Tetris Attack

Tetris Attack, also known as Panel de Pon

Tetris Attack was first released as Panel de Pon in Japan in October 1995, featuring fairies as the main characters with a mythical, fantasy setting. The game was released outside Japan in 1996, with the original characters and settings replaced by those from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Though international releases have the name Tetris Attack, the game bears no relation to the Tetris video game series, leading Tetris Company co-founder Henk Rogers to regret giving Nintendo the license to use the name. Both Panel de Pon and Tetris Attack were later broadcast through the Japan-only Satellaview peripheral, the latter renamed to BS Yoshi's Panepon.^[b]

Tetris Attack was well received by critics for its graphical style, addictive gameplay and multiplayer modes, with some noting the North American version was superior to the original Japanese release. It was followed by a series of sequels and remakes for multiple platforms, most of which instead use the name Puzzle League. The game is referenced in other Nintendo games, such as the Super Smash Bros. series, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and Captain Rainbow.

Gameplay

Tetris Attack is a puzzle video game. The player must use an on-screen cursor to arrange colored blocks into horizontal or vertical rows – matching together three or more blocks of the same color will destroy them. Any blocks above cleared lines will fall, which can be used to cause chain reactions if they touch other matching blocks. The player can also earn combos, clearing more than three blocks in a single move. As the stage progresses, the blocks will begin to rise steadily towards the top of the screen, with new blocks generating from the bottom. Should the blocks touch the top of the playfield, the game will be over.

Several different gameplay modes are included. Story Mode pits the player against a series of computer-controlled opponents. In Endless Mode, the player is challenged to play as long as possible with a continuously rising stack of blocks, which increases in speed over time. Timed Mode challenges the player to score as many points as possible within a two-minute time limit. Stage Clear mode takes the player through a series of stages, in which the objective is to clear all blocks underneath a "boundary" line. In Puzzle Mode, the player must clear all the blocks in a preset block arrangement in a set number of moves – the blocks here do not rise towards the top. Several multiplayer modes are also present with adjustable difficulty levels.

Development and release

Tetris Attack was released in Japan on October 27, 1995, August 1996 in North America, and November 28, 1996, in Europe. Development was headed by

Tetris Attack was met with very positive reviews, earning a 90% average rating on GameRankings.^[6] The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it an 8.25 out of 10, lauding the addictive gameplay, colorful and cartoony graphics, use of Mario characters in the North American localization, and two-player mode.^[3] GamePro gave it a perfect 5 out of 5 in graphics, control and FunFactor, and a 4.5 out of 5 in sound. The reviewer commented that it has "a gentler, slower style of gameplay that requires learning some easy new controls, but this game's no less addicting than the original Tetris."^[7] GameSpot called it "absolutely brilliant".^[8]

GamePro gave the Game Boy version a brief positive review, saying it "updates the age-old Tetris concept by inverting the basic action".^[9]

Accolades

Electronic Gaming Monthly editors named Tetris Attack Super NES Game of the Year, Hand-Held Game of the Year, and Puzzle Game of the Year, commenting that "[T]he simple premise makes it a game of mass appeal; its depth makes it a hardcore gamer's delight."^[10] In 1997 Electronic Gaming Monthly editors ranked the Super NES version the 16th best console video game of all time. They cited its accessibility and addictive quality, confessing that their boss had confiscated the office copy of the game because of how much time they spent playing it.^[11] GamesRadar+ listed it 87th on their list of "The 100 best games of all time", stating "you haven't lived until you've played Tetris Attack two-player and dropped an immensely satisfying five-line garbage block on your opponent."^[12] Game Informer featured it on its own best games of all-time list at 96 and called it one of the most addictive puzzle games made.^[13] In 2018, Complex listed the game #64 on its "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time".^[14]

Legacy

Tetris Attack was followed by several sequel games, most using the name