tengen tetris VS. Nintendo's tetris

[Nero 99]

A freind of mine has tetris for the nes that he's willing to sell to me but I know that tengen made a teris as well so i was wondering if anyone has both versions could they tell me which one should i buy : nintendo's or tengen's?

[Parpunk]

i would say nintendos version looks way better, plays better, and would be my choice. plus its cheaper. Although the tengen version has some cool features too like 2 player co op, (both players play together on the same tetris grid) But the colors are just plain. If your a fan of tetris id say get both. :-) hope this helps

[DefaultGen]

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[diskoboy]

Tengen Tetris, by a landslide.

[theora]

Tengen, 100%.

[Damaramu]

I guess I'm in the camp that thought Tengen's Tetris was way overrated. My vote is for the Nintendo version.

[PSXferrari]

Hey Nero 99. Welcome to DP-- first thing you need to know is that almost no one here can read or think. Intelligence here is far higher than most message boards, but nontheless, it's still a message board. You asked "Which Tetris version should I buy?" and all except for a couple are answering the question, "Which Tetris version is a better game?" Wrong question guys.

To answer the question that you actually asked-- get the Nintendo version. Unless you're a seriously hardcore Tetris fan, you are hardcore into collecting for the NES, or you have a ton of money to just throw around for games, then there is no reason to get the Tengen version. Plus, right now you got a friend who will probably sell you his Nintendo copy for a couple dollars. If you're going after Tengen Tetris you will definitely be using the internet and paying $20-$40, and probably on the middle or higher end. If you fall into the categories I mentioned before, than go for it. But if you're just looking for some quick, fun Tetris action, the Nintendo version will satify and is the right fit for you.

Plus, if your friends selling it cheap, than why not buy it from him? And if you really get into it then you can consider paying Tengen's price for more action.

[Nero 99]

Thanks for the replys> from what it sounds like nintendos looks better but tengens has better features. ill get the nin tendo one for now then by a tengen one as soon as i find it.(for a good price that is)

[NESaholic]

Tengen Tetris is far more superior then the Nintendo version, get that one.

[carlcarlson]

It sounds like you've made your choice, but I'll add my vote for the Tengen version (if you've got the money of course).

[DefaultGen]

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[suppafly]

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

[exit]

I would say buy the Nintendo version from your friend, then when you have the spare money, pick up the Tegen version. It's always nice to have different variation of Tetris at hand, since it is one of the best puzzle games ever created.

Hey Nero 99. Welcome to DP-- first thing you need to know is that almost no one here can read or think. Intelligence here is far higher than most message boards, but nontheless, it's still a message board. You asked "Which Tetris version should I buy?" and all except for a couple are answering the question, "Which Tetris version is a better game?" Wrong question guys.

You continue to criticize the board, over very trivial things mind you, yet you still choose to post here. When someone asks which version they should buy, telling them which is the better version helps them make the decision, so I don't see how that won't help him make his final decision. If you're going to nitpick over every little thing, please make your way to GameFaqs, I'm sure you'll feel right at home there.

[PSXferrari]

You continue to criticize the board, over very trivial things mind you, yet you still choose to post here. When someone asks which version they should buy, telling them which is the better version helps them make the decision, so I don't see how that won't help him make his final decision. If you're going to nitpick over every little thing, please make your way to GameFaqs, I'm sure you'll feel right at home there.

No, no, no, exit. I think your just being over defensive of DP here. I wasn't criticizing DP-- in fact, I was complimenting it by saying that the members here are a step above other message boards. I go to message boards because I enjoy engaging in the dialogue-- especially when there is disagreement (like right now). DP is certainly the best board I've ever come across and it's the only one I use right now. I believe the benefit of this site is that the majority of people are mature adults (perhaps myself being the only exception). Nonetheless, DP is still a message board. And by definition it's going to have people who can't read and post like idiots. For example-- recommending Tengen Tetris over Nintendo Tetris to this person.

And I'm sorry but you're wrong-- telling them which version is better is not the correct way to answer the question. The way you answered was correct, which I would summarize as: "Tengen Tetris is better, but buy the cheap one from your friend first and make sure you really like it-- and then go for Tengen." The incorrect way is how most other people are answering this guys question: "Tengen Tetris has 2-player. It's way better. Buy it instead."

The problem with that is that is doesn't answer the question because it doesn't take into the person who asked the question. It only takes into account which version of the game YOU think is better and which YOU would buy. But that's not the question that was posed here. So if the guy listens to these dumb responses, he might spend $40 on Tengen only to realize he hates it or doesn't play it enough to justify the price, when he could have spent under $5 on the Nintendo version and came to the same conclusion at a much cheaper price. Now, are you going to tell me that that's good advice? Because right now by disagreeing, all you're saying is that we should misanswer everyone's questions and offer terrible advice. Personally, I'm not for that and that's why I said something. Sorry if I was a bit of a jerk about it but I'm going to say something if I see it.

[DigitalSpace]

IMO:

Nintendo's Tetris: best single player
Tengen Tetris: best multiplayer

[Oobgarm]

And I'm sorry but you're wrong-- telling them which version is better is not the correct way to answer the question.

If you want to argue semantics, take into consideration that the OP did NOT specify what they wanted to know. They didn't ask about multiplayer, music, or graphics. They just wanted to know which one they should buy. There was nothing about 'which has better features' or 'should I buy the cheaper one first'. People will interpret non-specific questions differently and answer them in such fashion.

We're telling them what features we enjoy about each of the individual games, and they can use that data to form an opinion of their own. Some of us may be more opinionated on the matter, which leads to 'buy this instead'. But the OP does have a mind of their own and can make educated decisions based on information they have gathered.

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.

[k8track]

Another fact to consider is that the Tengen version is found on a lot of multicarts, including the Super Joy/Power Joy/whatever-it's-called 76-in-1 plug and play bootleg joystick (looks like an N64) controller. So if that happens to be a cheap option and you want to give the Tengen version a try (my favorite of the two versions), go for it.

[Griking]

Since the Nintendo version is as common as dirt and will probably only cost you a buck or two you should purchase it regardless which is the better version. The Tengen one as others have said has two player mode but generally costs a lot more. But to answer your question I guess my answer is to get both if you can find the Tengen version for a reasonable price.

[bangtango]

How many people have a buddy that is on call to engage in a two-player session of Tetris at any given moment? I've never had that luxury. As a result, the Nintendo version of Tetris is perfectly fine. What is the point of split screen play if most folks may be able to use it only one or two times a year?

This is what the OP needs to know.

-Nintendo version of Tetris: gray cart and a good, solid version which happens to be worth a couple of bucks or so.

-Tengen version: black cart, has an added two-player mode that a lot of people will never use (see above), otherwise it is the same type of game as the Nintendo version but it happens to be priced at $20 or above depending on the seller.

Truth is, you should be able to get both the NES Nintendo and Game Boy versions of Tetris for under $10 and those are the only versions you will ever need. If you like collecting high priced items, then go ahead and grab the Tengen copy. But if your main interest is gameplay and not collectability, then you may be a little underwhelmed paying upwards of $30-40 (again, depending on the seller) for an NES puzzle game.

[Flashback2012]

If you want to argue semantics, take into consideration that the OP did NOT specify what they wanted to know. They didn't ask about multiplayer, music, or graphics. They just wanted to know which one they should buy. There was nothing about 'which has better features' or 'should I buy the cheaper one first'. People will interpret non-specific questions differently and answer them in such fashion.

We're telling them what features we enjoy about each of the individual games, and they can use that data to form an opinion of their own. Some of us may be more opinionated on the matter, which leads to 'buy this instead'. But the OP does have a mind of their own and can make educated decisions based on information they have gathered.

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.

I could've swore that the Tengen version was released first then pulled because Nintendo worked out a deal with Elorg to publish the game, thus kicking off the whole removal of Tengen as a 3rd party publisher for Nintendo and the switch to the black cartridges.

I prefer the Tengen version simply because it's the closest to the arcade version. I would say buy the Nintendo made one simply from a cost standpoint and then later on pick up the Tengen version if you have the desire to see what all the fuss is about and have the disposable income.

Oh and hey, first post! Been lurking here forever, figured I'd post sooner than later.