Tetris Forever
A compilation and documentary celebrating 40 years of Tetris.
Tetris Forever is a 2024 video game compilation and interactive documentary developed and published by Digital Eclipse. Released for the 40th anniversary of Tetris, it includes over fifteen versions of the game, including the new Tetris Time Warp. It is the third entry in Digital Eclipse's Gold Master Series, following The Making of Karateka and Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Digital Eclipse
- Series
- Tetris
- Genre
- Puzzle
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 5
- Windows
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X/S
- Released
- November 12, 2024
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Content
Tetris Forever presents its games in a digital museum format divided into five timelines, featuring photographs, interviews, and scans of original advertisements. It includes 90 minutes of documentary footage with interviews from Alexey Pajitnov, Henk Rogers, Phil Adam, Gilman Louie, Doug Carlston, Tetsuya Mizuguchi, and Maya Rogers. The compilation contains a recreation of Pajitnov's Electronika 60 version, the 1988 Apple II version by Spectrum Holobyte, and several Bullet-Proof Software titles from 1988 to 1998, some previously unreleased outside Japan. A new game, Tetris Time Warp, supports up to four players and introduces special pieces that shift gameplay to an earlier Tetris version until a challenge is cleared.
Development
Digital Eclipse developed Tetris Forever, announcing it during a Nintendo Direct stream on August 27, 2024. The collection excludes Nintendo-developed games, though the NES version was announced for Nintendo Switch Online simultaneously. In October 2024, Digital Eclipse confirmed inclusion of MS-DOS versions by AcademySoft and Spectrum HoloByte. Editorial director Chris Kohler noted the effort required for that addition. Free updates will add more games, beginning with the MS-DOS version of Welltris in December 2024.
Release and reception
Tetris Forever launched on November 12, 2024 for Atari VCS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and GOG, commemorating Tetris's 40th anniversary. Critics praised the documentary: Ollie Reynolds of NintendoLife called it the best breakdown of the franchise's creation, while Christian Donlan of Eurogamer appreciated moments that made Tetris feel strange again. Willem Hilhorst of Nintendo World Report commended the emulation, noting it captured original slowdown. Some critics noted the absence of key titles like Nintendo's versions; Nick Thorpe of Retro Gamer attributed this to licensing issues, stating Nintendo would not license the Game Boy version for such a compilation. In December 2024, Tetris Forever was nominated for a 2025 British Academy Games Award for Game Beyond Entertainment.
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