The Final Word game review

Tetrisphere -- H2O Entertainment

R.I.P.
A must have puzzler for the N64. We solved this game years ago but sat down to play it through again recently and remembered why we haven't played it since it was originally released...

While the game is really fun and mentally challenging... and unique in many respects... It has limited replay value mostly due to the difficulty of the last two stages. Game companies wonder why more people don't solve games. This is a perfect example right here. A player can sit down and blast through what, some 98 stages in two days. Then spend two weeks working on the last two stages! What the heck is that? Grrr...

Graphically, the game is well done. Sound wise, the music is excellent, and the sound effects are very appropriate. The variety in play modes was nice, although the two-player mode wasn't much to speak of.

Aside from the last couple of stages in the main game mode, the title is really good. The basic premise is that there is this sphere which has a robot trapped inside of it. You have to break away the outer shell in order to free the robot. You do this by dropping square and rectangle shaped pieces onto matching shaped pieces composing the surface of the sphere. If you have groups of surface pieces lined up just right you can even get combos. While it is more reminiscent of a Welltris/Blocktris type game than Tetris per se, that is not a bad thing. It's still worth checking out even if you don't finish it.

(10/2002)