Tetris

The game

Build rows, make room

The setting is a plain game field, and the building materials are seven shapes made from four squares each. Move and turn each falling piece to complete horizontal rows without gaps. Finished rows disappear, bringing the blocks above them down. Your task is to keep creating space before the pile reaches the top. The NEXT window adds a small but valuable planning horizon: you can see the piece that will follow the one you are placing.

Endurance or a finish line

A-TYPE asks how long you can last and how high you can score, with the falling speed increasing as the game progresses. B-TYPE gives you a defined target of 25 cleared lines at a fixed speed. Its HIGH setting determines how many random blocks occupy the field at the start. Clearing several rows with one piece earns more points than a single-row clear, giving both modes a reason to balance immediate relief against a more ambitious setup.

This edition

The Game Boy edition

The original cartridge also includes a competitive mode requiring two Game Boys, two Tetris cartridges, and a Game Link cable. Doubles, triples, and four-line clears send different amounts of extra material to the opponent. Solo top-score tables accept names, but those records disappear when the original hardware is switched off.

Start here

1. Choose your session

   Select 1-PLAYER at the title screen and press START. For an opening practice session, choose A-TYPE so you can concentrate on placement without an initial pile to untangle.

2. Set the sound

   On the game-type screen, press A to move into music selection. Choose music A, B, C, or OFF, then press START to continue.

3. Give yourself thinking time

   Choose LEVEL 0 for your first attempt. The slower starting pace gives you more time to recognize each shape and try both rotation directions before committing it to the pile.

Original controls

These are the original game's controls. For keyboard, controller and touch settings in this player, see Controls & help.

Control Pad Left / Right

Move the falling piece horizontally.

Control Pad Down

Make the current piece fall faster.

A Button

Rotate the piece 90 degrees clockwise.

B Button

Rotate the piece 90 degrees counterclockwise.

START

Pause during play; press again to resume.

SELECT

Hide or restore the next-piece display during play.

Playing tips

• Check underneath

  Before placing a piece across a hollow, look for any empty squares it will seal off. An accessible gap is easier to work with than a buried one that requires clearing the rows above it.

• Keep an escape route

  When the stack grows tall, take an available clear instead of waiting indefinitely for a larger scoring opportunity. Extra room also gives future pieces more space to move and turn.

• Practice one difficulty at a time

  Use B-TYPE to make practice more deliberate. Keep LEVEL unchanged while increasing HIGH, or keep HIGH unchanged while raising LEVEL, so each attempt introduces one main challenge.