Tetris 2 (SNES)
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- For other games in the series, see Tetris.
Tetris 2 (known as Tetris Flash in Japan) is the sequel to the popular puzzle game Tetris. It was developed by ghost developer TOSE and published by Nintendo. Despite being developed by the same company, the game is not a direct port of the NES or Game Boy versions, at least for the graphics. Where the NES and Game Boy versions had a Native American/Latin American atmosphere to the graphics, the SNES version uses toony graphics.
In Tetris 2, the goal of the game is to eliminate all of the Flash Bombs by matching two or more of the same color of the Flash Bomb with Tetris pieces. Once all of the Flash Bombs are destroyed, you can proceed to the next level. Like the 8-bit versions, there are the Normal and Puzzle modes. There is also a Versus mode, where the player can compete against either another player or against one of the three AI opponents, Easy, Normal, and Hard. In Normal, the player selects their speed (Low, Medium, and High) as well as their starting level (up to round 30). The player must beat all eighty stages to beat the game. After round 30, after every ten levels, the background scenery will change, giving the player something new to look at in an attempt to break up the monotony. In Puzzle mode, a set problem is shown, and the player uses a set number of pieces to solve the puzzle. There are one-hundred stages in all, and the goal is not only to clear the Flash Bombs off the screen, but clear the board entirely of bombs and pieces. Unlike the Normal mode, the Puzzle mode has a 3-character password system so the player can resume where they left off. In Versus mode, the player can choose against either a human or AI-controlled opponent. There are three AI characters; Easy, Normal, and Hard. The goal of Versus mode is to clear all of the Flash Bombs first before your opponent does so. However, unlike Normal and Puzzle mode where clearing the bottommost Flash Bomb blows up the other bombs of the same color, this does not work in Versus mode. Creating two or more explosions will result in the opponent getting a forced block that they cannot slow down. Whoever accumulates three victories (or three fish in their tank in this game) wins. The player will get a congratulatory message if they beat Hard on the High speed setting.
Every five levels (ten in Puzzle mode), a cutscene is shown to the player of something comical happening to the AI characters from the Vs. Mode. The cutscenes differ between the Normal and Puzzle modes. The player can also attain a high score and have their results listed on the ranking board. However, since the game has no save feature of any kind, all progress is lost once the power is turned off.
The SNES version has one feature not present in the 8-bit versions is in the Normal Mode; clearing a round quickly not only rewards the player with a points bonus, but also up to ten Flash Bombs will be removed from the level, making it a little easier to complete.
The game received positive reviews, but it was slated for being too identical to Dr. Mario.
Contents
Screenshots
Music
The SNES version of Tetris 2, as expected, has the best soundtrack out of all versions in terms of quality and quantity. Mitsuhiko wrote all the music for the SNES version of Tetris 2, after previously having worked on the Japan-exclusive Super Tetris 2 + Bombliss (SFC). Even though Takano worked on both the NES and Game Boy versions of the game with Miyuki Uemura, none of the music from those versions made it into this version. Instead, there are 27 new songs. The SNES version now offers four different selections of in-game music for both the 1 and 2 Player Modes as opposed to the 8-bit versions which offered only three. However, most of the songs are shorter in length, and you still cannot switch songs in-game, so the music can get annoying after extended play. This is interesting, as Super Tetris 2 + BomBliss, by the same developer and also worked on by Takano around the same time allowed the player to switch songs by pressing Start to pause and Select to change the music. The names of the songs come from the SPC rip of the game.
Most of the songs are of the rock genre, though a few of them are in swing. A lot of the interesting choices of instruments include a synthesizer, harp, marimba, vibraphone, pizzicato strings, and every song uses a synth bass. The drums are usually, but not always accompanied by a tambourine. Occasionally, an agogo can be heard in a few of the songs as well. Appropriately, the four 2 Player in-game songs are a lot faster, heating up the competition between the two players. However, these songs also suffer from being short in length. A chorus/reverb effect is applied to the lead instruments in most songs, which are really pleasing to the ear.
There are three unused fanfares. Based on their sound, they were more than likely intended to be played at the end of the cinematic cutscenes, but in-game, they all fade-out back into the level, in which the stage theme selected by the player plays. Just the like the cutscenes, there are three of them, and they're written in the same exact style, but they have an ending, rather than loop.
To write the music, Takano used TOSE's version of Nintendo's Kankichi-kun software, and used the Tako Sample program to sample instruments from his various keyboards, such as the Yamaha SY77.
Recording
Credits
- Ripper: Dragon Fogel, YK, nensondubois
- Recorder: Doommaster1994
- Game Credits:
- Uncredited Composer: Mitsuhiko Takano
(Source: Canadian Copyright Database; Game lacks credits.)
Unsurprising for a TOSE title, there are no credits in game or its manuals. Beating the 1 Player and Puzzle modes only rewards you with a cutscene. Interestingly, the Canadian Copyright Database has a full list of staff who worked on the game, including their real names and addresses. Among the staff listed, the only person who has received credit for sound in other games is Mitsuhiko Takano. To verify, we have contacted Takano, who in turn confirmed that he was the game's composer. The Canadian Copyright Database also credits him for the Game Boy and NES versions (misspelled as Mitsuhiro, but his home address is the same) with Miyuki Uemura. TOSE put credits in Super Tetris 2 + Bombliss where he is credited as Mitsuhiko.T.
The sound programmer for Tetris 2 is unknown, except that it's the same person who goes by Anchovy credited in Super Tetris 3 (SFC), also by TOSE. Due to the secrecy of the company, the staff we have contacted who know the identity of this person are not allowed to reveal it.
Game Rip
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Audio Devices
The game uses the S-SMP for audio playback. The game uses Tose's second variant of Nintendo's Kankichi-kun sound driver.
Releases
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Links
- gamefaqs.gamespot.com/snes/588786-tetris-2 - GameFAQs.
- https://www.mobygames.com/game/snes/tetris-2 - MobyGames.
- snesmusic.org/v2/profile.php?profile=set&selected=3002 - SNES Music.
- w.atwiki.jp/gamemusicbest100/pages/7026.html - Atwiki.jp (Japanese).
- youtube.com/watch?v=WKkVGai_hdY - Soundtrack arranged for the YMF262 by Nick Kalata.
