Tetris 99

Last updated
Tetris 99
Tetris99-coverart.png
Developer(s) Arika
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Ryuichi Nakada
Akito Kitamura
Producer(s) Ichirou Mihara
Hitoshi Yamagami
Akira Kinashi
Designer(s) Akito Kitamura
Makoto Hasebe
Programmer(s) Hitoshi Hirashima
Composer(s) Teruo Taniguchi
Series Tetris
Platform(s) Nintendo Switch
ReleaseNintendo eShop
  • WW: February 13, 2019
Physical release
  • JP: August 9, 2019
  • NA: September 6, 2019
  • EU: September 20, 2019
Genre(s) Puzzle, battle royale
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Tetris 99 [lower-alpha 1] is a 2019 battle royale puzzle video game developed by Arika and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch, and is an online multiplayer adaptation of Tetris . Players move and drop puzzle pieces called tetrominoes onto a playing board, and must clear rows by filling them completely with pieces. Players lose if tetrominoes overflow off the top of the board or their next piece is not able to spawn because it overlaps an existing block on the playfield. Matches contain 99 players, who send additional rows to other players' boards by clearing a row on their own board; whoever is the last man standing without an overflowed board wins the match.

Contents

Tetris 99 was released as a free digital download for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. Paid downloadable content and a physical edition have released subsequently. It received favorable reception from critics, has been nominated for several awards, and has been played by over 2 million players. Arika would later develop similar games to Tetris 99 for other popular video game series, such as Pac-Man 99 and Super Mario Bros. 35 .

Gameplay

The main gameplay screen of Tetris 99, with the boards of 98 other players seen in the background. Tetris 99 screenshot.jpg
The main gameplay screen of Tetris 99, with the boards of 98 other players seen in the background.

Tetris 99 is a multiplayer puzzle game in which 99 players play against each other at the same time, with the aim to be the last player remaining. As with the traditional Tetris formula, players rotate and drop shaped bricks known as tetrominoes onto a board. Players can clear tetrominoes by completing rows across both sides, whereas players will lose if tetrominoes overflow off the top of the board. As with modern Tetris rules, players have the option to store a tetromino piece to swap out at any time. By clearing multiple lines or performing continuous line clears in a row, players can send "garbage" to other players, which will appear on their board unless they can quickly clear lines in response. More garbage can be sent by completing combination moves in succession of making a "tetris" (matching 4 lines at once) or performing a "T-spin" (squeezing the T-shaped tetromino into a position it would otherwise not fall into by rapidly rotating it). [1]

During gameplay, small grids representing the other 98 players are displayed at the sides of the main board. Players can either choose to target individual players, or have the computer automatically target other players based on one of four criteria: random players, those who are targeting the player, those who are close to being defeated, and those who possess badges. Badges are earned by knocking out a player with garbage (or gray lines), which earns them a piece of a badge, along with any other badges or pieces that player had. The more badges a player completes and possesses, the more lines they can send to other players at a time (up to a 100% boost). At the end of a game, players will earn experience that will increase their level.

In May 2019, Nintendo released paid downloadable content (DLC) for the game, named the Big Block DLC. The DLC adds 4 offline modes in total: Marathon, the traditional single-player Tetris mode where play continues until the stack reaches the top of the well; CPU Battle, where players battle 98 bot players; Local Arena, where up to eight Nintendo Switch players play in the same arena via local wireless; and Two Player Share Battle, where two players share Joy-Con and play the same game in local co-op. [2]

Development

Tetris 99 was announced during a Nintendo Direct presentation on February 13, 2019, and made available later that day. It is available for free exclusively to players who have subscribed to the Nintendo Switch Online service. [3] Nintendo released a physical version of the game in Japan on August 9, 2019, in North America on September 6, 2019, and in Europe on September 20, 2019. The physical edition includes the Big Block DLC content and a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online voucher. [4] [5] [6]

Promotional use

The game periodically features special "Maximus Cup" events; [7] where players with the top number of wins over a weekend play period would win rewards within the My Nintendo loyalty program. [8] In addition, later events would be used to promote other Nintendo Switch games by offering exclusive themes consisting of new sound effects, background music, sprites and UI elements based on current releases. [9] [10] These would either be exclusively unlocked by participating in their respective events or could be purchased with in-game tickets earned by completing daily challenges. Below is a list of all of these special themes: [11]

NameSpecial

Theme No.

Maximus Cup durationPurchasable

via tickets

Game Boy 117/05/2019 - 19/05/2019Yes check.svg
Splatoon 2 212/07/2019 - 16/07/2019Yes check.svg
Fire Emblem: Three Houses 323/08/2019 - 27/08/2019Yes check.svg
Super Kirby Clash 420/09/2019 - 23/09/2019Yes check.svg
Luigi's Mansion 3 525/10/2019 - 29/10/2019

17/08/2020 - 19/08/2020

Yes check.svg
Pokémon Sword & Shield 607/11/2019 - 11/11/2019

16/10/2020 - 19/10/2020

Yes check.svg
Ring Fit Adventure 724/04/2020 - 27/04/2020

20/08/2020 - 22/08/2020

Yes check.svg
Animal Crossing: New Horizons 815/05/2020 - 18/05/2020

14/08/2020 - 16/08/2020

Yes check.svg
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition 903/07/2020 - 06/07/2020Yes check.svg
Paper Mario: The Origami King 1031/07/2020 - 04/08/2020Yes check.svg
Super Mario All-Stars 1103/12/2020 - 07/12/2020
Kirby Fighters 2 1207/01/2021 - 11/01/2021Yes check.svg
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury 1304/03/2021 - 08/03/2021

05/08/2022

Miitopia 1418/06/2021 - 22/06/2021

06/08/2022

Mario Golf: Super Rush 1509/07/2021 - 12/07/2021

07/08/2022

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD 1606/08/2021 - 09/08/2021

08/08/2022

WarioWare: Get It Together! 1717/09/2021 - 20/09/2021

09/08/2022

Monster Hunter Rise 1808/10/2021 - 11/10/2021
Metroid Dread 1929/10/2021 - 01/11/2021

10/08/2022

Mario Party Superstars 2009/12/2021 - 13/12/2021
Pokémon Legends: Arceus 2121/01/2022 - 25/01/2022
Kirby and the Forgotten Land 2222/04/2022 - 25/04/2022
Kirby's Dream Buffet 2315/12/2022 - 19/12/2022
Fire Emblem Engage 2424/03/2023 - 27/03/2023
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe 2521/04/2023 - 24/04/2023
Pikmin 426
Xenoblade Chronicles 327
Super Mario RPG28
Wario Ware: Move It!29

Reception

Upon release, Tetris 99 received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregator Metacritic. [12] According to IGN Tetris 99 is a "wondrous pandemonium in a battle royale bottle" and that "the massive player count really ups the intensity." [15] The Telegraph said the game is "fiercer than Fortnite" and "as exciting and cutthroat as any video game deathmatch." [18]

During a financial results briefing, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa reported that Tetris 99 had been played by over 2.8 million accounts as of April 2019. Furukawa also noted that the game has boosted "user engagement" with the Nintendo Switch. [19]

Alexey Pajitnov, the creator of the original Tetris, stated that he, "love[s] the game" and called it, "one of the best games of Tetris of the last year. I really like what was done." [20]

Awards

YearAwardCategoryResultRef
2019 2019 Golden Joystick Awards Best Multiplayer GameNominated [21]
Nintendo Game of the YearNominated
Titanium Awards Best Family/Social GameNominated [22]
The Game Awards 2019 Best Multiplayer GameNominated [23]
2020New York Game AwardsCentral Park Children's Zoo Award for Best Kids GameNominated [24]
23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Online Game of the Year Nominated [25]
NAVGTR AwardsEngineeringNominated [26]
Gameplay Design, FranchiseNominated
Game, PuzzleNominated

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: テトリス99, Hepburn: Tetorisu Naintī Nain

Related Research Articles

<i>Tetris</i> 1985 video game

Tetris is a puzzle video game created in 1985 by Alexey Pajitnov, a Soviet software engineer. It has been published by several companies for multiple platforms, most prominently during a dispute over the appropriation of the rights in the late 1980s. After a significant period of publication by Nintendo, the rights reverted to Pajitnov in 1996, who co-founded the Tetris Company with Henk Rogers to manage licensing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetromino</span> Four squares connected edge-to-edge

A tetromino is a geometric shape composed of four squares, connected orthogonally. Tetrominoes, like dominoes and pentominoes, are a particular type of polyomino. The corresponding polycube, called a tetracube, is a geometric shape composed of four cubes connected orthogonally.

<i>Tetris</i> (Atari Games) 1988 video game

Tetris is a puzzle game developed by Atari Games and originally released for arcades in 1988. Based on Alexey Pajitnov's Tetris, Atari Games' version features the same gameplay as the computer editions of the game, as players must stack differently shaped falling blocks to form and eliminate horizontal lines from the playing field. The game features several difficulty levels and two-player simultaneous play.

<i>Tetris: The Grand Master</i> 1998 video game

Tetris: The Grand Master is a series of puzzle arcade video games created by Arika.

Arika is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. It was formed in 1995 by former Capcom employees. It was originally known as ARMtech K.K, but was later named Arika. The name of the company is the reverse of the name of the company's founder, Akira Nishitani, who along with Akira Yasuda, created Street Fighter II. Arika's first game was Street Fighter EX. It was successful and was followed up with two updates, and its two sequels Street Fighter EX2 and Street Fighter EX3. In 2018, they released a spiritual successor to both Street Fighter EX and Fighting Layer, titled Fighting EX Layer. From 2019 to 2021, Arika collaborated with Nintendo to create the battle royale games Tetris 99, Super Mario Bros. 35, and with Bandai Namco for Pac-Man 99. Arika is also known for the Tetris: The Grand Master series, the Dr. Mario series, and the Endless Ocean series.

<i>Tetris</i> (Game Boy video game) 1989 video game

Tetris is a puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy in 1989. It is a portable version of Alexey Pajitnov's original Tetris and it was bundled with the North American and European releases of the Game Boy itself. It is the first game to have been compatible with the Game Link Cable, a pack-in accessory that allows two Game Boy consoles to link for multiplayer purposes. A remaster, Tetris DX, was released on the Game Boy Color in 1998. A Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console version of Tetris was released in December 2011, lacking multiplayer functionality. The game was released on the Nintendo Switch Online service in February 2023.

<i>Magical Tetris Challenge</i> 1998 video game

Magical Tetris Challenge is a puzzle game by Capcom for the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, and PlayStation. It is a version of Tetris featuring Disney characters. It is one of the few Nintendo 64 games to be entirely in 2D.

<i>Pikmin 3</i> 2013 video game

Pikmin 3 is a 2013 real-time strategy and puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U video game console. It is the sequel to the GameCube games Pikmin (2001) and Pikmin 2 (2004), and was released in Japan on July 13, 2013, and in all other regions the next month. Shigeru Miyamoto announced Pikmin 3 on July 16, 2008, for the Wii console, later stating at E3 2011 that it had transitioned to the Wii U.

<i>A Hat in Time</i> 2017 video game

A Hat in Time is a platform game developed by Danish game studio Gears for Breakfast and published by Humble Bundle. The game was developed using Unreal Engine 3 and funded through a Kickstarter campaign, which nearly doubled its fundraising goals within its first two days. The game was self-published for macOS and Windows in October 2017, and by Humble Bundle for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles two months later. A version for the Nintendo Switch was released in October 2019.

<i>Puyo Puyo Tetris</i> 2014 crossover puzzle video game

Puyo Puyo Tetris is a 2014 puzzle video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. The game is a crossover between the Puyo Puyo series and the Tetris franchise, and features various gameplay modes incorporating both aspects. The game includes characters modeled and named after the seven Tetrominos, which are different puzzle pieces each made of four blocks.

<i>Puzzlejuice</i> 2012 video game

Puzzlejuice is a 2012 indie puzzle video game for iOS produced and developed by video game company Sirvo. The game is a combination of Tetris, tile-matching, and Boggle: players rearrange falling tetromino blocks into rows of similar colors, which turn into letters that are cleared from the board by forming words. The fast-paced game also includes challenges and power-ups. The development team consisted of three people; programmer Asher Vollmer initially developed the game alone, before reaching out to artist Greg Wohlwend for advice on the aesthetics. Composer Jimmy Hinson produced the game's music.

<i>Dream of Pixels</i> 2012 video game

Dream of Pixels is a mobile game developed by Slovenian studio Dawn of Play and released on November 15, 2012. Its available for iOS and Android.

<i>Tetris Ultimate</i> 2014 video game

Tetris Ultimate is a puzzle video game developed by American studio SoMa Play and published by Ubisoft. Ubisoft partnered with The Tetris Company to develop the game to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Tetris franchise.

<i>Tetris 2</i> (1993 video game) 1993 video game

Tetris 2, known in Japan as Tetris Flash, is a puzzle video game developed by Nintendo and Tose and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was ported to the Game Boy in 1993 and Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994 by Bullet Proof Software.

Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) is an online subscription service for the Nintendo Switch video game console. The service is Nintendo's third generation online service after Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and Nintendo Network. Following an interim period which began with the launch of the Nintendo Switch where Nintendo offered online multiplayer free of charge and the launch of the Nintendo Switch Online Smartphone App on July 21, 2017, the subscription service officially launched on September 18, 2018.

<i>Pokémon Sword</i> and <i>Shield</i> 2019 role-playing games

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield are 2019 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch console. They are the first instalments in the eighth generation of the Pokémon video game series. First teased at E3 2017 and announced in February 2019, the games were released in November 2019. The games were accompanied by a downloadable content (DLC) expansion pass consisting of Part 1—The Isle of Armor and Part 2—The Crown Tundra.

<i>Tetris</i> (NES video game) 1989 video game

Tetris is a puzzle video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) released in 1989, based on Tetris (1985) by Alexey Pajitnov. It is the first official console release of Tetris to have been developed and published by Nintendo. It was preceded by an official Tetris for Family Computer in Japan in December 1988, and an unofficial Tetris by Atari in North America in May 1989.

<i>Super Mario Bros. 35</i> 2020 video game

Super Mario Bros. 35 was a 2020 online multiplayer platform game with battle royale elements. Developed by Arika and published by Nintendo, the game was part of the celebration of the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. in 2020. It was released on the Nintendo Switch as a free downloadable game for members of the Nintendo Switch Online service on October 1, 2020. Its servers were shut down on April 1, 2021, following the official end of the anniversary. The game was similar in concept to Tetris 99.

<i>Tetris</i> (film) 2023 biographical film

Tetris is a 2023 biographical thriller film based on true events around the race to license and patent the video game Tetris from Russia in the late 1980s during the Cold War. It was directed by Jon S. Baird and written by Noah Pink. The film stars Taron Egerton, Nikita Efremov, Sofia Lebedeva, and Anthony Boyle.

<i>Pac-Man 99</i> 2021 video game

Pac-Man 99 was a maze video game with battle royale elements developed by Arika and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for the Nintendo Switch. It was released through the Nintendo Switch Online service on April 7, 2021.

References

  1. ↑ Kim, Matt (February 20, 2019). "Insane Tetris 99 Highlights From Players Better Than You'll Ever Be". USGamer . Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  2. ↑ "A blockbuster battle royale!". Nintendo of Europe GmbH. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  3. ↑ Alexander, Julia (February 13, 2019). "Tetris is now a battle royale game with Tetris 99". The Verge . Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  4. ↑ Watts, Steve (July 9, 2019). "Tetris 99 Getting Nintendo Switch Physical Release This Fall". GameSpot . Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  5. ↑ Jenni (July 9, 2019). "Tetris 99 Physical Copies Will Be Released In Europe And Japan". Siliconera . Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Now you can own a physical version of #Tetris99 with all of the latest DLC AND a 1-year #NintendoSwitchOnline subscription for $29.99. Grab your copy in stores and start playing on 9/6". Nintendo of America's official Nintendo Vs. Twitter account. July 16, 2019. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  7. ↑ Gach, Ethan (February 14, 2019). "Tetris 99 Has No Tutorial, So Here's What You Need To Know". Kotaku . Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  8. ↑ Phillips, Tom (March 6, 2019). "Tetris 99's first tournament has an enticing Nintendo Point prize pool". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Splatoon is coming to Tetris 99 in a special crossover Maximus Cup". 9 July 2019.
  10. ↑ "Tetris 99's Ring Fit Crossover Event Now Live".
  11. ↑ "Tetris 99 Archives". Nintendo Everything. 2023-04-18. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  12. 1 2 "Tetris 99". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  13. ↑ Hilliard, Kyle (February 18, 2019). "Tetris 99 Review – Winner Winner, Tetris Dinner". Game Informer. Archived from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  14. ↑ Brown, Peter (February 21, 2019). "Tetris 99 Review - Embrace The Chaos". GameSpot . Archived from the original on February 24, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  15. 1 2 Petite, Steven (February 19, 2019). "Tetris 99 Review". IGN . Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  16. ↑ Anagund (February 19, 2019). "Test : Tetris 99 : Plus intense que le plus intense des Battle Royale !". Jeuxvideo (in French). Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  17. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (February 15, 2019). "Tetris 99 Review (Switch eShop)". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  18. ↑ Hoggins, Tom (February 24, 2019). "Tetris 99 review: Classic puzzler battle royale is fiercer than Fortnite". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on March 4, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  19. ↑ Doolan, Liam (April 25, 2019). "9.8 Million Switch Owners Have Signed Up To The Online Service And 2.8 Million Have Played Tetris 99". Nintendo Life . Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  20. ↑ Lopez, Alan (June 17, 2019). "Feature: Tetris Creator Alexey Pajitnov On Tetris 99, Tetris Comics And His Favourite Tetris Piece". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on June 16, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Golden Joystick Awards 2019". GamesRadar+ . Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  22. ↑ "Titanium Awards 2019". Fun & Serious Game Festival . 9 March 2017. Archived from the original on November 21, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  23. ↑ Weber, Rachel (November 19, 2019). "All The Game Awards nominations for 2019". GamesRadar+ . Archived from the original on November 21, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  24. ↑ Sheehan, Gavin (January 2, 2020). "The New York Game Awards Announces 2020 Nominees". Bleeding Cool . Archived from the original on January 4, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  25. ↑ Chalk, Andy (January 13, 2020). "Control and Death Stranding get 8 nominations each for the 2020 DICE Awards". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  26. ↑ "2019 Nominees". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. January 13, 2020. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.