Review of Tetris Forever on PS5 | Push Square

Tetris continues to captivate audiences worldwide, maintaining its enticing simplicity and accessibility. Digital Eclipse’s new offering, Tetris Forever, is a tribute to the game’s rich legacy. It meticulously traces Tetris’s journey from Alexey Pajitnov’s innovative concept to its iconic status as a Game Boy sensation and beyond. Unlike the dramatized depiction in the 2023 Tetris film, this collection offers an informative exploration of a pivotal era in gaming history.

Tetris Forever follows earlier entries like The Making of Karateka and Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story in Digital Eclipse’s Gold Master series. This visually appealing virtual exhibit takes users through interactive timelines showcasing Tetris’s evolution, each milestone revealing high-resolution images of essential documents, software, and hardware. You’ll also find engaging new interviews and historical footage that offer deep dives into the game’s development and its licensing journey.

The saga of Tetris mirrors the broader innovations of the 1980s gaming landscape. Integral to its story is Henk Rogers, co-founder and the man instrumental in bringing Japanese RPGs to life. Through Tetris Forever, we learn how Rogers leveraged his skills in the traditional board game Go, incorporating a Famicom version included in the collection, to build rapport with Nintendo’s leadership and ultimately secure the handheld rights to Tetris in Moscow. The collection abounds with such detailed stories that deepen our understanding of the gaming industry’s history.

Besides being a historical deep dive, the Gold Master series includes actual playable games, serving up expertly emulated versions. However, keen-eyed fans might notice a few missing titles, such as the Game Boy rendition, which makes only a brief appearance as a nostalgia-driven element. Despite some publisher-license restrictions leading to exclusions, several NES and Game Boy Color titles, along with a mix of PC and console adaptations, make the cut. It’s particularly satisfying to see rarities like Hatris and the Japan-exclusive sequel, Bombliss, represented.

Among these entries, two standouts truly captivate. The first is a beautiful recreation of Pajitnov’s original Electronika 60 prototype. The game’s wireframe design paired with its minimalist sound effects creates an oddly soothing experience.

Then there’s Tetris Time Warp, a fresh take that transports players through the franchise’s timeline using special warp blocks. This 2024 creation is best enjoyed after exploring the entire collection, after which the journey through various eras via Time Warp Tetriminos can be fully understood and appreciated.