The Jarbochov Stratagem

Living in the gray.

I Have A Tetris Problem: More Obscure Tetris Games

There’s a tipping point where hobbies can become obsessions. But I’m not there quite yet. I don’t think. I’m seeking help, okay?1 Here’s more Tetris I’ve procured recently.

Tetris Microcard

Have you ever wanted Tetris on the go?2 Well I have. I’ve played Tetris on a touchscreen phone but it’s not the same without physical buttons.This thing is tiny, but the screen is top notch and it has sound. There is no hold slot, but it does have a hard drop and ghost piece functionality. This is so easy to carry around everywhere you may not want to carry a Nintendo 3DS or Nintendo Switch3. It’s so cute!

Super Famicom and Virtual Boy Tetris

So much Tetris, so little time.

After years playing Tetris on North American consoles and handhelds, I’ve wanted to dig into more obscure Tetris offerings. I used wikipedia and this video4 as a reference on what I wanted to focus on, and after I got a Super NT for Christmas, I’ve definitely wanted to play more Super Famicom games. Most of these Tetris games on the Super Famicom are in English so it makes playing them pretty easy to pick up and try.

Super Tetris 2 & 3

These games feature very smooth scrolling blocks which is unique to these games. They each feature different modes in addition to traditional Tetris. Super Tetris 3 has a mode called Familiss which is four player Tetris on the Super Nintendo5. Both offer a form of Bombliss which was known as Tetris Blast in North America. These are standard Tetris fare otherwise.

Super Bombliss


This is just the Bombliss flavor of Tetris with more of a focus on solving each stage.

Game Software. I’ve been seeing alot of these as I’m importing more games. I’m glad I’m able to do this easily via Amazon.

Tetris Battle Gaiden

Tetris Battle Gaiden is definitely the most interesting version on this list. It’s a versus game but unlike traditional multiplayer it features a set of characters and character specific power ups that can be activated during matches. Unfortunately this game is almost entirely in Japanese, however I was able to find some resources online that explain the controls, powers, and strategies. While there is a Vs. COM mode6, I really want to play this with a human. This is one of the more unique entries in Tetris history.

3D Tetris

Source:   
http://chesstris.com/2009/04/13/3d-tetris-variations-polycubes/

Nintendo’s early foray into virtual reality didn’t go too well with the Virtual Boy. But that didn’t stop the inevitable juggernaut of Tetris from appearing in some form on the platform. There were only 22 Virtual Boy games, and Tetris made it onto the platform not once but twice. V-Tetris is a Japanese only version that plays like traditional Tetris. 3D Tetris on the other hand is a little bit different. Instead of a 2D play, it’s more of organizing blocks in 3D space7. It’s more like packing boxes rather than Tetris.

More To Come

I’m not done on my Tetris Crusade8, and I’ll have more in depth commentary about these games and more in the future.


  1. I actually think people are concerned. 
  2. Ever tried cramming all of your consoles into a duffle bag only to be deemed suspicious at the airport? Have you ever wished Tetris could be in your brain? Well I have the solution for you! 
  3. Or Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, PSP, or Playstation Vita. 
  4. As previously seen on this blog where I shared other Tetris related materials.  
  5. If this was released in North America it would have been a reason other than Bomberman to get the Super Multitap. 
  6. That really reminds me of Wario’s Woods and Kirby’s Avalanche in terms of presentation. 
  7. In gorgeous eye-bleeding red. 
  8. Woah, that would be cool title for a game. Dibs. 

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