Tetris: The Grand Master

released on Aug 01, 1998

The first entry in the Tetris: The Grand Master sub-series, this game plays similarly to other Tetris games, but rather than merely expecting the player to survive indefinitely, it challenges the player to attain the highest level and score they can in the shortest amount of time. The Grand Master series introduced several play mechanics to Tetris gameplay which can be seen today in its sequels and many other Tetris implementations.


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TGM is perfect. It executes a singular vision, one which wraps elegant systems back into a brutal and exacting mission. TGM has what SEGA Tetris (1999) wants, what Tetris Effect (2018) wants: a divine quest through the power of blocks, a psychological lance driven into player's deepest needs, concerns, fears. TGM asserts correctly and triumphantly that the plane of human skill forms -- not place markers stamped on an imaginary passport with graphical flourishes -- the most vulnerable and expressive place to stage a journey. In such a way, Arika achieved the most narratively charged version of Tetris i've experienced. TGM talks to you like a child and lays out a path for you to grow up with it. It is hard as it is forgiving; it is as cruel as it is kind. To a game-liker raised on the bland friendliness of the TTC Guideline rules, TGM stands a living lighthouse calling me to test, taint, better, bury, loathe, and love and myself. Until further notice and more life lived, TGM is Tetris perfected, for once and for all time.

I bought this because I don’t really have anything to play on Switch right now. I’m playing a lot of stuff on PC and 3DS, and I haven’t really bought a lot of new releases on Switch because I’m not exactly too liquid right now! I’ve heard a lot about these ‘Grandmaster’ titles and decided to try one out. The result was me sinking hours and hours almost everyday this week trying to get that top spot on the rankings. I usually try and watch something while playing whatever “““casual””” game I’m playing, however, and what I never seemed to realize was that Tetris requires 100% of my attention when I’m intensely trying to be the very best. A “grand master,” if you will. So intense, however, that I was beginning to get really frustrated as I couldn’t get over a wall I’d found myself at around level 399 with an S2 grade that I could get to around 5 minutes and change. So, I found myself irritable, distracted, and not really doing much else with the free time afforded to me by my being unemployed (and not liquid enough to purchase new vices and addictions). I think I’m gonna hang up the Tetris towel for the next couple of weeks, and when I do pick it up, I think I’ll get into something a little more light-hearted. Like, Tetris DS or something. Hopefully my Switch doesn’t miss me too much.

Excellent! but... let's go better next time

Oh my god I suck at this, but I had a lot of fun cleaning up the trophies. Later TGM games make a lot of improvements, but it's fun to see the simplicity of how the chaos began.

Being the first one, it's a little odd. It's also the easiest apparently. I wouldn't know, they're all hard to me.

at one point or another I tried grinding my way to level 999. It was a real grind but it was an awful lot of fun to see myself improve. I only ended up making it to level 700, and considering the gravity becomes instant at level 500, I'd say thats pretty impressive for me.