One of the key draws of Tetris has always been its elegant simplicity--a simplicity that allows for open interpretation, which is attested to by the countless forms it has taken on consoles, the PC, cell phones, calculators, and various Web-based platforms. Now, Blue Planet Software has brought six different variations on the Tetris formula together for Tetris Worlds on the PlayStation 2. With its wealth of gameplay modes and passable presentation, Tetris Worlds probably would have been one of the best iterations of Tetris yet. Unfortunately, Tetris Worlds also introduces one particular change to the gameplay that renders the classic game all but unplayable.
Graphics and sound have never been make-or-break categories for Tetris games, which really works to the advantage of Tetris Worlds. The music is made up of noodley ambient techno and industrial tracks, all of which are completely forgettable. The Tetris field itself looks like, well, Tetris. Each mode has its own themed backdrop, where you'll see barren deserts, erupting volcanoes, an icy tundra, and more exotic and fanciful landscapes. It's all decent-looking window dressing, though it can be slightly distracting from the game at hand.
As previously mentioned, Tetris Worlds is composed of six different flavors of Tetris: square Tetris, cascade Tetris, sticky Tetris, hot-line Tetris, fusion Tetris, and plain old white-bread Tetris. Any of these modes can be played solo or against up to three other players. By tweaking the existing rules of Tetris or adding entirely new rules, each mode requires you to come at block management and block placement with a slightly different strategy, but it's still just six slightly different variations on the same theme. If you don't already love Tetris, it's unlikely that any of these will sway you.
