Tengen Tetris is the superior model.
My Gaming Collection (Now at Google Drive!)
I don't think the two player split-screen option in Tengen's Tetris is much a of a selling point since the two games have absolutely no interaction with each other; there's no junk droppping or anything like that. It's essentially just two single player games going on simultaneously. Realy multiplayer versus Tetris didn't get introduced until the Gameboy version (and every version after that). The two player cooperative (though it's just as often a versus game too) option is pretty cool, though, and I'm still surprised that no Tetris game since has adopted it.
What's really better about Tengen's version is the physics, though, in my opinion. The pieces move much more smoothly and set in place fast when they land, this allows for very fast gameplay, which I like in Tetris. The movement of the pieces in Nintendo's version is more plodding, even at higher levels there's a distinct pause between when the piece can move from on tile location to the next. I find that very frustrating, but maybe it's just because I'm so used to Tengen's version. Nintendo's version allows for more movement of the piece after it's landed, which can be handy sometimes--such as when you need to rotate a piece into position--but also leads to misplacements if you're already inticipating which way you're going to move the next piece that's about to fall but the last piece that just landed hasn't quite set into place yet.
Also, whoever said that Nintendo's version looks better...well, I suppose it's a matter of opinion, but I think Tengen's version is much much nicer looking. It's got cleaner lines and uses more solid colors. Nintendo's version uses the same horrible palette choices and dirty complicated lines and tiles that ruined so many NES games, in my opinion.
And yes, giving the original poster opinions about which version is better is indeed the best way to help him decide which version to buy. Gameplay is the unknown, Nero can see for himself what the cost of each version is and if he knows a bit about how each version actually plays, he can decide on his own which version is more worth its price.
...word is bondage...
As a HUGE fan on the Tengen version, I must say get the Tengen version, if you don't mind the added cost.. It has better music, smoother gameplay, and it's a cool conversation piece..
If you mind the added cost, get the Nintendo version, it plays just fine, but I do think, in my opinion, the Tengen version is better.
I only have the Tengen version. There was no Nintendo version out yet when I bought it. And when the Nintendo version did come out, damn if I was going to fork it out to buy yet another version of the same game.
I've tried out the Nintendo version via emulator.. and the gameplay seems to be a lot tougher. The pieces stick immediately. That being said, my complaint about the Tengen version is that although it has 2 player simultaneous.. there's zero interaction between the 2. You can't compete really. So it's just like you're both playing in your own little world. *yawn*. But that's about it
This is all true, but let's continue with semantics then. You can usually make a few common sense judgments based on the OP's post, as long as you're semi-intelligent. (I again apologize if I am giving people on a message board way too much credit by actually assuming they have any intelligence at all.) So we know that right now the OP has easy access to the cheap version of Tetris. We can also assume that he is not familiar with either version of the game, or else he wouldn't be asking the question. I'm also sure he doesn't have a ton of money to spend on random games-- or else he would have spent the likely <$5 on the Nintendo version from his friend without even holding off on it. Plus, he's a gamer like the rest of us.... and how many fellow gamers out there are rich enough to toss money around? Not any I know. Finally, the OP is probably a big NES fan but I assume he's not a hardcore collector for it, or else he would have bought Tengen simply because of the collectibility factor.
Yes, these are all assumptions. One or two may turn out to be wrong, but we can predict that the majority are more likely correct. So, common sense tells us that the answer to this person's question is: buy the Nintendo version. He's not very familiar with the game, so why spend big bucks on the Tengen version first? He can make sure he likes it for $3 and then spend 10x that if he's really into it (and how many people here actually play their copy of Tengen Tetris enough nowadays to get $30 value out of it????????). Anyone who says to buy the Tengen version is 100% WRONG. Yes, there is no leeway here. You are just wrong. And if you think you're not wrong, then you're wrong again. [And if anyone here thinks they weren't wrong than just check the logic Nero used to make his decision and you'll realize that, yes, unfortunately I'm right and you're wrong.]
And to answer the OP's question, though it seems they've made up their mind:
The original Tetris is more popular to the casual folk, thanks to high distribution. It's graphically superior, no doubt. However, I prefer the Tengen version. It's closest to the original arcade machine, if that matters to you. Multiplayer and music are a nice plus, too. The only downside is that it's pricey.
Now, from reading everyone's comments in here it seems that the Tengen version is far more popular (although I'm sure the collector's mystique of it adds more to the popularity than the actual gameplay). This is fine, and everyone is welcome to state that the Tengen version is way better. In fact, it's a good thing to do because it may help other people searching this topic to answer their own questions about the Tengen version-- because perhaps they are hardcore Tetris fans or NES collectors. But the main objective is to answer the OP's questions-- so you can state that Tengen is the superior version, so long as you qualify that the Nintendo version is probably a better fit for someone that is just getting into the game (rather than making it sound like the Nintendo version is complete crap and you either buy Tengen or nothing). Because, again, the Nintendo version is the only right answer here.
Examples of dumb posts:
"Tengen Tetris, by a landslide."
"Tengen, 100%."
"The tengen tetris is much better for one huge reason: It has simulateneous 2 player support. That makes it far superior than nintendo's version."
"Tengen Tetris is the superior model."
"Tengen Tetris is far more superior then the Nintendo version, get that one."
Examples of good posts:
Default Gen- "Considering the Nintendo version is about 3 bucks you might as well get that and see if you like it."
Griking
PSerge
And the award for best answering the OP's question goes to..... Bangtango
Congratulations to all of today's winners.
No it isn't the only right answer. If that were the case there wouldn't even be a question, since a question requires at least two options and you used the word "only" implying a lack of choice.
Why don't you stop being a prick and telling people how they have to answer a question that isn't even yours? The OP was looking for advice and he got several forms of it. They are all valid whether you like the form they came in or not.
Bacon, Bacon, Bacon, IT'S BACON!!!!
Right. A question does have two choices. But are you telling me that questions can't have right and wrong answers? Maybe at the school you went to. As for the question asked here, the OP asked because he didn't know the answer. But that doesn't mean that there was more than one right answer to the question.
Right again. I am being a prick. Still, I just think that people should offer good advice or no advice at all. Yes, the topic has shifted slightly as we're now talking more semantics and such so I'm being more of a prick than originally intended. Nonetheless, for future reference, I already know I'm a prick.Why don't you stop being a prick and telling people how they have to answer a question that isn't even yours? The OP was looking for advice and he got several forms of it. They are all valid whether you like the form they came in or not.
Alright, anyways, I've made my point but this is a message board so everyone is going to post retarded no matter what. So since no one is going to learn how to give advice and I've only managed to successfully piss off all the terrible posters here, I will quit now while I'm behind. I realize I went a little overboard in defense of my beliefs, and apologize to all the decent posters out there. I shouldn't have known better than to expect intelligence on a message board. So now I'm done, but feel free to continue telling the OP to buy Tengen Tetris. As Garry Silljo points out, you do have the right to give bad advice, and I apologize for acting like I have any right to tell you otherwise.
I'm sure you'll find the Tengen version for a few bucks someday in a second hand store, lawn sale or thrift store. It will probably be the first and last time you find it in the wild. I wouldn't recommend buying it off of Ebay unless you are dying to get it. I mean the game is so simple and there are so many other versions out there, both good and not so good, including a ton of "clones" that you can download for free off of dozens of web sites. It is even on cell phones and those 96-in-1 brick games. My copy of Tengen Tetris came from a video rental shop that was going out of business and selling all of their NES rentals for $2. What a find that was, certainly a good day for cheap NES games that afternoon I ebayed it awhile back, though
Maybe I have bad taste but I particularly like the music on the NES version of Tetris, especially the default theme.
When the question deals with opinions such as "which version do you think I should buy?" Then yes, I'm telling you that you can't have right and wrong answers. If some one thinks he should buy Tengen Tetris, then that is the right answer for that person. You can disagree with their take, but you can't deny the fact that it is THEIR take and therefore correct and true in their eyes. You think Nintendo is the "right" answer, but unless the OP actually plays both and decides for their own self all we will ever know is that is what you THINK, and not knowledge at all.
Bacon, Bacon, Bacon, IT'S BACON!!!!
Last edited by diskoboy; 06-25-2007 at 08:34 PM.
Great Hera, I didn't realize we were taking the SAT's here. Yee-ikes.
To branch off in a different direction, you might also pick up Tetris 2 (also for NES) for a couple of bucks. That one is great fun too.
"As you traitors roast in your own juices, I will be safely ensconced three miles below the earth's surface, listening to my wax-cylinder player and enjoying a delicious phosphate!"
The guy asked what version he should buy, he even said he was satisfied with the responses that were made and had made his final decision. So again, I really don't see what the problem is here, other than you. You didn't like the way that people answered the question, because you felt it wasn't answered correctly, you're basically telling people that their personal opinion is wrong. If you don't like the way people on here do things, then make your way somewhere else, you're the only person that has a problem with it.
Well, as you guys point out, everyone has a right to their opinion, so I guess according to you all I have a right to my opinion too.
As I said before, I'm done with my ranting, so even if I was an idiot before I'll be the mature one now and end it. So I won't reply to all these posts here. But you're more than welcome to keep them coming-- they're more entertaining than offensive to me.
I'm sure you took the time to go through "all" my other posts. In a select few topics, I do have strong opinions and state them, but that doesn't count as insulting to anyone but you. You're only upset because you were one of the people's posts who I said was wrong earlier in this topic. Fortunately, the mods are not as ban-happy over one trivial misstep by a poster.
However, you're probably right that I was insulting in this topic and I apologized already for that. Now you show me three posts besides this one where I legitimately insulted someone without merit, and I will leave myself. If all I really do is "insult everyone" and I'm such a bad person on these boards, than 3 out of 200+ posts shouldn't be too hard. Right? Try it-- it'll be fun, like a scavenger hunt. Pretty sweet grand prize too.
Last edited by PSXferrari; 06-26-2007 at 03:09 AM.
Note: You said posts, not threads, so you should follow your word due to technicality. So don't go on trying to say you meant threads, it was also a pretty crummy scavenger hunt.
So do I win the grand prize?
Yippie Ki Yay