Magical Tetris Challenge
Encyclopedia
Magical Tetris
Challenge, known in Japan as Magical Tetris Challenge Featuring Mickey, is a puzzle game for the Nintendo 64
, Game Boy Color
and PlayStation (the latter version was released in Japan and Europe only). It was released on January 14, 1999. It is a version of Tetris
featuring Disney characters. It was also released in the arcades on the Seta's Aleck 64. It is one of the few N64 titles to be entirely 2D.
, Minnie Mouse
, Donald Duck
, or Goofy
, is pitted against an opponent, which is either the A.I. in Story or Endless Modes or another player in Versus Mode. Players control the standard seven Tetris pieces
, race to make lines (and consecutive line clears, called combos), and attack the other player. The attacked player receives a set of "magical" pieces, which range from pentomino
pieces to square blocks and even very large (up to 5x5-block sized) pieces. Players can also counter one another by making multiple lines to send the pieces back to their opponent. Because of the pentomino pieces, it is possible for a player to clear five lines at once (called a Pentris) using a 5-block straight piece.
Pieces spawn from the top one row at a time; column grids and a "ghost" piece are provided to aid the players in positioning and dropping pieces. Play stops when a piece entering the grid has to overlap a piece in the board. Players are scored according to the number of combos and counters they make in addition to any other points earned.
The Game Boy Color version adds three additional modes: Signal Tetris, Towering Tetris, and Target Tetris.
will change color. The objective is to get the floor blocks to match the colors of the line of blocks under the floor. As a result, the player has to be careful about the positioning Tetrominos when clearing lines. Easy uses just red and blue for the floor blocks, but the higher difficulties add more colors.
Tetris
Tetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
Challenge, known in Japan as Magical Tetris Challenge Featuring Mickey, is a puzzle game for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
, Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
and PlayStation (the latter version was released in Japan and Europe only). It was released on January 14, 1999. It is a version of Tetris
Tetris
Tetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
featuring Disney characters. It was also released in the arcades on the Seta's Aleck 64. It is one of the few N64 titles to be entirely 2D.
Gameplay
Magical Tetris Challenge has three gameplay modes: Magical Tetris, Updown Tetris, and Classic Tetris.Magical Tetris
In Magical Tetris, the player, as either Mickey MouseMickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
, Minnie Mouse
Minnie Mouse
Minerva "Minnie" Mouse is an animated character created by Ub Iwerks and Walt Disney. The comic strip story "The Gleam" by Merrill De Maris and Floyd Gottfredson first gave her full name as Minerva Mouse. Minnie has since been a recurring alias for her. Minnie is currently voiced by actress Russi...
, Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
, or Goofy
Goofy
Goofy is a cartoon character created in 1932 at Walt Disney Productions. Goofy is a tall, anthropomorphic dog, and typically wears a turtle neck and vest, with pants, shoes, white gloves, and a tall hat originally designed as a rumpled fedora. Goofy is a close friend of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck...
, is pitted against an opponent, which is either the A.I. in Story or Endless Modes or another player in Versus Mode. Players control the standard seven Tetris pieces
Tetromino
A tetromino is a geometric shape composed of four squares, connected orthogonally. This, like dominoes and pentominoes, is a particular type of polyomino...
, race to make lines (and consecutive line clears, called combos), and attack the other player. The attacked player receives a set of "magical" pieces, which range from pentomino
Pentomino
A pentomino is a polyomino composed of five congruent squares, connected along their edges ....
pieces to square blocks and even very large (up to 5x5-block sized) pieces. Players can also counter one another by making multiple lines to send the pieces back to their opponent. Because of the pentomino pieces, it is possible for a player to clear five lines at once (called a Pentris) using a 5-block straight piece.
Updown and Classic Tetris
Updown Tetris can be considered as an extension of Classic Tetris; Updown Tetris is available in Story and Versus Modes, whereas Classic Tetris takes up what would be the Endless mode. The magical pieces are absent from this mode, and attacking the other player sends a number of lines to the other player; the lines rise from the bottom as filled lines with a one-block gap in a predetermined column and could be used as further lines to attack the opponent.Common elements
During Magical and Updown Tetris, making lines and combos fills a special meter alongside the board called the Magic Meter, with the fill line initially set to the fourth row; when a player's meter is filled, all of the blocks drop, filling any gaps, and one predetermined column drops out; all the blocks above the meter are wiped clean, the meter resets, and play continues. The meter's fill level may or may not rise depending on the difficulty. In this way, the player is left with filled columns and one empty column, allowing either a Tetris or Pentris to be made easily using a straight piece.Pieces spawn from the top one row at a time; column grids and a "ghost" piece are provided to aid the players in positioning and dropping pieces. Play stops when a piece entering the grid has to overlap a piece in the board. Players are scored according to the number of combos and counters they make in addition to any other points earned.
Story Mode
Players can choose to be one of four characters (Mickey, Donald, Goofy, or Minnie) to play out the story; each character has a different storyline.The Game Boy Color version adds three additional modes: Signal Tetris, Towering Tetris, and Target Tetris.
Signal Tetris
In Signal Tetris, clearing a line will cause the floor blocks below the clearing standard seven Tetris piecesTetromino
A tetromino is a geometric shape composed of four squares, connected orthogonally. This, like dominoes and pentominoes, is a particular type of polyomino...
will change color. The objective is to get the floor blocks to match the colors of the line of blocks under the floor. As a result, the player has to be careful about the positioning Tetrominos when clearing lines. Easy uses just red and blue for the floor blocks, but the higher difficulties add more colors.
Towering Tetris
Towering Tetris starts you with a pile of random garbage blocks that raises throughout the game. The objective is clear the garbage blocks faster than they can raise until you reach the bottom of the pile and clear the keyhole block on the bottom line. In addition to the standard pieces, this mode also features a special 1*2 Piece that shoots an endless supply of 1*1 blocks when you press A or B and then disappears when it locks into place.Target Tetris
In this puzzle mode, you are given a preset sequence of Tetrominos with which you must clear all of the Target Blocks(Represented by Acorns, Lightning Bolts, or Flames depending on Mode) on the screen. Each difficulty level has it own set of puzzles, with over a hundred total puzzles.Further reading
- Magical Tetris Challenge Game Boy review, from ConsoleDomain.co.uk