Monday Morning MAME Club [9/20/04] - Block Out

[Flack]

We've had shooters, we've had platformers, we've had beat 'em ups, but it's been a while since we had a good puzzle game for the MAME Club. Of course, that's one of the killer things about both this club and MAME itself -- each week can be something completely different! Gamemaster_ca_2003 has offered up this little puzzling morsel for us all!

Block Out is Gamemaster_ca_2003's MAME Club pick of the week!
Download the MAME Club pick HERE (http://members.cox.net/flack/blockout.zip)

http://images.webmagic.com/klov.com/screens/B/vBlock_Out.png__http://images.webmagic.com/klov.com/screens/B/xBlock_Out.png

Download the ROM if you don't already have it, give it a spin, and respond to this topic with your review! Have you played this game before, or is it brand new to you? Do you like the genre? How did it run on your computer? Did you beat it? If so, how long did it take? What was your high score? How far can you get? Did you have any problems emulating the game? When writing your review, post it right here in the sticky topic and include any thoughts you have about the game. Remember, YOU are the reviewer. Let us know anything and everything you think about the game!

Club Members:

Gamereviewgod (ESP Ra.De.)
Wisesalesman (Waku Waku 7)
scooterb23 (I'm Sorry)
ddockery (Penguin-Kun Wars)
AlanD (Dr. Micro)
digitalpress (N/A)
IntvGene (Strike Force)
NE146 (Portman)
jonjandran (Bronze Adventure)
Flack (Rollergames, Yie-Ar Kung-Fu, Liquid Kids)
IGotTheDot (N/A)
zektor (Battle Bakraid, Haunted Castle)
buttasuperb (Blazing Star)
chadtower (Berkerk)
Sotenga (Caliber 50)
Stark (Mighty! Pang)
christianscott27 (Darius Gaiden)
ECWSandmanECW (League Bowling)
TripppsK (Lady Bug)
vespertillio (Rampart!)
ghsqb (N/A)
TheSmirk (Bomb Jack)
Flukkake (Elevator Action)
BHvrd (NARC)
ManekiNeko (Battle Circuit)
MarioAllStar2600 (City Bomber)
Ze_ro (Pandora's Palace)
slip81 (Biomechanical Toy)
Qbert (Mysterious Stones)
k8track (Go! Go! Mile Smile)
Hamsnibit (N/A)
Lady Jaye (Chuka Taisen/Cloud Master)
Sofa King Gud (Crossbow)
Schenley (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
Kaine23 (Super Burgertime)
Arqueologia_Digital (Burgertime)
Jiscan (Withdrew)
-hellvin- (Splatterhouse)
Acidic_Pain (Armed Police Batrider)
Gamemaster_ca_2003 (Block Out)
Vigilante
Hovoc
Mr.FoodMonster
sniperCCJVQ
A Boy
JibbaJaba
Cauterize
youruglyclone

Remember, you don't have to be a member of the club to download the game and write up a review, but by joining you get the honor of picking a game to share with the group during your week. If you would like to join, simply send me a PM and I will add you to the list!

3D, Tetris, what more could a guy ask for? Time to grab a stick, drop some blocks, and ...

... MAME ON!

[Flack]

BTW, I just checked this game out. Wasn't there a version of this called Welltris for the Commodore 64?

Does anyone know which came first, the computer version or the arcade version?

[Vigilante]

I have fond memories of blockout when it was in the arcades. We had it at my college for about 3-4 months and I was good at. Not great, just good.

We got it at the local arcade and a crowd was arround it. People only could get to the 2nd or 3rd levels because it was so new.

I put my quarter up and rocked it like level 14, got my name up, and walked away DAH MAN!

Puts a wicked spin on tetris. I still play it every so often.

I also have a copy of it for the pc.

[Ed Oscuro]

Block Out apparently was originally designed by this Alexander Ustaszewski guy, and a trademark of "Kadon Enterrprises;" there's a Genesis version of the game out there.

[ddockery]

Whoa! It's 3D Tetris from the Virtual Boy without the vertigo! I always give this a spin every so often and love the gameplay. Seems like I first played this as a freeware PC game by the same name.

[Flack]

Not to detract from playing this game, but what all ports/platforms has this game made it to?

3D Tetris (Virtual Boy)
Block Out (Arcade, Genesis) Kadon Enterprises
Welltris (PC, Commodore 64, CPC) Spectrum Holobyte

[Daniel Thomas]

I thought the original creator of Tetris (Alexi Whatzishane) created Welltris. Didn't he make a bunch of Tetris variants after the success of the original? I remember titles like Welltris, Wordtris, and Hattris being lumped in together.

I remember that California Dreams made Block Out for the computers, and that was the version that was ported to the Atari Lynx. Was that the same version as the one EA put out on Genesis?

Maybe you can enjoy a 3D Tetris, but I never could. It's far too complicated to be worth its whiile, and loses that immediate simplicity that makes Tetris the definitive videogame. That's an admittedly high bar, but Block Out/Welltris is little more than a novelty, a schtick.

[Flack]

Anyone else get a chance to try out this 'puzzling' little game?

[Flack]

Also, if anyone wants to post their high scores in this thread, go ahead!

[Flack]

Turns out, not so popular.

Here's to next week! :cheers: