It's been a mainstay of the Nintendo console for years, from the original, to Gameboy, to Super Nintendo. Now, finally, Tetris is coming to Nintendo 64 - thanks in no small part to a Calgary-based video game content provider.

H2O Entertainment Corp. has been in the game development business since 1995, and it developed its first Nintendo 64 game, Tetrisphere, in 1997. The New Tetris, a 64-bit four-player version of the classic game, was released in August.

"We've been involved with Nintendo 64 since day one, when Nintendo first brought it into the development world," says Michael Tam, president of H2O. "After Tetrisphere, we followed it up with a deal to do more Tetris-like, puzzle-type games. So we've been in the development business for about four years."

Tetris is the Russian puzzle game where players are given odd-shaped pieces, made up of cubes, and attempt to line up the pieces from one side of the game screen to the other. When an unbroken line of cubes is formed, it disappears. When the pieces are stacked to the top, the game is over.

Among the improved features in the New Tetris is the ability to swap pieces. Players can keep a piece in limbo till they desire to use it. By pressing one of the buttons on the controller, the piece in play will be swapped for the one on hold. Tam says this allows players to plan out goals more effectively within the game.

Also in single player mode is a new type of game called Marathon where, through accumulating a certain number of lines, animations of The Seven Wonders of the World are revealed. Once the Wonders are revealed, it gives players an additional background to look at during gameplay.

Four-player mode, meanwhile, allows players to team up against each other by specifying the player to which they send their "garbage lines." Tam says the game also has "a kick-ass soundtrack" to go with it.

Tam says he sees a lot of new versions of classic games entering the marketplace, much like The New Tetris itself. "It's been a good 15-20 years since some of these games were introduced, so we're seeing a whole new generation of game players discovering them," he said.

"I'm one of those guys that'll buy those old games. They're chock-full of game play. We're now parents to kids who maybe aren't aware of these games, but there is some name recognition there. So these game developers see potential in releasing these old games, where parents might see Pac-Man or Centipede and say, 'Oh, I loved those games, I'm going to buy 'em for my kids.'"

Tam says the New Tetris has received good reviews so far, but it's too early to determine any precise sales figures. While there are no retail promotions or bundle deals in the works, Tam is excited about the mainstream attention the game has been getting through contests and advertising.

"We've seen a couple of contests where the game is being given away, and these are beyond just the video games sites," he says. "One example was a contest on Entertainment Tonight Online giving away copies of the game.

"We've had ads on national TV magazine ads in People, Us. So we've broadened the scope, going after a broader audience."

Tam says there may be more contests in the works as well. "We've entertained thoughts about a high-score competition, where we'll give away prizes for players with the highest scores at the end of the year. It's still in the works but we're moving towards that."

Currently, H2O - which employs about 25 people - is developing its first role playing game, in a partnership with Calabasas, Calif.-based THQ Inc., tentatively called NomenQuest. The game, described as a more adult, realistic role playing game, is scheduled for release next year.

COPYRIGHT 1999 Plesman Publications
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group