-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- TETRIS - FAQ/Strategy Guide Developed by Jamdat Mobile Produced by Blue Lava Virus FAQ version 1.0 (c) 2006 Bodo_parkour -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. What is Tetris? 3. Controls 4. Types of game 5. Hints and tips 6. Legal stuff -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 1. Introduction -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- You've all heard of, or seen that falling blocks game, right? While there are many games based on falling blocks, Doctor Mario and Meteos to name but a few, Tetris was the first and most original, and still is to this day. Tetris has seen literally hundreds of games, spanning over ten different platforms, many systems having more than one Tetris game. This version, by Jamdat mobile, is one of my favourites. This FAQ is designed to introduce newcomers to the Tetris gameplay and to help everyone understand how to play this incarnation of the game. If you don't understand something about this FAQ, want some advice, or just to offer comments, my email is at the bottom of the FAQ in the legal section (I wasn't sure where else to put it). GAME INFO: This game was developed by Jamdat mobile and was released in the US in 2004 by Blue Lava Virus. It was not released in Japan, or any other country. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 2. What is Tetris? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Tetris is a puzzle game with no story, and it is very addictive. Different shaped blocks fall from the top of the screen and you have to position them into rows without letting the screen fill up completely. Every time a line of blocks is filled up completely, it disappears from the screen and all the blocks above it get dumped into the space. This usually gives points. More points can be achieved by clearing more than one line at a time. Blocks can also be rotated to fit certain gaps. Rotating pieces may be the only way to get a piece into a certain place like into a corner. Here are all the different types of blocks you can get: [][] This type of block can be hard to fit in place, but [][] lots of them together fit together well. [][] This is just the mirror image of the above. Problems [][] can be caused when trying to mix the two together. [][] These squared blocks are good space fillers but are [][] not good if you don't have a flat landing to put them on. [] This is a good block as it can be stacked any way [][][] round. It fits in almost anywhere. [][][] This is my least favourite. It won't go in anywhere [] and is useless unless you have another one the same. [] Mirror image of the above. Practically impossible to [][][] mix this with it's mirror image. [][][][] The most useful piece. Best saved until really needed, which it will be, a lot of the time. When stacking the blocks, you must try not to put a block over an empty space, it will mean that the line with the empty space is useless untill all ines above it are cleared of blocks. This can be hard to do and is some cases, you are forced to make a move you would not normally do. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 3. Controls -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Menu controls are simple. Up and down highlight the options, and the Ok button (whichever button it i on your phone) selects the options. Game controls are as follows. Arrow keys or joypad left or right - move block Arrow keys or joypad up - send block right to the bottom Arrow keys or joypad down - move piece down at a quicker speed 2 - Send block to bottom Cancel - Pause the game 0 - Swap a piece Ok - Rotate piece To swap a piece means to change the piece that's moving just now for the spare piece you have at the side (top left). This is handy if you wish to save a piece for later or you can't use the piece you are moving jsut now. When you start a game, there will be no piece at the side so the first time you press 0, the piece you are moving will be removed and will sit at the side as the swap piece. While there are other keys that can be used instead of the keys I've listed, the ones in the FAQ are the simplest to use, and the easiest to remember. If I started talking about button combinations, it would just get confusing. If you feel differently, you can always email me (see the legal section for details). -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 4. Types of game -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- This Tetris game offers three styles of play. To select which one to use, select 'Game' from the main menu. Marathon -------- This is the game that keeps on going till you lose. After you clear a certain number of lines, the pieces start to move faster and the game becomes more difficult. After you finish playing, you are given an efficiency rating and this tells you how good you are at playing the game. My average is 4.8% but I'm not sure what it is a percentage of. Email me if you know! Ultra ----- This is where you are given a set time (one minute) and you have to clear as many lines as possible. At the end of the minute, the game ends, regardless of how many lines you cleared. This is a good game to play if you only have a minute or two to play. 40 lines -------- The title says it all. You have to clear 40 lines in the shortest time possible. The quicker you manage it, the better your score. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 5. Hints and Tips -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Tetris is easy to paly but hard to master. Here are some hints and strategies to help improve your game. First of all, save a long thin piece (blue) at the side, ready to swap in when you desperatly need it. A good way to play is to build up all the bricks but leaving one column to put in a long thing piece which will give you more points as more than one line is being removed at once. Long thin piece goes in here, completing four lines at once giving quadruple points. | | [] [] | [] [][][][] [] | [] [][][][][][] | [] [][][][][][] |[][] [][][][][][] v[][] [][][][][][] [][] [][][][][][] [][] [] Another tip is for the [][][] blocks. They are hard to place, so it is a good idea to put two of the same type opposite each other. This way, the pieces fit together into a rectangle [][] and they are more efficient. A final tip concerns []WW how you build up the layers. Try to build the []WW blocks up line by line. This makes the game a whole WWWW lot easier and you will find it not as complicated as jamming in blocks in no particular way. Long thin blocks should never be used sideways, if you have a long block but you don't need it yet, save it for later, you WILL need it. One note I think I should mention is: THINK ABOUT A MOVE BEFORE YOU MAKE IT!!!! If you make a mistake, it could screw up all your hard work up to that point and you do not want that to happen. If you wish to suddenly end a game, a good thing to do is to just hold the down button, and your screen will fill up. This is about three times as quick as using the pause menu then selecting 'quit'. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 6. Legal stuff -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- All trademark are owned by their respective copyright holders. No infringement intended. Site permitted to host this FAQ are: http://www.gamefaqs.com - GameFAQs http://www.gamespot.com - Gamespot Copyright (c) 2006 Bodo_parkour. All rights reserved. If you should wish to contact me, my email is: bodo_parkour (at) hotmail (dot) co (dot) uk Please title emails responsibly, or I may delete it without opening it. I try to reply to all emails sent but it may take up to a week. Thanks to everyone who needs thanks including Gamefaqs, myself, and all you gamers out there who inspire me to write. Version 1.1 - 30th October 2006 ------------------------------- Added a few paragraphs to the guide. Basically making it more complete. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- End of file