Tetris celebrates 25th anniversary – and it’s still worth playing
Tetris is a game I’m sure everyone reading this has played at some time, in some form, over the past 20 years. What other game can make a boast of that order? The legendary game is celebrating its 25th birthday today and the amazing thing is that it’s still just as good to play today as it was the day it was conceived. And I should know, having just played it a moment before writing this.
As we sit playing our big budget, graphically amazing masterpieces these days, it’s easy to consign the pioneering games from yesteryear to the dustbin of history. But that’s a mistake because some of them still live on to this day, and can provide just as much entertainment as GTA IV, Halo and the like. Tetris completely fits that bill.
THE puzzle game was invented in 1984 by Alexey Pajitnov, a Russian 20-something studying at the Soviet Academy of Sciences in Moscow. It was programmed on an Elektronika 60 and inspired by puzzle games and mathematical riddles Pajitnov played as a child.
The first version of the game was launched on June 6, 1984 for the IBM PC, and was a relatively big hit. But worldwide fame for Tetris came when Nintendo licensed a version of the game for the original Game Boy. All of a sudden, everyone and their grandma was paying Tetris.
Since then, there have been versions of Tetris released on more platforms than I can list in this short article. It means that after a quarter of a century, people still play Tetris every single day, which I find incredible for a game which isn’t very pretty to look at and isn’t really all that clever. The genius is all in the simplicity of the title, with basic controls which can be learned by anyone and gameplay more addictive than crack.
What’s amazing about the whole thing is that we’re 25 years on and no one has yet managed to develop a video game which comes close to Tetris for sheer unadulterated enjoyment. I dare you to pick up and play the game now on whatever platform you can find it on. You’ll be first mesmerized, then entertained, then frustrated as the tiles reach the top.
Happy Birthday Tetris. I wouldn’t bet against you reaching your 50th anniversary.
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14 Responses to “Tetris celebrates 25th anniversary – and it’s still worth playing”
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June 6th, 2009
Hey it’s my birthday as well (i’m 19)! I’m going to celebrate by trying to find somewhere to play tetris i guess.
June 6th, 2009
XBL gives you a varient ‘Tetris Splash’ to download.
Another must own game.
Just like Chess, it’s one that will endure long after most of the ‘better’ games have been forgotten.
June 6th, 2009
On the anniversary you only get the straight pieces
True story…
June 6th, 2009
Everyone join the Left 4 Dead 2 boycott. Close to 10,000 signatures already.
://kotaku.com/5281374/l4d-sequel-met-with-much-more-than-indifference
I think I’ll start a separate boycott to shut Valve down completely. Come on guys, if we work together we can do this!
June 6th, 2009
Over 10,000 signatures!
June 6th, 2009
Also Halo STD should be a $20 DLC, not a full retail $65 release. What a cheap rip off.
June 6th, 2009
Why would we want to boycott LFD2?
June 6th, 2009
• Significant content for L4D1 was promised, and never delivered
• Valve put little faith in L4D1 since they almost certainly started working on L4D2 right after release
• The fact that L4D2 is nearly identical to L4D1 will decimate the community for both games
• The announced date is not nearly enough time to polish content or make significant gameplay changes
• The new character designs seem bland and unappealing so far
• L4D2 is too bright to fit in with L4D1′s visual aesthetic
• The fiddle-based horde music is extremely disliked, though the differently orchestrated music is otherwise welcome
• L4D2′s release will result in a drop in quality and frequency for L4D1 content, even compared to before
• The community has lost faith in Valve’s former reputation for commitment to their games post-release
Plus I have a personal vendetta against Valve for talking trash about the PS3 while they kiss M$’s arse. Half Life is over a decade old, they need to get knocked down a few pegs.
June 6th, 2009
Yeayahhh!
My previously sick HD receiver is now back from the importers repair shop, fully functional and all hooked back up.
June 6th, 2009
Mmmmm.
Now having watched ‘The Orphanage’ on Blu-ray (with a nice DTS HD-MA audio track) I’ll maybe play a little Tetris in honour of it’s birthday.
Quiet in here……too quiet.
June 6th, 2009
Left 4 Dead 2 looks like a vast improvement over the first one, I am not signing shit!
June 8th, 2009
“Also Halo STD should be a $20 DLC, not a full retail $65 release. What a cheap rip off”
Microsoft at its best. Charging ppl extra for an expansion….if they can get away with it they’ll keep doing it.
“Left 4 Dead 2 looks like a vast improvement over the first one, I am not signing shit!”
nobody wants ur gay ** signature
June 8th, 2009
Go away Roca, you troll.
June 11th, 2009
harry
didn’t you hear?
Roca is paid to keep tabs on what we’re saying.
Well, in his own mind he is. Bless.
It seems some people just lose it after too long on the dole and start to invent all sorts of fairy tales to justify themselves.