|| 🚨 UPDATE 🚨 || Yes, there is a Tetris Nano Player and a Tetris Pico Player after all, which makes not FOUR but SIX versions of Tetris! (Links to all models in the description.)
I find the muffled overcompressed voice samples have a charm to it. Feels very like an arcade game from the late 80s to early 90s or a Mega Drive game. I think this would have been much better using an upright screen, though, the actual play area ended up really small, but an upright version could have it fill up over half the screen
I think most people think of the game boy version as the most famous version but one of the weird things about Tetris is it’s hard to pin down what the most original or perfect version is. (Unlike something like PAC Man or Donkey Kong where what you really want the the perfect arcade replication) It was on so many devices. Computers video game consoles etc and they were all different. Different music, different frames etc. there were two totally different versions for NES even made by Nintendo and Tengen.
I think the samples are compressed on purpose. The music uses fm synthesis so it sounds like a genesis or sega arcade cabinet from the mid 80s. And when these vintage devices used samples, they were heavily compressed. So I think it's a stylistic choice more than anything. Nice video as always.
Almost bought this for my 6 year old son who's been asking daddy about Tetris but they lost me when the actual game screen isn't even close to the height of the tiny screen.
They need to reduce costs as much as possible while being accurate enough to be viable recreations of the games, so, and saving high score is probably too much to be worth adding. However, it would perfectly doable to create a phone app that reads a QR code generated by games going forward such it registers the high score in your phone and what game the score is from, which is unlikely to increase cost of production.
What I'd **really** love to see, given the licence connections between them, is My Arcade produce a premium Micro Player of the Atari Tetris coin-op. Now *that* would be an insta-buy. 😁
blah, pass. the screen should be taller, the sound sucks, and the action is annoyingly jerky. they need to smooth out and soften the movement of the pieces, improve the sound quality, and give the game play window some more vertical real estate.
They should have developed the game for the playable area to fill as much of the screen as possible. If you look back at the original Gameboy version of Tetris, the playable area is more than 2/3 horizontal and 100% of the vertical on the screen. Much easier on the eyes. With this version, you get less than 1/3 horizontal and the vertical has huge borders. The device is really nice but it's not for me.
I agree. And now that I got the analogue pocket playing Tetris on gameboy is even easier on my aging eyes. 34 years later and I still love GB version of tetris
Wonder if it's Genesis emulation, and if it could be dumped. Looks and sounds like it. I wish it had some licensed Tetris. There a lots of better ones.
This looks cute n all, but it’s a solid pass for me. Gameboy Tetris (sometimes Tetris DX, maybe Tetris Effect) will always be my Tetris go to. I also appreciate My Arcade indicating what type of rom this is. But I’m still waiting for My Arcade to release something I would like to add to my collection. Is it just me, or are all their products never quite right?
Hey Jon! Once again, you all are best on the web when it comes to retro gaming videos and reviews! Thanks for all you do! Curious, will you review the Tetris Gamer V and compare the models? I agree that the price point is too high just for one game on the Gamer Pro. I got the Atari Gamer Pro and the Gamestation Pro and love them! Thanks!
Thanks for the kind words, Brian. I may take a look at some of the others - depends on what my production schedule looks like. It seems the Micro, Nano, and Pocket have this "custom" Tetris while the Gamer V & Pro Gamer (I think they're called) have some other (older?) version, but also have bonus games. They clock it at only $25-30, though, so quite a bit easier on the wallet.
The actual Tetris vertical play field looks small. Did you have an issues seeing it without squinting? They had space to make the play field A little bigger.
That's true of pretty much any Tetris game. The actual playfield is only about 25-30% of the screen size in order to accommodate all the various widgets. It's no better or worse than any other handheld this size - I always have to wear my reading glasses! 🤓
I just picked one of these up and it's pretty cool. The price is a little steep, but it plays well. The re-mixed Tetris theme sounds good to my ears. Yeah, the voice audio is compressed, but does it really matter? It sounds like the voicework is done by someone who doesn't speak English natively.
I got the Nano and Pico Tetris players by My Arcade and they were made in 2023, but they don't seem to be available anywhere, I had preordered the one on Amazon but it has never been available. Also the Nano Tetris I have has art work not like the ad in Amazon but exactly like the Pico Tetris . I got mine from a toy reseller on eBay.
I'm going to wait for your reviews of the other versions that are out there. I had a handheld Tetris a few years ago with an LCD screen and I knew when I bought it that there was a known issue with the pixels burning out. Sure enough, a couple weeks after I got it, the bottom right-hand corner went out. Any of the bottom corners is not too hard to deal with, but then one went out right smack dab in the middle of the screen. What I did NOT know when I bought it was the company won't stand behind it until 5 pixels go out on it. I bought it from Amazon and they allowed me to return it to them, not the seller. I bought a different one from a different seller and had the same problem so I gave up on handheld Tetris games. Hopefully one of these will catch my eye.
I have a question. I want that Tetris shirt. But I looked at who made it. All their social media is no longer available. So, I'm wondering if they are still selling it. Any idea? RJ
I've been collecting handheld consoles and for the most part the only thing I play is Tetris. The version of Tetris in this seems rather interesting, it's not bad. Although no high scores is pretty ridiculous. I got to say, the totality of this is generally pretty weak. If you are going to make a dedicated Tetris handheld, i woud really go for a vertical Screen. For such a small screen, there's a lot of space being wasted on the background. Buttons are an interesting idea, but the diagonal disposition is a bit weird. i would have gone with a triangle dispositin. Rotates to the botton of the triangle, hold to the top. Heck, this looks like the sort of situation that calls for having different button shapes or sizes. I just think playing Apotris on my Miyoo Mini is going to be a lot better of an experience here. The branding is cute tho.
Imagine if they also added the atari arcade tetris and tetris the grand master, and the original game boy tetris amd the Phillips CD I tetris on one unit 🙂
Nice unit. And the version of tetris looks fine. But, tetris stresses me out. I can’t play it very long. My first memory of it was on my friend’s original gameboy.
@@GenXGrownUp lol yes I'm watching your videos so I'm thinking of you. Actual I was thinking there is a RUclipsr who has an outro that uses a very similar image to the one in the background of that Tetris level.
just from the thumbnail it's gotta be a no. look at the size of the device in his hands. then look at the actual window size on the display you're actually playing tetris on. it uses what? about 15-20% of the screen for the actual game? maybe actually using it's different, but looks like a ton of unused screen.
I feel like the screen shape is wrong for Tetris. the actual gameplay is like 1/4 of the screen. not a fan of that style. and after the game is over it should at least let you enter your name like the original Gameboy version....it's only been over 30 years....
I was going to buy one as a Christmas gift, but nah. It's unbelievable how often they drop the ball on stuff that shouldn't be that hard to get right. I know they've been doing better lately, but still too many misses. Whoever puts the stamp of approval on these should be fired!
There is now a arcade type game for everything 💀 Can't wait for the Minecraft pocket player pro 💀 Or the AMOUNG US pocket player 💀 Or the Roblox micro player 💀
This couldve been so nice, but the screen is too small, game is a bit slow and no highscores is crazy. The design and visuals are very nice tho. Too bad
$40 + custom generic version + no alternate versions + no saves = yikes. Lump all of that in with the annoying voice sample whenever you complete a line and that’s a hard pass from me.
So I was wondering, I happen to also see your Ms Pac-Man Basic Fun vs. My Arcade review from four years ago and you didn't really like either because neither lived up to the arcade game. You do like this one because it's not exactly the same as the original. You're OK with that, it's similar enough and My Arcade admitted this was specifically made for them so it's not exactly the same. It plays well, has some good backgrounds. I have said this as a comment on previous videos, I'm not real picky. If I can pick it up and play it and have fun with it, even if it deviates from the original, I'm good. Instead of comparing maybe inferior ports of say Ms Pac-Man to the original, pretend you were seeing Ms Pac-Man for the first time in those two arcade games, would either of them be fun on their own not knowing the source material? Maybe thinking those sounds were original to the systems? I don't know if that makes sense but I wonder if gamers are just so picky because they're too closely tied with the original. If you want a Pac-Man experience, even if not exactly the same, if you want a Tetris experience, even if not exactly the same, if you want a Space Invaders experience, even if not exactly the same, can they appreciate these games on their own instead of comparing them with the originals? I'd like to see more game reviewers review games like that "I don't like this because this is different and that is different from the original. Well, this Tetris is quite a bit different from the original, different music, sound effects, backgrounds, and this seems to be OK. All this writing and I'm still not doing a very good job of explaining, I guess. Enjoyed the review of this.
I get where you're coming from. For me it has to do with how faithful a game is to the original. The original Ms. Pac-Man is the arcade game - period. What's the original game of Tetris? Game Boy? NES? Arcade? Nope - those were all ports. Tetris started out on text-based computer displays and has had so many different iterations and interpretations that I don't feel any nostalgia for what the "right" version of Tetris is. So in this particular game I'm looking for presentation of the spirit of Tetris. I hope some of this makes sense.
It does. Thanks for fighting through my muddled thought process. I understand where you're coming from. I guess I could never be a game reviewer because while I have played lots of different versions of pac-man and Ms Pac-Man, I generally have fun with them whether they're exactly the same as the original or not. Even the Atari one holds some joy in it despite it being definitively terrible. I think my one big sticking point is lag, You need to have good control to play Pac-Man/Ms Pac-Man. If the control doesn't play well, then that's a deal breaker for me. but everything else, sound effects, maze color, etc. just doesn't really bother me that much. I try to enjoy the game as they are on their own. If I want to play the exact same game as the arcade, I'd find the arcade. When it comes to ports, I can appreciate the differences and still have fun. I mean the Space Invaders Dice Game, I had no idea that even existed until I saw that video just now from I guess 5 years ago. You seemed to like it even though it's not the same as the arcade game. It can't be just based on its medium, pen and paper. You appreciate the differences. I plan on getting one as soon as possible. I try to think of the other ports of arcade games like that. @@GenXGrownUp
|| 🚨 UPDATE 🚨 || Yes, there is a Tetris Nano Player and a Tetris Pico Player after all, which makes not FOUR but SIX versions of Tetris!
(Links to all models in the description.)
What about a Pico version?
@@MrSRArter So many! (corrected)
I ended up getting the handheld Go Gamer version of Tetris. There's only 2 left on Amazon right now.
I find the muffled overcompressed voice samples have a charm to it. Feels very like an arcade game from the late 80s to early 90s or a Mega Drive game. I think this would have been much better using an upright screen, though, the actual play area ended up really small, but an upright version could have it fill up over half the screen
I think it’s because it’s a custom Genesis/Mega Drive ROM they used. I can tell because the music sounds very Sonic-y.
You are literally the only reviewer we can trust for reviews on these devices
Tetris is life.. You don’t believe me? Pack your groceries, pack a car or moving van.
I often sing the theme while adjusting anything piled in a box for best alignment!
I really like the new arrangement of the theme tune and the changing background but a bit expensive for what it is. Great review Jon! Thanks :-)
Awesome review! I composed the music theme for both units :)
Oh, so YOU'RE the one responsible for that tune I can't get out of my head. Thanks a LOT! 😜
@@GenXGrownUp The highest praise for a loop-based composer 😅
Back in the day my TI-99/4A had a Speech Synthesizer. About 100 bucks and plugged into the side of the computer. How far we have come.
Another great unboxing. I must admit I hold my breath every time the X-ACTO knife slides along the cellophane.
Ha! No injuries yet (knock on wood).
I think most people think of the game boy version as the most famous version but one of the weird things about Tetris is it’s hard to pin down what the most original or perfect version is. (Unlike something like PAC Man or Donkey Kong where what you really want the the perfect arcade replication) It was on so many devices. Computers video game consoles etc and they were all different. Different music, different frames etc. there were two totally different versions for NES even made by Nintendo and Tengen.
I think the samples are compressed on purpose. The music uses fm synthesis so it sounds like a genesis or sega arcade cabinet from the mid 80s. And when these vintage devices used samples, they were heavily compressed. So I think it's a stylistic choice more than anything. Nice video as always.
Almost bought this for my 6 year old son who's been asking daddy about Tetris but they lost me when the actual game screen isn't even close to the height of the tiny screen.
The presentation (and the start of the music) remind me a lot of the Sega arcade Tetris from the late 80's, neat
Thanks for the great review! I ordered one of these a few days ago and it came in the mail today. I can’t wait to play it when I get off work!
This is a really nice little version of Tetris. For one game a little pricey. I’ll take a look at the others to compare but it’s a buy for me!
Definitely skipping this pocket player and Micro Player. May opt for the Nano or handheld Tetris. Thinking they used the same version on all of them?
The fact that it doesn't save high scores is an abomination. It's such a beautiful unit but this inability makes it passable
They need to reduce costs as much as possible while being accurate enough to be viable recreations of the games, so, and saving high score is probably too much to be worth adding.
However, it would perfectly doable to create a phone app that reads a QR code generated by games going forward such it registers the high score in your phone and what game the score is from, which is unlikely to increase cost of production.
@@jackmcslay keeping high score for Tetris is a necessity. All other games I get it, but not this one
What I'd **really** love to see, given the licence connections between them, is My Arcade produce a premium Micro Player of the Atari Tetris coin-op. Now *that* would be an insta-buy. 😁
blah, pass. the screen should be taller, the sound sucks, and the action is annoyingly jerky. they need to smooth out and soften the movement of the pieces, improve the sound quality, and give the game play window some more vertical real estate.
And cost to much for what you pay for
Gotcha.
Yeah, this SHOULD be something I would buy but it's just a total miss.
Isnt a weird choice to go with a landscape screen?
They should have developed the game for the playable area to fill as much of the screen as possible. If you look back at the original Gameboy version of Tetris, the playable area is more than 2/3 horizontal and 100% of the vertical on the screen. Much easier on the eyes. With this version, you get less than 1/3 horizontal and the vertical has huge borders. The device is really nice but it's not for me.
I agree. And now that I got the analogue pocket playing Tetris on gameboy is even easier on my aging eyes. 34 years later and I still love GB version of tetris
Wonder if it's Genesis emulation, and if it could be dumped.
Looks and sounds like it.
I wish it had some licensed Tetris. There a lots of better ones.
Maybe it's asking way too much, but I'd have loved some kind of mock "Game Link" type feature. Multiplayer would be sick with or without a cable.
This looks cute n all, but it’s a solid pass for me. Gameboy Tetris (sometimes Tetris DX, maybe Tetris Effect) will always be my Tetris go to. I also appreciate My Arcade indicating what type of rom this is. But I’m still waiting for My Arcade to release something I would like to add to my collection. Is it just me, or are all their products never quite right?
Nice that there is a somewhat affordable Tetris handheld device again... I'm sorry but trying to play Tetris or any game on a smartphone just sucks.
My first time playing Tetris was at a Neighbor's house
My all time favorite background for Tetris was a picture base off of star trek TOS viewer
I bought the pocket player and the micro arcade of these.
Hey Jon it’s Jayden. I’m so happy because I got the Atari 2600 micro player pro from my arcade.
Great!
Hey Jon!
Once again, you all are best on the web when it comes to retro gaming videos and reviews! Thanks for all you do!
Curious, will you review the Tetris Gamer V and compare the models?
I agree that the price point is too high just for one game on the Gamer Pro. I got the Atari Gamer Pro and the Gamestation Pro and love them! Thanks!
Thanks for the kind words, Brian. I may take a look at some of the others - depends on what my production schedule looks like. It seems the Micro, Nano, and Pocket have this "custom" Tetris while the Gamer V & Pro Gamer (I think they're called) have some other (older?) version, but also have bonus games. They clock it at only $25-30, though, so quite a bit easier on the wallet.
Have you already reviewed the Street Fighter II pocket player?
Yes he did make one for the pocket version for sure.
ruclips.net/video/17bKpqxyY0k/видео.html
How many levels does this go up to? I've played some versions of Tetris that only go up to Level 5 or 9.
15 levels I believe
I'm not good enough to beyond that, so I'm inclined to agree with 15. 😁
The actual Tetris vertical play field looks small. Did you have an issues seeing it without squinting?
They had space to make the play field A little bigger.
That's true of pretty much any Tetris game. The actual playfield is only about 25-30% of the screen size in order to accommodate all the various widgets. It's no better or worse than any other handheld this size - I always have to wear my reading glasses! 🤓
Like me some Tetris...but got Game Boy Tetris downloaded on my 3DS already,and that's my favorite version.
I just picked one of these up and it's pretty cool. The price is a little steep, but it plays well. The re-mixed Tetris theme sounds good to my ears. Yeah, the voice audio is compressed, but does it really matter? It sounds like the voicework is done by someone who doesn't speak English natively.
I got the Nano and Pico Tetris players by My Arcade and they were made in 2023, but they don't seem to be available anywhere, I had preordered the one on Amazon but it has never been available. Also the Nano Tetris I have has art work not like the ad in Amazon but exactly like the Pico Tetris . I got mine from a toy reseller on eBay.
For the price, I wish they would have included multiple versions of Tetris such as the GB/GBC and NES versions.
This sounds like a genesis game, considering my arcades Ms Pacman uses a custom genesis rom wouldn't be surprised if it was
The version of Tetris they included in all these variants is...weeeeeeeird!
I dig the Korobeiniki remix in this unit, I want a rip of it!
I didn't know that my arcade made a Tetris poket player
I'm going to wait for your reviews of the other versions that are out there. I had a handheld Tetris a few years ago with an LCD screen and I knew when I bought it that there was a known issue with the pixels burning out. Sure enough, a couple weeks after I got it, the bottom right-hand corner went out. Any of the bottom corners is not too hard to deal with, but then one went out right smack dab in the middle of the screen. What I did NOT know when I bought it was the company won't stand behind it until 5 pixels go out on it. I bought it from Amazon and they allowed me to return it to them, not the seller. I bought a different one from a different seller and had the same problem so I gave up on handheld Tetris games. Hopefully one of these will catch my eye.
I have a question. I want that Tetris shirt. But I looked at who made it. All their social media is no longer available. So, I'm wondering if they are still selling it. Any idea?
RJ
Yep, looks like that design was removed. 🥲
@@GenXGrownUp I just bought 3 shirts and a pillow.
RJ
Love your work, vintage gamer here. Like this handheld but the play area on screen is too small and the wrong axis. But cute.
Thank you for watching! 😀
Large beautiful screen but such a small play field
I wish the background was smaller and the game screen was larger.
I've been collecting handheld consoles and for the most part the only thing I play is Tetris.
The version of Tetris in this seems rather interesting, it's not bad. Although no high scores is pretty ridiculous.
I got to say, the totality of this is generally pretty weak. If you are going to make a dedicated Tetris handheld, i woud really go for a vertical Screen. For such a small screen, there's a lot of space being wasted on the background.
Buttons are an interesting idea, but the diagonal disposition is a bit weird. i would have gone with a triangle dispositin. Rotates to the botton of the triangle, hold to the top. Heck, this looks like the sort of situation that calls for having different button shapes or sizes.
I just think playing Apotris on my Miyoo Mini is going to be a lot better of an experience here. The branding is cute tho.
You're right for the price it should have been better. The samples sound like a direct pcm output to a class d amp.
Imagine if they also added the atari arcade tetris and tetris the grand master, and the original game boy tetris amd the Phillips CD I tetris on one unit 🙂
It’s not bad, but I think I’ll skip this one. The Data East model looks ok. Might grab the new Ever cade hand held for $60.00.
Nice unit. And the version of tetris looks fine. But, tetris stresses me out. I can’t play it very long. My first memory of it was on my friend’s original gameboy.
10:49 does anyone want to guess what RUclipsr I'm thinking of?
Is it GenXGrownUp?
@@GenXGrownUp lol yes I'm watching your videos so I'm thinking of you.
Actual I was thinking there is a RUclipsr who has an outro that uses a very similar image to the one in the background of that Tetris level.
@@bland9876 Ahhhh. 😉 That neon landscape is used pretty commonly in lots of places as a shorthand for, "THE EIGHTIES!"
@@GenXGrownUp kind of reminds me of the movie Tron.
Could we have the link to the Gameboy shaped one ?
Sure. See the list of links in the video description.
@@GenXGrownUp Thanks 😃
Just checked my Gameboy. Thought I had Tetris but only have Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Land 2. Bummer.
Actually, there are S shaped pieces in Tetris. They're the red, "reversed" Z pieces
Actually, those are lightning bolt shaped. (You know what I meant!) 😉
just from the thumbnail it's gotta be a no. look at the size of the device in his hands. then look at the actual window size on the display you're actually playing tetris on. it uses what? about 15-20% of the screen for the actual game? maybe actually using it's different, but looks like a ton of unused screen.
I feel like the screen shape is wrong for Tetris. the actual gameplay is like 1/4 of the screen. not a fan of that style. and after the game is over it should at least let you enter your name like the original Gameboy version....it's only been over 30 years....
I was going to buy one as a Christmas gift, but nah.
It's unbelievable how often they drop the ball on stuff that shouldn't be that hard to get right. I know they've been doing better lately, but still too many misses. Whoever puts the stamp of approval on these should be fired!
There is now a arcade type game for everything 💀
Can't wait for the Minecraft pocket player pro 💀
Or the AMOUNG US pocket player 💀
Or the Roblox micro player 💀
This couldve been so nice, but the screen is too small, game is a bit slow and no highscores is crazy. The design and visuals are very nice tho.
Too bad
Tetris!!
$40 + custom generic version + no
alternate versions + no saves = yikes. Lump all of that in with the annoying voice sample whenever you complete a line and that’s a hard pass from me.
Probably wouldn’t pay $34 to play tetris because it is $24 as a gamer v portable with 200 other games
So I was wondering, I happen to also see your Ms Pac-Man Basic Fun vs. My Arcade review from four years ago and you didn't really like either because neither lived up to the arcade game. You do like this one because it's not exactly the same as the original. You're OK with that, it's similar enough and My Arcade admitted this was specifically made for them so it's not exactly the same. It plays well, has some good backgrounds. I have said this as a comment on previous videos, I'm not real picky. If I can pick it up and play it and have fun with it, even if it deviates from the original, I'm good. Instead of comparing maybe inferior ports of say Ms Pac-Man to the original, pretend you were seeing Ms Pac-Man for the first time in those two arcade games, would either of them be fun on their own not knowing the source material? Maybe thinking those sounds were original to the systems? I don't know if that makes sense but I wonder if gamers are just so picky because they're too closely tied with the original. If you want a Pac-Man experience, even if not exactly the same, if you want a Tetris experience, even if not exactly the same, if you want a Space Invaders experience, even if not exactly the same, can they appreciate these games on their own instead of comparing them with the originals? I'd like to see more game reviewers review games like that "I don't like this because this is different and that is different from the original. Well, this Tetris is quite a bit different from the original, different music, sound effects, backgrounds, and this seems to be OK. All this writing and I'm still not doing a very good job of explaining, I guess. Enjoyed the review of this.
I get where you're coming from. For me it has to do with how faithful a game is to the original. The original Ms. Pac-Man is the arcade game - period. What's the original game of Tetris? Game Boy? NES? Arcade? Nope - those were all ports. Tetris started out on text-based computer displays and has had so many different iterations and interpretations that I don't feel any nostalgia for what the "right" version of Tetris is. So in this particular game I'm looking for presentation of the spirit of Tetris. I hope some of this makes sense.
It does. Thanks for fighting through my muddled thought process. I understand where you're coming from. I guess I could never be a game reviewer because while I have played lots of different versions of pac-man and Ms Pac-Man, I generally have fun with them whether they're exactly the same as the original or not. Even the Atari one holds some joy in it despite it being definitively terrible. I think my one big sticking point is lag, You need to have good control to play Pac-Man/Ms Pac-Man. If the control doesn't play well, then that's a deal breaker for me. but everything else, sound effects, maze color, etc. just doesn't really bother me that much. I try to enjoy the game as they are on their own. If I want to play the exact same game as the arcade, I'd find the arcade. When it comes to ports, I can appreciate the differences and still have fun. I mean the Space Invaders Dice Game, I had no idea that even existed until I saw that video just now from I guess 5 years ago. You seemed to like it even though it's not the same as the arcade game. It can't be just based on its medium, pen and paper. You appreciate the differences. I plan on getting one as soon as possible. I try to think of the other ports of arcade games like that. @@GenXGrownUp
Even my chinese brick game saves high scores and has more Tetris variants and this has not. What a theft.
Not for me.😢
I will stick with the original GB edition and Tetris 99.