Tetris DS (Nintendo DS)

Tetris is one of the most renowned puzzle games of all time, simple to pick up and play yet limitlessly entertaining - and now the block-shifting blockbuster is back! If you've never played before, the idea couldn't be simpler; in standard mode, various, differently shaped blocks fall from the top of the screen, and it's up to the player to fit the blocks together to make complete lines, which will then disappear. As the game continues, the speed with which the blocks fall increases; once the blocks reach the top of the screen it's game over. In this version, though, Mario capers around various levels from the Mushroom Kingdom in the background as you guide the tumbling blocks to make them vanish from the screen. You'll find specially designed Tetris puzzles that will test your ingenuity at clearing single player levels, plus multiplayer action and even a ranking system that means you can see how you measure up next to your friends. There are five new modes, themed around a famous Nintendo game, with The Legend of Zelda and Metroid just some of the classic titles making an appearance. Variations on the classic game include Push, a tug-of-war style affair where players "push" blocks onto their opponent's screen to pile on the pressure, and Mission mode, where you'll need to clear blocks against a time limit. There's also a slower paced Touch mode, where you can use the stylus to drag and drop the Tetriminos (the "proper" name for the blocks), carefully planning your moves as you arrange them into horizontal lines. For the definitive edition of the ultimate puzzle game including six times the fun, get Tetris DS!

In a nutshell:
The game that launched 150 million Game Boys is back with the first Nintendo-developed Tetris title in eight years, featuring six different game modes and a ten player multiplayer option.

The lowdown:
With a game that’s been around as long and with as many versions as Tetris it’s obviously difficult to think of what else to do with it. Nintendo’s answer is to fill the game with as many different game modes as possible, including completely new concepts like Push, where both players share the same pile of blocks, and Touch which is specifically designed to use the stylus. Best of all there’s a ten player multiplayer mode for playing against nearby opponents in wireless mode or a four player Wi-Fi mode that you can play against anyone in the world. On top of this the whole game is filled with cameos and tunes from classic Nintendo games, from Super Mario Bros. to Metroid, for that perfect retro cool look and feel.

Most exciting moment:
Going up against nine other opponents in wireless mode, watching all their screens on the top screen and then winning out as the victor of them all!

Since you ask:
The controversial "super rotation" technique, which allows you to infinitely spin a block before placing it, is actually the idea of the original Tetris license holders and Nintendo, and anyone else that makes a Tetris game, is contractually obligated to include it in the game.

The bottom line:
The best version of Tetris for years and another top Wi-Fi game for the DS.
Harrison Dent