I've been intrigued with Tetrisphere
and its concept for two years now. During this time, the game has been
delayed several times and has been renamed twice (Phear to TetrisPhear
to Tetrisphere). But like all other N64 games that have been delayed,
Tetrisphere exemplifies Nintendo's commitment
to quality and proves to be well worth the wait.
Gameplay & Control
Tetrisphere is an
extremely unique puzzle game, which makes it very tricky to describe properly.
Despite the "Tetris" in its name, it really has nothing to do
with it other than the Tetris-shaped pieces. Basically, the object of the game is to remove
Tetris-shaped pieces from a sphere with like-shaped pieces. The sphere,
by the way, can be rotated 360 degrees. In order for you to remove a piece
from the sphere, there must be at least two pieces touching each other.
Fortunately, the cursor turns white when it's OK to drop. But when it's
black, the piece cannot be dropped, otherwise you will lose one of your
three "lives." There are many, many other strategies and intricacies
in the game, but I'll let you find out more on your own about those advanced
tactics.
There are seven different modes of gameplay in Tetrisphere: Rescue, Hide & Seek, Puzzle,
Time Trial, Vs CPU, VS (human), and Practice. The main mode in the game
is Rescue. The object of this mode is to remove enough pieces from the
sphere to let your robot friends escape from the core. However, most seasoned
Tetrisphere players end up liking the Hide
& Seek mode the best. In this one, there are a variety of goals that
must be met. Other favorites will include the two versus modes. Vs CPU
is self-explanatory—it's
a one-on-one battle against a computer player. And, surprisingly, the
opponents are pretty good. There is also the two-player VS mode. If you
can actually find someone else who is as good at Tetrisphere
as you, this mode starts to approach the intensity of a good
Tetris Attack (SNES) game.
Graphics & Sound
Graphically, Tetrisphere
is quite amazing for a puzzle game. The game's graphics are incredibly
colorful and clear, the 3D sphere animates with amazing fluidity, and
the psychedelic backgrounds are interesting. Aurally, Tetrisphere
is even more impressive. Tetrisphere's
much-ballyhooed sound is easily the best on the Nintendo 64 from a quality
standpoint. Taste-wise, however, it won't be appealing to a lot of people.
Nevertheless, one can't deny how well the music is composed and how good
it sounds, even if they are not a fan of techno-type tunes.
Conclusion
In the end, Tetrisphere
will go down in history as one of the most original puzzle games of all-time.
Unfortunately, there is a huge learning curve for the game, and this is
why it won't be ranked amongst the likes of Tetris and Tetris Attack.
However, the player that takes the time to learn and understand the gameplay
will be greatly rewarded. Tetrisphere is
just an extremely slick presentation that ranks in the upper echelon of
N64 games. Don't let this one pass you by.
Graphics:
4.2
Sound:
4.5
Control:
4.3
Gameplay:
4.4
Lastability
4.6
OVERALL:
4.4
DOWN
THE ROAD
When it's all said and done, there are two things
that stop Tetrisphere from reaching
greatness: 1) The game has a huge learning curve and too much complexity,
and more importantly, 2) The game can be beaten. Nevertheless, Tetrisphere
is one of the better puzzle games eve developed. Just don't expect it
to match the intensity and addictive qualities of Tetris or Tetris Attack.
Final Rating: 4.4 out of 5.0
pieces. Basically, the object of the game is to remove
Tetris-shaped pieces from a sphere with like-shaped pieces. The sphere,
by the way, can be rotated 360 degrees. In order for you to remove a piece
from the sphere, there must be at least two pieces touching each other.
Fortunately, the cursor turns white when it's OK to drop. But when it's
black, the piece cannot be dropped, otherwise you will lose one of your
three "lives." There are many, many other strategies and intricacies
in the game, but I'll let you find out more on your own about those advanced
tactics.
approach the intensity of a good
Tetris Attack (SNES) game.