Tetrisphere
Encyclopedia
Tetrisphere is a falling block puzzle video game for the Nintendo 64
(N64) console
. Developed by Canadian
company H2O Entertainment, a nearly-complete version of the game was originally slated for release on the Atari Jaguar
in early 1995. After Nintendo
obtained its publishing rights, Tetrisphere was reworked for the N64 and released on the platform in North America on August 11, 1997 and PAL region
s in February 1998.
Tetrisphere is a variant on Tetris
in which various shapes are shifted across a wrapped
three-dimensional
grid resembling a sphere, and then destroyed. The objective of the game changes depending on the mode, but generally consists of removing layers of shapes to reach the playing field's core. Despite very little domestic advertising, Tetrisphere enjoyed moderately good sales and a mostly favorable critical reception. Reviewers praised the game's originality and the musical score composed by Neil D. Voss
.
titles, a player's score is incremented as a result of completing "lines", where a row of brick pieces that is without gaps is removed from the 2D
playing field. This both earns points and removes the completed row, making room for further pieces. However, in Tetrisphere, the goal is instead to remove bricks by forcing three of the same type of piece to touch as a result of a "drop". A drop is achieved when any brick falls, either as a direct result of the player releasing the currently held brick, or when the brick which supports it from below is removed by any method. When three bricks of the same type touch, this triggers a "reaction". When a reaction occurs, the three bricks will glow brightly and implode, removing themselves from the field of play. Any other same-shaped blocks which are touching that reaction will also be removed in a chain reaction. For example, if a player has lines of nested "Z" pieces, and then drops another "Z" directly on top of one of the nested "Z"s, the one which was dropped will cause the piece below to implode, in turn causing all identical pieces touching that piece to explode, and so on. The only exception is that the pieces involved (including the original three) must abide by the rules which dictate which pieces are "touching". For example, any two matching pieces which are stacked must be exactly on top of each other, if they are both to be removed. Laterally, each piece obeys the rules specific to its shape. As an illustration of this point, "O" pieces (a 2x2 square, colored blue) and "I" pieces (a 3x1 or 1x3 rectangle, colored green or yellow) must have full contact on one side with one full side of another piece of the same shape, but all other pieces are considered "touching" if any part of them is in contact with another of the same shape.
There is a penalty incurred each time a player drops a brick without starting a reaction. The player may be penalized three times during a given play period, after which the round ends. While the player is scrutinizing the playfield, searching for likely reactions, a green timer slowly counts down. When the timer reaches zero, a new yellow timer starts and the player begins to move towards the sphere at an increasingly fast pace (moving back to the default position for each piece dropped). That timer may also expire, causing a new and final red timer to begin, which moves the player towards the playfield even faster than the yellow timer. There is no penalty if the final timer reaches zero, but if the player gets too close to the playfield, the piece is dropped, causing a penalty if there is no reaction. The timer is slightly refilled for every piece removed, and is reset to a full green timer when a penalty is incurred. Removing 20 or more pieces will provide access to progressively more powerful assistive (or "magic") devices such as sticks of dynamite or rockets, that the player may employ at any time to remove large sections of the surface. Each type of explosive has its own pattern of removal, area of effect, and drawbacks. This also multiplies the player's score for each piece removed.
There are several modes of play available in Tetrisphere. The foremost single-player mode is "Rescue", which challenges the player to free a robot from the core of a sphere. As levels increase, the number of layers, size of the trapped robots, and types of pieces present increase. "Hide + Seek" has the same objective, and consists of a mix of different challenges, such as exposing a picture imprinted on the sphere's core. The "Puzzle" mode removes the drop timer, the combo weapons, and the infinite and random natures of the pieces supplied to the player. Instead, players must remove all blocks from the surface of the globe, given a finite number of sliding moves and drops of select pieces. The "Vs. CPU" and the two-player "Vs. Player" feature split-screen race to reveal a number of core squares. "Time-Trial" and "Practice" modes, as well as a training tutorial, are also available. Finally, a hidden "Lines" mode exists, where pieces cannot be dropped. Instead, blocks implode by themselves if three of the same type are lined up with each other.
, Alberta
, Canada
. The game began as an Atari Jaguar
game entitled Phear and was on display in Atari's booth at the Consumer Electronics Show
in 1995 where Nintendo reportedly secured the rights to the game. Phear was later announced as a Nintendo 64 release at Nintendo Space World
that same year. H2O, which had completed a reverse takeover
with Canadian Entech Resources Inc., began working exclusively for Nintendo during the game's development. Originally scheduled for a winter holiday 1996 release, H2O worked diligently under Nintendo's direction to update Tetrisphere for the new console. The framerate was increased, allowing for a two-player mode not present in the first version. Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov contributed to the game's design while working at Microsoft
. The North American release of Tetrisphere was ultimately delayed until August 1997, when it became the first puzzle game available on the Nintendo 64.
The techno
-style soundtrack for Tetrisphere was composed by Neil D. Voss
. He began the project as a freelancer when it was on the Jaguar, then signed on as an audio director
when it moved to the Nintendo 64. Voss was the sole producer, composer, and sound engineer, but had help from in-house programmer David Pridie and staff from Silicon Graphics
. Beginning with a cyberpunk style, the team transitioned to the techno genre due to the "uniqueness" of Tetrisphere as a puzzle game. Voss explained that Tetrisphere features only stereophonic sound
because "[...] for a game where the action is all around you, it could enhance gameplay and the immersive experience." Voss was also able to simulate surround sound
. The composer scarcely used sampling
during production; for instance, the track "Extol" uses a chorus of Balinese singers
. The song titles were chosen as they would be if released on an album. Vozz elaborated, "'Azule Lux' was supposed to be 'blue light' relating to one of the level backgrounds that impressed me visually. 'Snowy Mushrooms' is a drug reference and equally a reference to Nintendo's penchant for mushroom imagery. 'Phony' is because I felt that track was too close to Liam Howlett
's (of the Prodigy
) (me being phony). 'Extol' means to praise, which I felt was appropriate... Things like that."
Nintendo Power
ranked Tetrisphere at number 50 on its list of "100 Best Nintendo Games of All Time" in September 1997. The magazine also gave it an award for "Best Soundtrack" for its annual awards for that year. IGN considered the game's soundtrack to be the fourth best of any N64 game.
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
(N64) console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. Developed by Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
company H2O Entertainment, a nearly-complete version of the game was originally slated for release on the Atari Jaguar
Atari Jaguar
The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Panasonic...
in early 1995. After Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
obtained its publishing rights, Tetrisphere was reworked for the N64 and released on the platform in North America on August 11, 1997 and PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
s in February 1998.
Tetrisphere is a variant on Tetris
Tetris
Tetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
in which various shapes are shifted across a wrapped
Wraparound (Video Games)
Wraparound, in video games, is a gameplay variation on the single-screen in which space is finite but unbounded; objects leaving one side of the screen immediately reappear on the opposite side, maintaining speed and trajectory...
three-dimensional
Three-dimensional space
Three-dimensional space is a geometric 3-parameters model of the physical universe in which we live. These three dimensions are commonly called length, width, and depth , although any three directions can be chosen, provided that they do not lie in the same plane.In physics and mathematics, a...
grid resembling a sphere, and then destroyed. The objective of the game changes depending on the mode, but generally consists of removing layers of shapes to reach the playing field's core. Despite very little domestic advertising, Tetrisphere enjoyed moderately good sales and a mostly favorable critical reception. Reviewers praised the game's originality and the musical score composed by Neil D. Voss
Neil D. Voss
Neil D. Voss is a critically acclaimed composer who writes soundtracks for Nintendo video games.Voss' first recognized work was on Tetrisphere for Nintendo 64 in 1997, an acclaimed effort that earned him a "Best Soundtrack" award from Nintendo Power for that year. Later he composed tracks for The...
.
Gameplay
In most TetrisTetris
Tetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
titles, a player's score is incremented as a result of completing "lines", where a row of brick pieces that is without gaps is removed from the 2D
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
playing field. This both earns points and removes the completed row, making room for further pieces. However, in Tetrisphere, the goal is instead to remove bricks by forcing three of the same type of piece to touch as a result of a "drop". A drop is achieved when any brick falls, either as a direct result of the player releasing the currently held brick, or when the brick which supports it from below is removed by any method. When three bricks of the same type touch, this triggers a "reaction". When a reaction occurs, the three bricks will glow brightly and implode, removing themselves from the field of play. Any other same-shaped blocks which are touching that reaction will also be removed in a chain reaction. For example, if a player has lines of nested "Z" pieces, and then drops another "Z" directly on top of one of the nested "Z"s, the one which was dropped will cause the piece below to implode, in turn causing all identical pieces touching that piece to explode, and so on. The only exception is that the pieces involved (including the original three) must abide by the rules which dictate which pieces are "touching". For example, any two matching pieces which are stacked must be exactly on top of each other, if they are both to be removed. Laterally, each piece obeys the rules specific to its shape. As an illustration of this point, "O" pieces (a 2x2 square, colored blue) and "I" pieces (a 3x1 or 1x3 rectangle, colored green or yellow) must have full contact on one side with one full side of another piece of the same shape, but all other pieces are considered "touching" if any part of them is in contact with another of the same shape.
There are several modes of play available in Tetrisphere. The foremost single-player mode is "Rescue", which challenges the player to free a robot from the core of a sphere. As levels increase, the number of layers, size of the trapped robots, and types of pieces present increase. "Hide + Seek" has the same objective, and consists of a mix of different challenges, such as exposing a picture imprinted on the sphere's core. The "Puzzle" mode removes the drop timer, the combo weapons, and the infinite and random natures of the pieces supplied to the player. Instead, players must remove all blocks from the surface of the globe, given a finite number of sliding moves and drops of select pieces. The "Vs. CPU" and the two-player "Vs. Player" feature split-screen race to reveal a number of core squares. "Time-Trial" and "Practice" modes, as well as a training tutorial, are also available. Finally, a hidden "Lines" mode exists, where pieces cannot be dropped. Instead, blocks implode by themselves if three of the same type are lined up with each other.
Development
Tetrisphere was developed by H2O Entertainment, which was based in CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The game began as an Atari Jaguar
Atari Jaguar
The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Panasonic...
game entitled Phear and was on display in Atari's booth at the Consumer Electronics Show
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
in 1995 where Nintendo reportedly secured the rights to the game. Phear was later announced as a Nintendo 64 release at Nintendo Space World
Nintendo Space World
Nintendo World, formerly called Nintendo Space World, Nintendo 64 Space World, Super Famicom Space World, Famicom Space World, and , is a video game trade show hosted by Nintendo, typically to unveil new consoles or handhelds...
that same year. H2O, which had completed a reverse takeover
Reverse takeover
A reverse takeover or reverse merger is the acquisition of a public company by a private company so that the private company can bypass the lengthy and complex process of going public...
with Canadian Entech Resources Inc., began working exclusively for Nintendo during the game's development. Originally scheduled for a winter holiday 1996 release, H2O worked diligently under Nintendo's direction to update Tetrisphere for the new console. The framerate was increased, allowing for a two-player mode not present in the first version. Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov contributed to the game's design while working at Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
. The North American release of Tetrisphere was ultimately delayed until August 1997, when it became the first puzzle game available on the Nintendo 64.
The techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
-style soundtrack for Tetrisphere was composed by Neil D. Voss
Neil D. Voss
Neil D. Voss is a critically acclaimed composer who writes soundtracks for Nintendo video games.Voss' first recognized work was on Tetrisphere for Nintendo 64 in 1997, an acclaimed effort that earned him a "Best Soundtrack" award from Nintendo Power for that year. Later he composed tracks for The...
. He began the project as a freelancer when it was on the Jaguar, then signed on as an audio director
Director of audiography
The Director of Audiography is the head of the sound department and the person responsible for planning the audiography and managing the audiographers of a film....
when it moved to the Nintendo 64. Voss was the sole producer, composer, and sound engineer, but had help from in-house programmer David Pridie and staff from Silicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics, Inc. was a manufacturer of high-performance computing solutions, including computer hardware and software, founded in 1981 by Jim Clark...
. Beginning with a cyberpunk style, the team transitioned to the techno genre due to the "uniqueness" of Tetrisphere as a puzzle game. Voss explained that Tetrisphere features only stereophonic sound
Stereophonic sound
The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
because "[...] for a game where the action is all around you, it could enhance gameplay and the immersive experience." Voss was also able to simulate surround sound
Surround sound
Surround sound encompasses a range of techniques such as for enriching the sound reproduction quality of an audio source with audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. Surround sound is characterized by a listener location or sweet spot where the audio effects work best, and...
. The composer scarcely used sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
during production; for instance, the track "Extol" uses a chorus of Balinese singers
Music of Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island that shares in the gamelan and various other Indonesian musical styles. Bali, however, has its own techniques and styles, including kecak, a form of singing that imitates the sound of monkeys...
. The song titles were chosen as they would be if released on an album. Vozz elaborated, "'Azule Lux' was supposed to be 'blue light' relating to one of the level backgrounds that impressed me visually. 'Snowy Mushrooms' is a drug reference and equally a reference to Nintendo's penchant for mushroom imagery. 'Phony' is because I felt that track was too close to Liam Howlett
Liam Howlett
Liam Paris Howlett known as Liam Howlett , is a member of the English band The Prodigy, occasional DJ, and a music producer.-Life and career:...
's (of the Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
) (me being phony). 'Extol' means to praise, which I felt was appropriate... Things like that."
Reception
Tetrisphere was distributed for sale among a network of 17,000 retailers in North America and Europe. Despite little advertising in the United States, Tetrisphere managed to sell 335,000 copies in the region between its August release date and December 31, 1997. Out of 42 titles, Tetrisphere ranked at number 27 in terms of sales for Nintendo games in 1997. H2O Entertainment announced that the game had sold 430,000 copies worldwide as of March 31, 1998.Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
ranked Tetrisphere at number 50 on its list of "100 Best Nintendo Games of All Time" in September 1997. The magazine also gave it an award for "Best Soundtrack" for its annual awards for that year. IGN considered the game's soundtrack to be the fourth best of any N64 game.