Tetris (Tengen Version)
Copyright Tengen 1989
Written By Brian P. Sulpher
E-mail:
[email protected]
Version 1.0
Dates Written: March 21st, 2006
I dedicate this to the NES fans out there, as this one is part of the NES
FAQ completion Project of 2004-2006, courtesy of the FAQ Contributor Board.
We honour the most truly awesome and great system... the Nintendo
Entertainment System! Never mind about Atari, Commodore 64, Colecovision,
Sega Master System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, or
any of the newer systems, we all know that the good old NES is where true
gaming is at!
Also, for Cougar. I miss you, and I hope you are living it up in the
afterlife as you did in this world. You will always be in my memories, and
you will never be forgotten.
Also, In memory of Howler and Koonce. You two never had a good start in
your lives, but you had a good time when you spent your time at my house.
It was oh so unfortunate that you both had your already tragic lives cut
short, but I can only hope that I helped make your life a more enjoyable
experience. You too will be missed, but not forgotten.
-----------
Version 1.0
-----------
-Submitted guide on March 21st, 2006
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-----------------------------Table Of Contents------------------------------
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1) Introduction
2) Controls
3) Rules
4) Pieces
5) Scoring
6) Strategies
7) Two Players
8) Final Word
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------------------------------Introduction----------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) You have the greatest Puzzle game ever made... but it is a different
version than the one that most are accustomed to on the NES. This is
the Tengen version, unlicensed, different, and in many areas of the NES
universe, considered the superior version. However, due to Nintendo
getting the license for the game (and winning the ensuing court battle),
this gem is rather unappreciated and somewhat unknown. So, get ready for
some kick ass Tetris action, including an incredibly deep 2 Player mode
that will leave you breathless after a few short minutes of intense
action!
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--------------------------------Controls------------------------------------
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2) This section will list all of the controls you will need to know to
become a Tetris Master!
D-Pad : LEFT and RIGHT move the pieces in the corresponding direction.
Holding DOWN will cause the piece in play to fall directly
downward.
SELECT : No apparent use.
START : Pauses/unpauses the game.
B Button: Turns piece in play counter-clockwise.
A Button: Turns piece in play clockwise.
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---------------------------------Rules--------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) This section will review the rules of Tetris. This may be easy to
understand, but mastery of the game will take a fair bit more work.
-To clear a line, you need to get a straight line of blocks all the way
horizontally across the area. Figure One is the Reverse L Block coming
down to complete the line, and Figure Two is after the line cleared.
o---------o
| Example |
o---------o
| FIGURE 1 |
| +-+-+-+
| | | | |
| +-+-+-+
| | | NEXT => | FIGURE 2 |
| +-+ | |
| | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | | +-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ +-------------+-+-+-+
-After every 30 lines completed, the game will pause to tally the score,
then continue onwards in the next level.
-If your pile runs too close to the top of the screen, the next piece that
is high enough to touch the line where the pieces enter will cause the game
to end. it matters not if the incoming piece is going to touch that high
piece, as the game ends automatically when said piece touches that no-no
line.
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------------------------------Table Of Pieces-------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) This section will look at what each piece looks like, and the name for
each piece.
o--------------o
| Square Block |
o--------------o
-This piece is the only one that when rotated, will not change it's look.
Try to use these to fill wide gaps in your stack.
+-+-+
| | |
+-+-+
| | |
+-+-+
o------------o
| Tall Block |
o------------o
-This piece is the only one that can trigger a Tetris. Try to use these to
fill narrow and deep holes in your stack.
+-+
| |
+-+
| |
+-+
| |
+-+
| |
+-+
o-----------o
| "T" Block |
o-----------o
-This piece should be used to even out your ragged tops of your stack.
+-+-+-+
| | | |
+-+-+-+
| |
+-+
o-----------o
| "Z" Block |
o-----------o
-These can be a real pain to use, but they also fill holes for you.
+-+-+
| | |
+-+-+-+
| | |
+-+-+
o-----------o
| "S" Block |
o-----------o
-These can be a real pain to use, but they also fill holes for you.
+-+-+
| | |
+-+-+-+
| | |
+-+-+
o-----------o
| "L" Block |
o-----------o
-These are useful for filling two block deep holes, and they are also good
for building the stack up evenly.
+-+
| |
+-+
| |
+-+-+
| | |
+-+-+
o-------------------o
| Reverse "L" Block |
o-------------------o
-These are useful for filling two block deep holes, and they are also good
for building the stack up evenly.
+-+
| |
+-+
| |
+-+-+
| | |
+-+-+
These are the same way I will draw the strategies in a couple sections,
so refer to this section if you are confused then.
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----------------------------------Scoring-----------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
5) This section will look at the scoring patterns of the game.
-Dropping pieces from a height will cause a small amount of points to be
added to the overall score. As the levels increase, so do the points
awarded for the drop bonus.
-Every 30 lines, the game will pause to total up the various line clearing
bonuses. If the 30 line goal is reached, the level is completed, meaning
that any partial multiple of 30 reached with a game over will mean that
bonus line scores will not be awarded.
_________________ _______
| Line Bonus Type | Score |
|_________________|_______|
| Single | 100 |
|_________________|_______|
| Double | 400 |
|_________________|_______|
| Triple | 900 |
|_________________|_______|
| Tetris | 2500 |
|_________________|_______|
-Levels do not increase scoring value. This means that starting at a higher
level is simply done for a higher challenge to the player.
-Starting with a handicap does not increase scoring value. Again, like
starting at a higher level, the handicap is used simply to make the stack
higher from the get go, leaving it to the player to knock the stack into
order themselves.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------Strategies---------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
6) This section will look at great ways to run your score up, and to make
your game play a little easier.
a) The way to score the highest point totals are to score Tetris (no other
line clears). This requires some practice, but if you can run off
constant Tetrises, the score and dancers will just flood onto the screen.
b) Try to leave two blocks beside one another in your stack of equal height
so you have somewhere to dump the Square Blocks when they come.
o---------o
| Example |
o---------o
| |
| +-+-+
| | | |
| +-+-+
| | | |
+-+ +-+ +-+ +-+ +-+-+
| | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
c) Learn how all the pieces can be manipulated, and how they can fit into a
stack. Some pieces have multiple uses (most notably the L and Reverse L
Blocks) that can make your stack into a more piece insertion friendly
stack.
d) Sometimes you will get a piece that does not fit anywhere, but it can be
used to decrease your stack while still building the stack for possible
Tetris. EXAMPLE 1 will show how to do the T Block method, and EXAMPLE 2
will show how to do the L Block/Reverse L Block method.
o-----------o
| Example 1 |
o-----------o
| +-+ |
| | | |
| +-+ |
| | | |
| +-+-+
| | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | NEXT => | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
o-----------o
| Example 2 |
o-----------o
| +-+ |
| | | |
| +-+-+
| | | |
| +-+-+
| | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | NEXT => | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
e) Try to leave your stack lower on the side you want to be dropping your
Tall Blocks down. This will allow you more time to slide these tall ones
to your hole.
f) The following is useful only when the situation provides itself, but if
you see the opportunity to do it, you should as it fills a seemingly
impossible hole for you to get to. In the example, there is a space that
appears to be impossible to get into, but if the T Block is lined up like
the first figure is, and you press the A Button to turn the piece
clockwise, and then it will move to form Figure Two! No more gap, and now
a Tetris can be formed!
o---------o
| Example |
o---------o
| +-+ FIGURE 1 |
| | | |
| +-+-+ |
| | | | |
| +-+-+ |
| | | | | FIGURE 2 |
+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | NEXT => | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
g) Pressing LEFT or RIGHT rapidly rather than holding them down will move
the piece in the direction desired faster. This is especially useful as
you start to get into the higher levels.
h) If you do leave a hole in your stack (try not to let it happen too
often), you are required to dig it out if you want to have no flaws. If
you want to accomplish this goal in the shortest amount of time possible,
try to avoid piling on top of the same column where the block is
(sometimes it is a little difficult to do this). If you have multiple
holes in your stack (shame on you ^_^), you need to dig them out one at a
time so worry about not burying the top one, and then worry about the
next highest hole and so on.
i) Pay attention to your NEXT box, as this can help you to plan the best
spot for the current piece in play. This is also useful for planning
your next move ahead of time, thus giving you a little extra time on each
piece for placement.
j) If your stack is getting too high, try to clear it out without the Tetris
(although the best scores are from Tetris heavy games). Try to make
Doubles or Triples to keep the value of the score vs. line ratio.
k) Try to avoid building up huge S Block and Z Block stacks on your stack.
It becomes increasingly difficult to manage your piece placement when you
have a stack like this one:
o---------o
| Example |
o---------o
| | | +-+ |
| | | | | |
| | | +-+-+ |
| | | | | | |
| | | +-+-+ +-+ |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | +-+-+ +-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | |
| +-+ +-+ | | +-+-+ +-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | NEXT => +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
As you can see above, with the two S Blocks and the one Z Block appearing
together, the moves made narrowed the field of prospective piece
placement on the stack be making those high peaks. Try to keep the stack
more even. A better use of the pieces in this situation would look like
this:
o---------o
| Example |
o---------o
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | +-+ |
| | | | | |
| | +-+-+ +-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| +-+ +-+ | +-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | NEXT => +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
With this placement, you did not add a second large hole that could only
be filled with a Tall Block, there are more flat areas to place
flat-sided pieces, and you still have options for the S Blocks and Z
Blocks. Building your stack more efficiently makes for an easier game
for you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------Two Players---------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
7) This section will cover the two modes of Two Player action.
o--------------o
| Head-To-Head |
o--------------o
-Each player will have their own side of the screen, each with their own
area to build their stacks.
-Once a player clears 30 lines, the game will pause brielfy, dealing out the
points for that player. The game will then do the same for the other
player as well, so keep an eye out for when that pause will be coming, as
it can be disruptive if it comes as a surprise.
o-------------o
| Cooperative |
o-------------o
-Both players will have to work together on one play area to create a single
stack. This means that both players will have to work together in unison,
with good communication and the ability to plan out mvoes ahead from both
NEXT windows.
-However, the bonus points awarded for line clears in the end of level
summary will go to the player who cleared the line types, so this is where
the competitive nature of this mode comes into play. Sometimes it is
better to steal a Double than let the opposing player take a Tetris, which
is worth far more than the Double that would be left over.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------Final Word----------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
14)As is the usual, this walkthrough is copyright property of Brian P.
Sulpher, 2006. The only website, group, person, etc. to have access to
post it is www.gamefaqs.com, www.ign.com, www.retronintendo.com, and
www.honestgamers.com. You must ask for permission before posting this,
as doing so without consent is a violation of international copyright
law.
If you liked it, hated it, have anything to add, then please E-mail me at
[email protected]. You can also contact me through MSN messenger
through the same E-mail address.
Although this is the unlicensed version of Tetris and it never had a
very wide or well heralded release, Tengen Tetris actually stacks up as
my personal favourite on the NES for the two Tetris titles. The two
player cooperative mode is an unreal blend of both help and greed, making
the game one where both team work and that killer instinct are required
to achieve fully. This is a version that no NES fan should go without
experiencing, even if finding a cart of this game ranges from hard to
near impossible.
