Oh Nintendo, you tricksters! Last week, when they announced that the Nintendo Entertainment System version of Tetris would be coming to the Nintendo Switch Online, we thought that as it. But here we have the great Alexey Pajitnov revealing that the December 12th update will also include Tetris DX, one of my favorite versions of the 40-year-old puzzle game. That's cool news, but are either of these versions worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Game Zone, Nintendo Power and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when these games first came out. Get ready to experience a little bit of déjà vu in this puzzling episode of Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew.


Although Tetris had been around for a number of years, 1989 was the year it truly broke into the mainstream. Not only had Tengen released their version in May, but the influential puzzler became a massive hit three months later when it was bundled with the Game Boy. So, when Nintendo went to release the game on the Nintendo Entertainment System in November of that year, there was already ample evidence that everybody loved Tetris. This console port was a no-brainer. Tetris on the NES was, more or less, the same version that Game Boy owners had been playing, only now in color and with a few additions to the display. Other changes included the ending and the lack of a competitive two-player mode that was in the two previous versions released that year. In a year where Nintendo mostly focused on the Game Boy, Tetris ended up being their big holiday release for the four-year-old console. And now, 35 years later, it is finally on the Nintendo Switch Online.

When it comes to the reviews, there really aren't that many. Most magazines that were reviewing games in 1989 chose to review the Game Boy version, completely ignoring this NES port. Perhaps it was a choice not to be redundant, since the two versions are largely the same, or maybe they were too busy playing with the brand-new 16-bit machines – the Genesis and TurboGrafx-16. Either way, prepare to be a little disappointed that there aren't more (and better) reviews for this iconic NES game.

To give you a taste of what I'm talking about, let's kick things off with Game Zone, who gave Tetris the lowest score of any English-language magazine – a 3 out of 6. It's worth noting that while the reviews worked on a traditional five-star system, there was a score higher than 5 out of 5 called the “Mega Zone,” which was reserved for the games that are better than perfect. It's dumb, just like this review: “If you don't know what this one's like, then you should be reading Practical Fishkeeping. The Game Boy classic makes an appearance on the Nintendo Entertainment System.”

I mention English-language magazines, because there were actually a number of publications throughout Europe that weighed in on this version of Tetris. For example, German magazine Aktueller Software Markt (or ASM if you're into the whole brevity thing) gave the puzzle game an 8.2 out of 12 and complained about the price and graphics. French magazine Player One gave it a slightly higher 72%, though shared ASM's criticism of the color scheme. Back in Germany, Video Games magazine went all the way up to an 88%, while Power Play went one tick higher with an 89%.

And that brings us to Nintendo Magazine System, which gave the NES version of Tetris the highest score of any English-language publication. Giving it a 91%, they concluded that “This block-based mind-teaser is the greatest puzzle game ever written. It looks naff, sounds naff ... but play it and you'll be instantly hooked.”

Tetris may indeed by the greatest puzzle game ever written, but this version averaged a less-than-stellar 78%. That's down quite a bit from the Game Boy version that most magazines chose to review, which earned a strong 91%. To be fair, had magazines like Nintendo Power, Computer & Video Games and even Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewed this version, they likely would have raised the average. But alas, we go in with the reviews we have, not the reviews we wish were written. No matter what, this is a great addition to the Nintendo Switch Online, and a game that should have been included in the Tetris Forever compilation. You can't go wrong with Tetris.

Few pack-in games have had more of an impact than Tetris on the Game Boy. Not only did Nintendo help push the Russian puzzler into the mainstream, but its broad appeal helped to attract a new type of gamer to the popular handheld system. So, when Nintendo decided to launch the Game Boy Color in 1998, you better believe they had a colorized version of Tetris ready on day one. While not a pack-in, this new version of Tetris did more than just add reds and blues to the screen. It also added a number of new modes, including one where you could play against the computer. Best of all, this version of Tetris actually saved your high scores, which was a big upgrade from the original black and white version. This is one of my favorite versions of Tetris, but let's see what the critics said back in 1998.

While Electronic Gaming Monthly may not have reviewed the Nintendo Entertainment System version of Tetris, they definitely covered Tetris DX on the Game Boy Color. And with a score of 8.6 out of 10, they ended up liking the game a lot more than the 1989 version that was packed in with the Game Boy. Shaun called it a great update to Tetris, “At some points, the tiny Game Boy Color screen makes things difficult, but that's no fault of the game's. The ability to save your progress and pick up right where you leave off is simply incredible – like this game needs any more when it comes to replayability! If you have a Game Boy Color and dig Tetris, you'd be silly not to purchase this game.” Crispin liked the game even more: “I've always thought that, when it comes to pure gameplay and replay value, nothing beats Tetris. And the original Game Boy version has always been my favorite (I mean, c'mon – you can play the most addicting game ever on the crapper). So, of course, I'm mucho pleased with this sharp color update. The new play modes are cool, sure, but I really like being able to save high scores.”

Before we talk about the other English-language review, let's take a trip over to Germany. That's where Total! Magazine gave Tetris DX a 100%, which is more or less the same thing Fun Generation did when they gave it a 10 out of 10. That said, they did complain about the poor graphics and sound, giving both a 3 out of 10, and wondered if longtime Tetris fans would even be interested in this update: “Anyone who owns the original Tetris can safely stay away. If Tetris is still a foreign word for you, you should actually be at the game dealer by now.” The Germans really came through with aggressively high scores for Tetris DX.

You know who had the lowest score? As shocking as this sounds, it was actually Nintendo Power that went low, giving the game a 7.2 out of 10. Instead of reviewing the game, Andy gave us a glimpse into his diet: “Tetris is to Game Boy as peanut butter is to bananas – a perfect match.” Scott agreed, but with one big caveat: “If it wasn't for the music, this game would be almost perfect.” Paul was less convinced, asking: “Is there suddenly a shortage of Tetris in the world?” That said, Todd did push back, explaining that “the color makes all the difference.”

Yes, it's true, this is little more than the Game Boy Tetris in color, but the added modes and quality of life changes make this the one to play. That said, with an average score of 90%, Tetris DX actually scores slightly lower than the Game Boy original, which earned a 91%. On the other hand, it averaged a much higher score than the 78% the Nintendo Entertainment System version earned. No matter, you now have a bunch of ways to play Tetris, which is definitely a good thing in my books.