Tetris 2 is a decent follow-up to the first game, even if it has a few problems. This is a case of a game trying to innovate and missing the mark.
It plays a little like Dr. Mario. You still have some tetrominoes, but they are arranged differently from the first game. Often they are put together in nonsensical ways.
I wouldn’t say I like this one as much as the first game. The changes made didn’t work out as well as they could have. It didn’t feel like a Tetris game to me.
TLDR: Tetris 2 tried some new things that didn’t work out.
History
Nintendo and TOSE developed the Game Boy version of the game. Those two companies worked on the NES version and Bullet Proof Software on the SNES version.
It was released in 1993 and 1994. I didn’t find any different release dates for Japan, North America, or Europe. It looks like all regions got the game around the same time.
I find it interesting that Alexey Pajitnov didn’t have any input, as far as I can tell. He had moved to the US by the time the game was released, and it looks like this is one of the games he didn’t have a hand in.
Gameplay
Much like the first game, Tetris 2 has a little twist. The game includes bombs that work like the germs in Dr. Mario. You can tell that Nintendo made Tetris 2 and Dr. Mario once you look at them side by side.
You need to blow up all of the bombs to clear a stage. This is a significant change from how Tetris is played, but it is very similar to how Dr. Mario was done. The game almost plays like a match-three game.
There are a few different tetrominoes in this game when compared to the first game. For some reason, they don’t feel as natural as the others. For some reason, these new shapes don’t feel like they belong in the game. Even with some carryovers from the first game.
The shapes also don’t work well for what you’re supposed to do. There isn’t much of a pattern to how the shapes are given to you.
You need to line up three or more of the same color to make those blocks go away. This is how things were done with Dr. Mario. It does feel like the game should have been Dr. Mario 2.
Visuals
I have some of the same problems that I had with Dr. Mario. They didn’t do much to separate the white and grey bombs. It is better than Dr. Mario. However, it is a little annoying.
The bombs are easy to see, especially with the flashing that rotates from bomb to bomb. This effect does have a purpose, as far as I can tell. If you destroy the bomb that the flash is on, it will blow up all the bombs of that color.
The tetromino shapes are more annoying than they are fresh and new. It causes the game to lose some of the connection with the original.
Replayability
Like the first game, Tetris 2 is one of those games that you can try to improve on. The more you play it, the better you can do.
Aside from that, I don’t think I would want to keep playing Tetris 2. It made me want to either play Tetris or Dr. Mario. It feels like Nintendo took two things that shouldn’t have been put together and slapped them together.
7.5/10. It is an okay game but isn’t as good as Tetris. I think it should have been a sequel to Dr. Mario.
Pros
- It is an easy game to learn
- There is no story to follow
- You can play it as long as you want
Cons
- It’s not as fun as Tetris or Dr. Mario
- Tetris 2 made me want to play one of the two games it inspired
- The visuals can make it hard to tell the difference between white and grey
Conclusion
It simply took something close to the tetrominoes from Tetris and forced them into Dr. Mario. Many of the problems I had with Dr. Mario on the Game Boy are magnified in Tetris 2.
This isn’t a bad game at all. Tetris 2 is just forgettable. It isn’t as good as Tetris or Dr. Mario.
I would still recommend it over other puzzle games that I’ve played. The NES version might be a better way to play this game. If you don’t have Tetris or Dr. Mario, or if you’re just curious, check this out.