"I don’t like the square. It’s dumb."
June 18, 2019 7:29 PM Subscribe
Nintendo Life: Tetris Creator Alexey Pajitnov On Tetris 99, Tetris Comics And His Favourite Tetris Piece
Box Brown’s Tetris book really is fantastic. It’s a rare book that can make contract negotiations really exciting while also spending a lot of time on the philosophy of “play” and still keep a coherent narrative.
posted by sleeping bear at 8:19 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by sleeping bear at 8:19 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
I'm quite shocked that the best he's done in Tetris 99 is 3rd place.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 8:22 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 8:22 PM on June 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
omg Tetrisphere! I played the shit out of that game. Haven't thought about it years though. I remember loving the music, but I don't remember the mechanics...too complicated, indeed
posted by Bodechack at 9:46 PM on June 18, 2019
posted by Bodechack at 9:46 PM on June 18, 2019
I never cared much for Tetris beyond the initial obsession when it showed up, but dear God I wouldn't mind having the sheer number of hours I lost to both Tethrisphere and Wetrix on the N64 added on to the end of my days. I shudder to think how much longer I'd live.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 10:03 PM on June 18, 2019
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 10:03 PM on June 18, 2019
This man saved my life.
Tetris, especially when you get good at it, is meditation. I had that first gen Game Boy and the 99 level original cartridge with the rockets and the Cossack dancers at the end. I could play, after a bit of warmup, the "endless" field from start to finish. It clears the mind. You have to focus, become calm, clear your mind. You stop really planning your moves. Some subconcious mechanism that is faster than your reflexes learns to play for you, and you just - there's that loss of self. You become a conduit for movement, and you have to let go of the ego and just exist.
I had a lot of violence around me, when I was a teenager. It wasn't constant enough to be predictable enough to dodge or rare enough to be able to process effectively. Just...a Skinner box of unrewards, the plate under my feet set to random.
So I played a lot of Tetris, because that's what I had, really, but it would let me just...be. I'd get a few hours off the tenterhooks, something calming and clearing. I had other things too - Sir Terry and DS9 and very early Radiohead - but the Tetris was the thing that kept me clear enough to use them. It set the groundwork for me to learn more serious meditation too, later, and that in itself is invaluable.
So thank you, Alexey Pajitnov. I'm glad he still loves his game. I'm glad he knows it's perfect.
posted by Jilder at 10:04 PM on June 18, 2019 [26 favorites]
Tetris, especially when you get good at it, is meditation. I had that first gen Game Boy and the 99 level original cartridge with the rockets and the Cossack dancers at the end. I could play, after a bit of warmup, the "endless" field from start to finish. It clears the mind. You have to focus, become calm, clear your mind. You stop really planning your moves. Some subconcious mechanism that is faster than your reflexes learns to play for you, and you just - there's that loss of self. You become a conduit for movement, and you have to let go of the ego and just exist.
I had a lot of violence around me, when I was a teenager. It wasn't constant enough to be predictable enough to dodge or rare enough to be able to process effectively. Just...a Skinner box of unrewards, the plate under my feet set to random.
So I played a lot of Tetris, because that's what I had, really, but it would let me just...be. I'd get a few hours off the tenterhooks, something calming and clearing. I had other things too - Sir Terry and DS9 and very early Radiohead - but the Tetris was the thing that kept me clear enough to use them. It set the groundwork for me to learn more serious meditation too, later, and that in itself is invaluable.
So thank you, Alexey Pajitnov. I'm glad he still loves his game. I'm glad he knows it's perfect.
posted by Jilder at 10:04 PM on June 18, 2019 [26 favorites]
The VR Version of Tetris (The Tetris Effect) takes that meditative zone up to 11.
posted by Paladin1138 at 4:03 AM on June 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Paladin1138 at 4:03 AM on June 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
If you are curious about all things Tetris, Comedy Central's series 'Klepper' just did an episode on Mars exploration where they talked with Pajitnov's partner, Henk Rogers.
posted by Quonab at 5:38 PM on June 19, 2019
posted by Quonab at 5:38 PM on June 19, 2019
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posted by Doleful Creature at 7:40 PM on June 18, 2019