Tetris Party Deluxe Review for Nintendo Wii

System: Wii, DS	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Hudson Soft	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: Majesco	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: May 25, 2010	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-4 (6 Online)	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Everyone	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

Six new game modes make the cut, none of which are bad, but most of which don't live up to the promise of the original modes. In Co-Op VS. Co-Op, probably the most fun of the added modes, you and a friend face off against two other players in (you guessed it) Co-Op mode. There's also Bombliss, which is decent, though it already appeared in the NES version of Tetris; some pieces have bombs in them, which set off chain reactions when they're cleared.

Tetris Party Deluxe screenshot

Most of the other modes are far less inspired, and they serve as little more than temporary distractions. In Sprint and VS Sprint, you race to clear 40 lines. In Master, you start on the highest difficulty, meaning the pieces appear at the bottom, giving you a split second to move them before they set. In All Clear Sprint, you race to achieve 20 "perfect clears" (that is, screens with no blocks at all).

Also, you can use the Wii Wheel to steer your piece in Stage Racer, there's Wii Speak support, some of the modes have automatic handicaps, and some modes have been tweaked. Perhaps the most welcome improvement is that Stage Racer has longer courses. Field Climber now has an endless-play option, which is nice if you're really into that mode (we're not; it's often brilliant, but whenever you trap the poor guy by accident, it's too hard to salvage the game). Shadow now has a level editor, which can be fun to draw in for a little while.

That's all nice, but here's what it boils down to: six extra modes, few of them very much fun, and some tweaks to existing modes, for more than twice the price.

The attempt to rip off consumers, however, doesn't change the fact that the basic game here is very, very solid. So, we don't recommend going without Tetris Party entirely. Rather, you should either download the original game, or wait for Tetris Party Deluxe to come down in price to $20 or so.

By Robert VerBruggen
CCC Freelance Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.7

Graphics
They're simple, but they're cute, and they get the job done.

4.5

Control
Some customization would be nice for people who got used to other schemes, but this is the modern standard and it works fine.

4.1

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The music fits the game, and the sound effects add a nice touch.

2.6

Play Value
More than twice the price, less than twice the features: do the math.

3.8

Overall Rating - Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Take advantage of the unique point-and-shoot capabilities of the Wii Remote, or enjoy the nostalgic feel of the Classic Controller.

Use the Wii Balance Board in specially marked modes. Lean left and right to move the Tetriminos left or right; lean forward or backwards to increase the drop speed; squat to rotate them!

Use the Wii Wheel to steer your way through the many levels of Stage Racer.

With Wii Speak, chat with up to three other friends within the Wi-Fi Battle lobby.

Play with up to five other players via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Play with your own Mii to personalize the overall gaming experience.