Tetris Classic

Tetris Classic is a 1992 puzzle video game developed and published by Spectrum HoloByte for DOS systems. It is an adaptation of the 1985 Soviet video game Tetris, which was first released in North America in 1988. Spectrum HoloByte subsequently developed a series of annual spin-off titles for Tetris, and intended to take advantage of improvements in computer technology since the original game's release; for Tetris Classic, they showcased the Video Graphics Array (VGA) standard via illustrations depicting scenes from Alexander Pushkin's poem Ruslan and Ludmila, as well as a soundtrack consisting of selections from Mikhail Glinka's opera adaptation of the poem. The game additionally includes competitive and cooperative two-player modes and an option to set a time limit on games. The game received mixed critical commentary; while reviewers appreciated the enhanced presentation and new multiplayer modes, they noted that the gameplay was unchanged from the original version.

Gameplay

Tetris Classic is a puzzle video game in which pieces consisting of four squares in seven shapes descend into an empty pit.^[1][2] As the pieces fall, the player can move the pieces laterally and rotate them until they land either on the bottom of the pit or on another piece. The player can hasten a piece's descent with a particular input, and if the "Soft Drop" option is toggled off, the piece will be immediately dropped to its lowest possible position.^[1] The player must fit the falling pieces into a position that forms a horizontal line of boxes across the pit. When a line is completed, it disappears and all squares above it drop one row.^[1][2] In the game's single-player campaign, completing ten lines on a given level advances the player to the next level, and the rate of the pieces' descent increases.^[1] The single-player campaign consists of a total of ten levels.^[3] A non-timed game ends prematurely if the pieces reach the top of the pit.^[1]

The player can select between two scoring methods. In the original method, the number of points awarded for each piece increases with each subsequent level, and more points can be awarded if a piece is dropped faster than its default speed. The player can receive extra points by toggling off the "Next Piece" option,^[4] which displays an advance notice of what piece will fall after the current one.^[5] In the Tetris Classic method, bonus points are awarded if a piece completes two or more lines at once. Within any given mode, the top ten high scores will be displayed at the end of a game.^[4]

Game modes

Tetris Classic includes five basic modes of play: single-player, cooperative, competitive, dual pit, and head-to-head. The single-player campaign is further divided into five subsequent modes determined by a time limit, ranging from unlimited to 15 minutes.^[6] In the cooperative and competitive modes, two players work within a wider pit, respectively to help each other complete rows or to compete in completing rows faster than the other. In both modes, the players' pieces fall at the same time. In the cooperative mode, the players share a common score, while in the competitive mode, each player has their own score, with points being awarded to the player who completes a line. In both modes, the game ends when one player allows the pieces to reach the top; in competitive mode, the player with the higher score wins. In the dual pit mode, two players compete against each other side-by-side in their own pits. The head-to-head mode is similar to the dual pit mode, but is played between two separate computers connected by a null modem serial cable or a NetWare local area network. The dual pit and head-to-head modes feature the option for players to send one or more incomplete rows to their opponent by completing multiple lines in their own pit. In all competitive two-player modes, players have the option to receive the same pieces in the same order to even the gameplay.^[7]

Development and release