Written Android App Review
You remember Tetris, the classic game that pretty much birthed the casual gaming industry? Yeah, I imagine you’ve played it a time or two. Tetris has had dozens of runs on just as many types of systems. Heck, I even had Tetris on my Ti-83 scientific calculator.
But now a new era of Tetris mania is upon us with Beyond Tetris from DaintyGame, an Android app that attempts to infuse new shapes and new life into the ultimate classic Tetris.
Gameplay
At first glance the Beyond Tetris Android app looks quite a bit like classic Tetris but I think that’s a good sign. Tetris is an eternal classic for a reason.
Beyond Tetris
There are four new modes to play Beyond Tetris Android app in, easy, normal, advanced and difficult. And once you start playing you’ll notice something’s a bit different. Brand new tetromino shapes come flying at you. For someone like me, who has been playing Tetris for 20 years, that’s a bit mind blowing. It also makes completing a line clear a bit more difficult.
New shapes come in one, two, three and four blocks. It was definitely a challenge to get used to the new shapes. The app does show you up to three blocks ahead so you have time to plan, and an awesome new holding cell feature lets you reserve one useful piece at a time. I kind of wish there were more new features, but that’s it. I’m slightly disappointed.
The Beyond Tetris Android app does interface with Scoreloop so you can track your stats, against friends or globally. I like a little extra added incentive, and healthy competition to dominate on the leader boards.
User Interface
I think the user interface is one of the most interesting updates in the Beyond Tetris Android app. There are two ways to control those shapes that are hurtling towards the bottom. There are virtual controls located at the bottom of the screen, including a right and left button, a rotate button and a button that lowers the current piece fast.
Beyond Tetris
If you think you’re up for a challenge, or if you want to get some truly amazing scores in Beyond Tetris, try the gesture user interface. You can control blocks with your hand. Tap a block to rotate it or drag it down to bring it into play.
That’s a pretty awesome idea. It’s a little difficult to get used to the gesture interface. It might work better on a larger screen.
The interface also has a built in lock delay, allowing you to make adjustments for several seconds after the block is placed. That’s definitely a game changer. The edit option comes in handy when the game gets fast paced or if you were off by a spot.
Sounds & Graphics
There is an original score in the Beyond Tetris Android app. There is even a Russian background, paying a polite nod to Tetris’ humble beginnings. Nothing about this app’s design is ground breaking, but it does have clean lines and is easy to play.
Value
Thankfully, Beyond Tetris is free to download. I do like free stuff, even if it is ad supported. At the end of the day I suggest going with the classic. There just aren’t enough updates to make this app stand on its own.
Beyond Tetris
Android Apps Review Details: Beyond Tetris Android app is free. This app requires Android 2.2 and up. You may download Beyond Tetris from the Android Market.
This Android app review, as well as the other Android app reviews for droid phones and droid tablets on this site, are brought to you by AndroidAppsReview.com.
