Tetris is considered a classic puzzle game these days, but the recent years saw new entries that sparked public interest again. Sega’s Puyo-Puyo Tetris, Enhance Games’ Tetris Effect, and Arika’s Tetris 99 in particular.
In an interview with USGamer, Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov says how much he loves Tetris 99. Especially in regards to its multiplayer hook.
“Tetris 99 is absolutely a great title,” he said. “Basically, I think the one-player version of Tetris has been more or less stabilized over the years. That’s good, and we’re just adjusting the game to new user interfaces. But for two-player modes and serious competition, there are several challenges to overcome.
“I really want Tetris to establish itself as an esport. We’re getting there very slowly but surely.”
Competitive Tetris, in particular, the classic NES release of Tetris, is going strong these days, and has reached viral levels in various occasions, like the “Boom” meme and the 2018 finals where 16-year-old Joseph Saelee beat a 7-time world champion on his first time competing. But it is still very much its own little niche in regards to esports.
Tetris 99, with its battle royale-esque twist, was a surprise hit when it hard dropped out of nowhere- and one of our Most Surprising Game nominees of 2019.
Pajitnov himself wants to see Tetris be part of the esports conversation. And if future Tetris games continue to provide multiplayer experiences as good as Tetris 99, it might be so sooner or later.
Source: USGamer