Tetris just got a battle royale game. It's called Tetris 99, and as of right now you can get it on Nintendo Switch for free, provided you're a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber.
Ok. That was a lot. Deep breath.
Tetris 99 is exactly what it sounds like: a 99-player game of Tetris where only one player emerges victorious. You play solo, and it looks and feels just like Tetris, but there's a competitive twist. If your blocks reach the top of the screen, you're out of the match, and as Tetris 99's newly minted Nintendo eShop page explains, "you can target opponents by sending them Garbage Blocks" which disrupt their placement.
I'm assuming those garbage blocks tie into the commands featured in the game's screenshots, like "Badges" and "Attackers" and "Randoms." How do you attack in Tetris? What's a badge? Do the garbage blocks have low self-esteem because we call them garbage? I have no idea. I'm still trying to answer another question: how did Tetris, of all things, get a battle royale game?
Just last week, we pondered what would make for the perfect battle royale game. It turns out we were all wrong. This is it, buddy. I mean, sure, you don't pick up random gear and fight to the death inside an ever-shrinking safe zone, nor are there any bushes to hide in or even speak of, but Tetris 99 is Tetris battle royale and nobody is going to tell me otherwise. Apex Legends is the best battle royale, you say? Make that the best battle royale shooter. There's a new king in town, and it's got blocks.
We may need to add this to the list of reasons we love Tetris after all these years.
