Gamers logo

Win More 'Tetris 99' Games with These Three Fundamental Tips

Pop, lock and block it.

By Steve FusinatoPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
Like

Nintendo's February edition of their popular Direct stream left many looking forward to the releases of Super Mario Maker 2 and Link's Awakening Remastered later this year.

Couple that with a more thorough look at the new Fire Emblem title and it's safe to say this was the best direct yet. Having said that, one game—which we've purposely omitted from the list above—is on everyone's lips.

That game is Tetris 99.

What could have potentially been considered more of a meme than anything else has now become a reality. Tetris 99 takes the age-old puzzle game and successfully re-imagines it into a Battle Royale style game.

As the player, you're pitted against 98 other wannabe Tetris masters looking to clear lines and send you junk in dreams of eventual tetrimino supremacy ... Dreams which I have yet to accomplish myself.

But I'm getting there and I've decided to share some of my favorite tricks in order to help you keep your Tetris game strong. Because there's no greater joy in life than updating your Tinder profile with "I'm nasty at Tetris."

Without further adieu, here are three fundamental ways you can get better at Tetris 99.

Play horizontally.

If you're an amateur Tetris player, you might think your main concern is clearing a bunch of lines as fast as you can with no regard for the playing field above you.

Wrong.

It's a puzzle game after all. You'll want to place your tetriminos as horizontal as possible.

This allows you to both keep your stack smaller—helping you become almost impervious to incoming trash—and clear multiple sets of lines. Assuming you leave one column open for the notoriously dangerous "I piece."

Play now or forever hold your piece. I'm not quite sure why I wrote that, but it sounds catchy as hell and it's staying so deal with it.

You will, however, want to hold on to the aforementioned "I block" by pressing the "L" button. It's one of the most useful blocks in the game, especially when trying to clear five lines. What the kids call, "getting a Tetris."

Holding and swapping the right pieces at the right time is as crucial as dropping them into the right spot.

The hold feature comes in handy, especially early on when you're trying to neatly pack your lines and don't really see the need for the god awful square tetrimino. Otherwise known as the Meg Griffin of tetriminos.

Be aware of what's coming next.

While we still haven't developed a drug that allows us to see into the future, Tetris 99 allows you to see six blocks ahead.

Whether you're desperately in the market for a "T block" which would help you clear a trio of lines or want to think a few moves ahead, there's always a good reason to look at upcoming blocks.

This may seem a little overwhelming, especially since you're mostly concentrating on clearing lines while trying to ignore the myriad of flashing imagery warning of impending attacks.

Don't worry, I'll leave you with an extra tip to help you deal with that. Breathe.

For many, including my childhood friend's dad Gary, Tetris is somewhat of a stress reliever. There's no sense in getting all riled up over a game now is there?

Tell that to Superman 64, amirite?

puzzle
Like

About the Creator

Steve Fusinato

Video games, sports, 90's pro wrestling and books with pretty pictures. If you like at least one of those things you'll love my posts.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.