Tetris 99
Year: 2019
Rating: E
Time Played: 125+ hours
The “Battle Royale” genre of video games took the world by storm a few years ago. While most of these games were shooters like Fortnite, one odd entry resonated with me. Tetris 99 takes the versus mode of this classic video game and pits you against 98 other players to see who has the skills to be the best for that round. I never played much “competitive” Tetris before I picked up this game, so there was a bit of a learning curve. Still, I eventually trained my playstyle to survive long enough to achieve the title of “Tetris Maximus.”
With over 125 hours clocked in this game, I found it easy to pick up and play. After I rose to the top of the 99 players, I could play in the “Invictus” mode, only for players who had become Tetris Maximus at least once. I usually play in Invictus mode for the challenge, but I’ll often do regular rounds of Tetris 99 to earn a new skin. The other DLC modes like CPU Battle and Marathon have some merit for their slightly different takes on the formula, but honestly, the free Tetris 99, Invictus, and Team Battle modes are all most players will ever need.
That Tetris 99 is so addicting is interesting, considering how simple this puzzler is. I enjoy the competitive aspect, and there is something about reaching the top tiers of a round and feeling either the euphoria of being the best or the motivation to immediately try again. Still, after about 100 hours of this game, it feels more like a chore. I’m trying to fill out more achievements, but I know some are likely always out of my grasp. However, for a free game that comes with the Nintendo Switch Online service, it’s worth playing at least long enough to claim that #1 spot.
An addicting battle royale puzzler, I give Tetris 99 3.5 stars out of 5.
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