September has been a strong month for Xbox games on Windows Phone, especially given the scarcity of titles in previous months. Six-Guns, The Sims FreePlay, and Angry Birds Star Wars II have all debuted as free or 99 cent titles. Now we can add another free to play game to that list with Tetris Blitz from Electronic Arts.
Tetris Blitz is a fast-paced two minute version of the classic puzzle game. It runs on Windows Phone 8 devices (including those with 512 MB of RAM). Head past the break for plenty of gameplay details and Store link!
Not your grandpappy’s Tetris
Tetris has always been a puzzle game mainstay, so what makes this version special? Tetris Blitz was designed from the ground up for mobile play. Instead of marathon gaming sessions, games of Blitz last for two minutes at a time. It’s a mad race to earn the highest possible score within that time and hopefully outdo your friends.
Adding to the excitement is the new Frenzy mode. Rack up enough points to fill a meter and you'll enter Frenzy mode. With Frenzy active, you earn twice as many points and have extra cascading opportunities. It also makes four-line Tetris matches harder to pull off though. Getting a Tetris increases your score multiplier, so you’ll need to balance everything all out to get high scores.
Quick controls
Touch-screen controls and Tetris haven’t always mixed very well. Yes, it’s a puzzle game, but one that involves rapid movements and the need for precision. Thankfully EA created a smart control system for Blitz. The game automatically highlights several locations to put each falling piece. Players can either tap one of those locations or cycle through them with the Cycle button. No need for virtual sticks here!
Power ups and IAPs
Complete games of Tetris Blitz to earn coins. These can then be spent on power-ups. These provide effects like removing random lines from the playing field, showering blocks onto the field, increase the score multiplier, add extra time, and more. You can take up to three power-ups into a match, greatly increasing scoring potential.
Not every power-up can be bought with coins, though. Several must be unlocked via In-App Purchase (IAP). Blitz does have a ‘Power-up of the Week’ feature in which one premium item cab be used several times for free. The weekly power-up can be permanently unlocked at a discount, should players fall in love with it.
Yes, Tetris Blitz offers numerous In-App Purchases. Players can buy coin packs in various sizes, unlock power-ups, and more. We’ll have a full In-App Purchase evaluation next week along with our review.
Time to Tetris
Whether you’re a diehard Tetris fan or never acquired a taste for the game, Tetris Blitz is worth a download. It’s great to see another Xbox game from EA, especially one that all Windows Phone 8 users can enjoy. Give it a try and let us know what you think!
- Tetris Blitz – Windows Phone 8 – 32 MB – Free – Store Link
Thanks to Kyle S and Faisel B. Ahemed for the tip!
