While this isn't my "preferred" version of the game, there's no denying the Game Boy produced the most widely recognized entity of the medium-defining title. Tetris is one of the few video games to enter the vernacular of the average American household. Like, if you know somebody who doesn't know Tetris, they're either lying or they just probably suck. As easy as it would be to phone this writeup in without anyone giving a shit, which is what the expectation is I'm sure, I don't think that would be appropriate. Truly, Tetris is a gift. A brilliant understanding in game design to mimic this very life itself. A never-ending ascension we can merely manage, never allowed to ignore the end resting at the top of the well.

I am a high anxiety person. Always have been, even well into my career as a mental health therapist. It's part of my routine to be concerned about something throughout the course of a day. This isn't anything bad for me, it's just something I've had to learn to be comfortable with. I used to not do so well with it. There was a period where I would sometimes be crushed with it for days. I tried to do a lot of things. Some of them helped, but I don't think anything helped more than getting into Tetris. Through Tetris, I found a way to focus, hone in, and relieve my worries for however long I needed it to.

I didn't start with GB Tetris. In fact, I never played this version until it came to Switch. And, y'know it holds up. Sure it's among the most basic iterations of the game, and I do miss some of the QoL features in later renditions, but it plays familiarly and works exceptionally. I'm sure there's a certain level of intimacy I'm not getting without that small, dark, monochrome Game Boy screen. It still holds that meaning. To carefully make the proper choices. To stay calm and adapt when you make a mistake. To learn when to take risks and when to play it safe. It's a constant conversation of learning and living, all with only a dpad to move and two buttons used exclusively for spinning a piece. 5/6