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Somehow, Tetris has become even more of a brain teaser with the addition of puzzle mode. There are 200 scenarios to choose from and you can start at any one of them. You're given a scenario where you have to clear all the lines with only the choice of the three tetriminos given to you. You choose which tetrimino and the rotation to use but the location is predetermined. If the tetrimino doesn't clear at least one line you won't be able to select it but since there's no game over in this mode you can try as many times as you like. Just choose the right combination in the right order and Yoshi's delicious cookies are yours.
Mission mode is a bit of a pop quiz for the Tetris veteran and features Link, our hero in green battling his way through Hyrule. You can play in either marathon or trial versions and it's the only timed mode. You're only given so much time to complete a series of objectives that might start with clearing 2 lines only using S-shaped tetrimino so stay sharp because taking too long will punish you by adding junk lines. This is the perfect mode for honing your skills before taking the fight online.
The mode that arguable has the steepest learning curve would have to be Metroid-themed Catch Mode. You're given a small core to move around and spin to catch the falling tetriminos with. The core will of course grow larger with each piece you catch so you'll need to clear some room by creating 4x4 squares. With the occasional metroid orbiting the core this can become quite a task and spinning a lop-sided core can get the better of you if you don't watch it. Catch mode is actually Tetris in reverse if you look at it.
A version of Tetris on the DS without need for the stylus would've been a major disappointment. Fortunately Nintendo gave us exactly what we wanted in the Balloon Fight-themed Touch Mode. Touch mode can be played in two different ways: Tower and Touch Puzzle. As the name implies, in tower mode the tetriminos are stacked on top of one another to form a tower. A cage of balloons sits atop this tower and the goal is to clear enough lines by moving and rotating the tetriminos to bring the cage to the ground. Free balloons may not seem like much a reward but knowing you've conquered the tower definitely is. Touch puzzle is similar to Mission mode in that you're given objectives to complete to keep advancing. The twist is you can't rotate any of the pieces making it harder to get to those precious balloons. If you happen to get stuck then there's a simple retry button awaiting your command.
The true test for any gamer is a little (un)friendly competition against another person and Tetris DS practically drops an opponent in your lap. You can either play DS to DS or via Nintendo's WiFi network. Playing locally with up to 10 DSs only requires one game card while the online modes via WiFi are limited to either a 2 or 4 player game. Your online stats are recorded and used to pair you up with an opponent on your level. Playing with items is exclusive to multiplayer and almost a direct knock-off of Mario Kart even down to the stars and bananas. You'll be raising hell for your opponent in various ways or giving yourself an unfair advantage depending on the item you get. Some even let you to do both but if you'd rather to stick to the traditional rules of Tetris the items can always be turned off. Either way you'll find a challenge amongst all the multiplayer modes and options with a fool-proof match making system to compliment them.
In the face of games with bump mapping and high polygon counts, Tetris can still compete. It's a game that has the ability to turn non-gamers into video game addicts. Having a portable version of Tetris with wireless gaming capabilities is enough reason alone to own Tetris DS but Nintendo has gone above and beyond in adding a mode exclusive to the DS along with a few others to add variety. How many other games with a 30 dollar price tag can you say you'll be playing for another 20 years?
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