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Blox
.: By:
Mike :: Device
used: iPAQ
H3650
:: July 16, 2000 :.
Blox,
by Applian Technologies, is a free Tetris
game which works on just about every Windows CE or Pocket PC device there is.
That, unfortunately is about as good as it gets.
For a start, to actually download the game in
the first place, you need to join Applian's
mailing list. That in itself is merely a small annoyance - it only takes a
single e-mail to remove yourself. Unfortunately, the actual game is somewhat
disappointing.
For starters, the presentation can only be
described at best as basic, and even that is being on the generous side. Don't
expect amazing visuals - the game is for the most part monochrome, despite the
fact that the buttons are red and the background pattern includes a pale green.
For some reason, the actual blocks themselves are all black - not even a pattern
variation to make things slightly more pleasing to the eye.
All this would quickly be forgiven if the
gameplay was up to scratch. Sadly, it isn't.
Question: What's the only sure-fire way to
ruin a Tetris game?
Answer: Make it unresponsive.
Yes, even on my iPAQ,
the fastest device around, the response time was horribly slow - the pieces just
didn't move quickly enough to make me feel that I had a reasonable level of
control. One plus point is that the joypad was supported (both for piece
movement and rotation), although there are also on-screen buttons for those who
prefer - or are forced to - use the stylus.
The game includes three levels, Beginner,
Intermediate, and Expert. The only difference that I could see
between these levels is the starting speed of the game. The gameplay offers no
surprises - it is a standard Tetris affair which, were it not for the control
problems, would be no bad thing.
I find it hard to be overly critical of a game
which costs nothing. However, Blox
is a massive letdown in that its shortcomings are both too glaring and
fundamental to ignore. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, alternatives are
few and far between.
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.: Game category:
Tetris Games :: Reviews
Index :.
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