose from,
including a neat version of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Suite." The controls are very easy to use. Button B rotates the piece to the left, and Button A rotates it to the right. Pressing Down will just speed up the descent of the pieces, unlike the PC versions, which would just cause it to fall.
According to psychologist In first-time users, Tetris significantly raises
cerebral glucose metabolic rates (GMRs), meaning brain energy consumption soars.
Tetris trains your brain to stop using inefficient gray matter, perhaps a key cognitive strategy for learning. In fact, the lowest final GMRs are found in the best players' brains, the ones most efficient at dealing with Tetris's Daedalian geometry.

[Desbreko]

[quote name='x kakashi x']There isn't really much thought to the game, which attracts some, but when it comes to the real gamers, its just not intriuging.[/quote][color=#4B0082]That's quite the claim, there. It compels me to mention that in EGM's volume 150 "100 Best Games Ever" article, Tetris was rated 2nd, and in Nintendo Power's volume 100 "100 Best Games of All Time" article, Tetris was rated 3rd. Methinks it's the "real gamers" who appreciate Tetris' simple, addictive gameplay. Even I do, and I'm not at all a fan of puzzle games in general.

But whatever. I don't expect everyone to like Tetris, though I think it's obvious a majority of gamers out there do.

And nice essay piece, Hack Helba. That's really interesting about the GMRs, and I have to agree; a quick paced game of Tetris really gets your mind racing. Quite the mental workout, heh. Teaches you to both think quick and plan ahead at the same time.[/color]

[Lord Dante]

[QUOTE=Desbreko][color=#4B0082]That's quite the claim, there. It compels me to mention that in EGM's volume 150 "100 Best Games Ever" article, Tetris was rated 2nd, and in Nintendo Power's volume 100 "100 Best Games of All Time" article, Tetris was rated 3rd. Methinks it's the "real gamers" who appreciate Tetris' simple, addictive gameplay. Even I do, and I'm not at all a fan of puzzle games in general.

But whatever. I don't expect everyone to like Tetris, though I think it's obvious a majority of gamers out there do.

And nice essay piece, Hack Helba. That's really interesting about the GMRs, and I have to agree; a quick paced game of Tetris really gets your mind racing. Quite the mental workout, heh. Teaches you to both think quick and plan ahead at the same time.[/color][/QUOTE]
I'll agree with the tetris mental workout thing. I swear tetris can prepare you for exams, take this dialogue from last year:

[I]teacher: Did you do any revision for this exam?

me: No it's ok sir, i just played four hours of tetris[/I]

Tetris is one of the most brutally addictive games of all time, and i think that that could be considered as a negative. when you think that just because you can't get a certain tetrominoe into a certain place has you tearing out great clumps of hair and needing a new television, then you might see my point.

plus the soundtrack is too addictive and well known. i tried to pass it off as music coursework, but my teacher saw right through it.


One positive about tetris though: is it inspires people to do wierd things. if you go here, you can find a clip of a music group from the University of wisconsin "singing" various tunes from NES games, one of theese being tetris. As well as singing it, they act it out as well! i think that this clip is extremely funny.

an example of the subliminal powers of tetris.

[Kamuro]

of course tetris was rated high in competition, its old school, people love and respect all the old games, mario, contra, metroid, all classics that people still love. And you can love it as much as you want, but that doesn't make it a worth while game. Its addicting at first, as I said before, but its the same thing over and over again. Back then it was the thing because they had nothing better. But with all the gaming advances we've made theres just no reason to sit down and play tetris, it has become obsolete. Now I'm not referring to all older games when I say this. I love mario and I still play it all the time, but at least theres a plot for god sakes, tetris is just random block placement, c'mon.

[Morpheus]

[quote name='x kakashi x']of course tetris was rated high in competition, its old school, people love and respect all the old games, mario, contra, metroid, all classics that people still love. And you can love it as much as you want, but that doesn't make it a worth while game. Its addicting at first, as I said before, but its the same thing over and over again. Back then it was the thing because they had nothing better. But with all the gaming advances we've made theres just no reason to sit down and play tetris, it has become obsolete. Now I'm not referring to all older games when I say this. I love mario and I still play it all the time, but at least theres a plot for god sakes, tetris is just random block placement, c'mon.[/quote]
You are officially the only person to call tetris boring. According to your logic, the only game you should be playing is haven(yuck). In mario, you jump and run a lot. Is this not the same?

[2010DigitalBoy]

And I am the second person to call Tetris boring! Yes, its a classic, yes, its a legend, yes, it is a gaming revolution, yes, it was the funnest game of its time, yes, it inspired every puzzle game ever and probably a few First Person Shooters, yes, I worship it, no, I don't find it fun AT ALL. I know your going to flame me, even if I tell you I know every word your going to say, someone is going to flame me. I really did try to like this game. I played it on the N64, I played it on the Playstation, I played it on a Portable Tetris, I even played it on an emulator, each time pretending like I was having fun. But I wasn't. Tetris, with all do respect, sucks.

[Lord Dante]

[quote name='x kakashi x']of course tetris was rated high in competition, its old school, people love and respect all the old games, mario, contra, metroid, all classics that people still love. And you can love it as much as you want, but that doesn't make it a worth while game. Its addicting at first, as I said before, but its the same thing over and over again. Back then it was the thing because they had nothing better. But with all the gaming advances we've made theres just no reason to sit down and play tetris, it has become obsolete. Now I'm not referring to all older games when I say this. I love mario and I still play it all the time, but at least theres a plot for god sakes, tetris is just random block placement, c'mon.[/quote]
I still reckon it's funny that poeple actually used tetris as a performing art and music piece.

What some of you say makes sense, but i believe that tetris will never be forgotten. it will always remain in the public sight. one of the "founding fathers" of videogames i have heard some popele call it, even though that that statement is chronologically inaccurate.

[Kamuro]

well, looks like I am "officially" not the only one to call tetris boring. Who makes these things official anyway? Oh well, since people must neglect to read the whole of my posts, I'll post it [I]again.[/I] I mentioned nothing about the tediousness or repativity of Mario, I said it at least had a plot, which it does. And the plot of Tetris you may ask? Well, there isn't one. At least Mario compelled people to play and still does today. Compare Mario's success to that of Tetris and get back to me.

Anyway, I don't really understand why we're arguing about this. The game is old and tired and it will be respected as a classic, but that doesn't mean its "the best game ever." Sure, way back when a lot of people played music, and it opened the door for a lot of todays bands, but that doesn't mean we have to like it and that doesn't mean its good. We have made so many advnaces in the gaming world to call Tetris "the best" or even "one of the best" is a jaded survey geared towards that of classic/most impressionable games rather then "the best." And if your wondering why I put the best in quotes everytime, its because "the best" is an opinion, what I think is the best and you think is the best could be totally different. As for Tetris, almost everyone in the post, who has admitted they liked the game, has mentioned its repativity and how it just, well, gets old. So you should "officially" admit it already and get it over with.

[Lord Dante]

True enough, point taken.