Tetris nostalgia
Trip down memory lane with Tetris Forever
Like many kids who grew up in the 80s, I first encountered Tetris via Brick Game, a cheap China-made handheld console that ran a clone version of Tetris. It was all the rage then, everyone in school was playing it, even the parents. In those innocent, pre-internet days, I had no idea what even was a tetromino. All I knew was that earworm of a soundtrack and that hypnotic trance one gets into when playing the game for too long.
It was not till I was a young adult that I was properly exposed to a real Tetris game — Tetris DS on the Nintendo DS. That was when I learnt about T-spins — rotate a T-shaped tetromino to clear lines — and competitive multiplayer Tetris. It was my Tetris coming-of-age, even if I was never more than an average player.
Unfortunately, Tetris DS isn’t one of the Tetris games included in Tetris Forever, a new collection of Tetris games from before 2000, including some of the more obscure versions. Released to commemorate the upcoming 40th anniversary of Tetris (in 2025), the best part of Tetris Forever for hardcore fans is probably the interactive documentary section, which includes interviews with Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov, and close friend and collaborator, Henk Rogers. Tetsuya Mizuguchi, who made my favourite version, Tetris Effect, also makes an appearance.
Another reason to get Tetris Forever, despite the lack of the newer Tetris releases — likely due to licensing issues — is Tetris Time Warp, an all-new Tetris game included in the compilation. Tetris Time Warp starts off with a modern version of Tetris, but once you clear certain special tetrominos, you’re warped back to one of three older Tetris games, where you have to complete a challenge to return. It gets more fun in the local co-op mode (up to four players), where you can send your opponents to the past so that they can’t attack you.
So if you’re feeling down, instead of doomscrolling, why not take a trip down memory lane, empty your mind, and let a game of Tetris distract you from the tiresome stuff in your life. Tetris Forever is available today for the Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam) and PlayStation 4/5.
This week, we tested Sonos’ new premium soundbar, took Creative’s digital-to-analog converter for a spin, and played some enhanced games on the new PlayStation 5 Pro.
The Sonos Arc Ultra offers solid upgrades over its predecessor, especially when it comes to bass and dialogue clarity. Thanks to a new tech from an audio startup that Sonos acquired a few years ago, the Arc Ultra packs a mini subwoofer that gives it that extra oomph that was lacking on the original Arc. Dialogue is also enhanced with an improved Speech Enhancement feature. Definitely one of the best standalone soundbars out there.
Take your PC audio to the next level with the Creative Sound Blaster G8. This digital-to-analog converter (DAC) can add even more dynamic range, as well as tweak the sound for gaming by increasing the clarity of certain types of sound. It can also accept two audio sources at once, so you can connect both a game console and a PC to the same speakers via the G8.
Equipped with more powerful gaming hardware, and a new image upscaling feature, the Sony PlayStation 5 Pro is targeted at enthusiasts who want the best performance and image quality from their game consoles. There’s also more storage, and Wi-Fi 7 support. But not all games benefit equally from the PS5 Pro’s enhancements — some, like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth looks fabulous — but others may require you to sit much closer to the TV to see the difference.