Detailed Tetris DS Information

One of the most popular games of all time is getting a 2006 revamp, Tetris returns with the imaginatively titled Tetris DS. The game will feature 6 different gameplay modes, each themed on a famous Nintendo franchise such as Mario, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Metroid et el.

"Touch: This unique take on Tetris really shows off the touch-screen capability of Nintendo DS. Players use a stylus to drag and move Tetriminos in a giant stack to make them fall into horizontal lines. In early levels, they can tap Tetriminos to spin them just the way they need them. Players have as much time as they need to carefully plan their moves, so it plays very differently from the other frantic modes."

and

"Standard: This Mario-themed mode features the same addictive game play that made the original Tetris so wildly popular. Players guide falling Tetriminos and form horizontal lines to clear them away. Mario runs around Super Mario Bros. levels in the background."

and

"Catch: In this Metroid-themed mode, players guide a flying block through Metroid-infested levels and seek out falling Tetriminos. Players can spin and maneuver their block to catch falling Tetriminos and create a 4x4 square. Once they do that, the block will explode in all directions and earn points."

and

"Puzzle: Players solve tricky Tetris puzzles at their own pace using just the Tetriminos provided. Players tap the orientation they want to use and then the Tetrimino will automatically fall into place. There are more than 50 puzzles for players to complete in all."

and

"Push: The goal of this mode is to clear two lines at a time to move the screen down and push opponents into the red zone. Players just can't let their own blocks build up too high, or it's game over. Players also can play this mode with another player using DS Download Play."

and not forgetting,

"Mission: In this Legend of Zelda®-themed mode, players have to complete the missions that appear on the top screen before time runs out. If they don't complete it before time runs out, a heap of new blocks will appear on their screen. If they let blocks stack up to the top of the screen, the game is over."

Phew! Tetris DS will also use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for online gaming. Online play will allows up to four friends or strangers to compete against one another in two different modes. A rating system tracks players' battle results and displays the information for opponents. Players can be matched based on their skill levels.

Push mode features two-player battles against friends or strangers. While Standard mode includes items for players to use to foil their opponents. When competing against friends, players can engage in two- or four-player battles with or without use of items. When competing against strangers, players can engage in two-player battles without items or four-player battles with items.

Impressive Nintendo, Tetris DS certainly doesn't sound like a one trick pony.