5 Things I Wish I'd Known as a Tetris Beginner
Looking back, there were a few crucial things I wish I'd known when I was a Tetris newbie.
Close your eyes and picture the first few rounds of Tetris you ever played. It was a different time back then, a time where you were just discovering your love and passion for Tetris. Now that you’ve become a seasoned Tetris veteran, are there any elements of Tetris you wish you could go back and tell yourself about? Things like T-Spins and the benefits of learning Tetris life skills?
For me, there are quite a few things I’ve learned about Tetris that I wish I’d known earlier on. Below, I’ve put together a list of the top five things I really wish I’d known as a Tetris beginner.
1) How Tetris Helps Organize My Life
Photo Credit: © Olesia Bilkei - stock.adobe.com
Unbeknownst to me, my Tetris discovery would result in a more organized way of life. It wasn’t that I was messy before I fell in love with Tetris, but I certainly had trouble finding the motivation to keep things tidy.
As I improved at Tetris by playing each and every day, I developed new skills that would eventually help me in everyday life. Whether it’s packing for a flight, or trying to neatly stock my fridge after a trip to the grocery store, I couldn’t help but see Tetris everywhere I looked.
If you come over to my house now, you’ll see it in the cupboards, the closet, and even in the basement. Heck, you might even ask how I find the time to keep everything so organized. The answer? Tetris!
2) How to Get Rid of Garbage
Photo Credit: © Ubisoft
When I first got into Tetris, I often noticed an array of grey Tetriminos building at the bottom of my stack but had no idea what they were called or where they were coming from.
After being hit with waves of these grey Tetriminos in multiplayer Tetris and having my stack pushed all the way up to the top, I finally decided to look into the matter so that I could improve my Tetris game. Known as “garbage”, these grey Tetriminos appear in multiplayer games when your opponent performs multiple line clears and combos.
The faster they are, and the higher the score they’re pulling in, the more garbage will be sent your way. Now that I know what garbage is, I can focus on being faster than my opponent, in addition to sending more line clears than they can. This has made me a much better player, and way more competitive!
3) How Catchy the Tetris Theme Is
When you jump into a game of Tetris as a beginner, you’re immediately greeted by the game’s timeless theme song which is a Russian folk tune called Korobeikini. The Tetris theme is undoubtedly one of the catchiest tunes of all-time.
Once I concluded my very first game, I was surprised to find I couldn’t stop humming the tune. It went on to follow me everywhere, and it even helped get me through stressful times in my life. As my love for the song grew, I decided to sit down and learn how to play it on my classical guitar!
Now as a Tetris veteran, one of my favorite things to do is head out and play the Tetris theme to the delight of strangers. I didn’t realize it back then, but every aspect of Tetris really is universal whether it’s the game’s colorful Tetriminos, or memorable theme song.
4) The Tetris Effect
When I first discovered Tetris, I wasn’t aware there was such a thing as the “Tetris Effect” or that I was already experiencing it. You see, after playing round after round of Tetris, the Tetris Effect helped me visualize Tetriminos whenever I closed my eyes. In fact, my brain went so far as to picture an entire Tetris game, Matrix and all!
The Tetris Effect didn’t stop there, though. During my walks around my neighborhood, I’d often spot Tetriminos in everything from gardens to building designs. Furthermore, I’d even dream of slow Tetrimino waterfalls that I could arrange at my own slumbering pace.
If I could go back in time, I’d tell my beginner self that it’s ok to be addicted to Tetris, and that seeing Tetriminos everywhere is not unusual… it’s actually quite fun. Not to mention it helped me up my grocery game, as I found everything can be improved by adding a little Tetris flair!
5) The T-Spin Method
Photo Credit: © Tetris Online
Before I learned about the T-Spin, I’d find myself frantically trying to clear line after line in order to reduce the amount of garbage sent to me by an opponent. While I was doing this, my opponent would often send more garbage, pushing me to the very top of the Matrix. It was at this point that I learned the Tetris Line Clear method wasn’t always the best way to clear waves of garbage. In search of a solution, I discovered the T-Spin method.
The T-Spin is a method similar to the Tetris Line Clear. However, with the T-Spin, you have to create a space big enough for the T-Tetrimino to fit inside and be rotated in order to clear lines. This method definitely requires a lot of practice to get right, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a powerful way to clear garbage.
I still like using the Tetris Line Clear, but when I’m faced with a difficult opponent, you better believe I break out the T-Spin. It’s always an exhilarating feeling to come so close to the top of the Matrix, only to clear it all away in the blink of an eye!
The great thing about Tetris is that you’re always learning and honing your skills, even years after you first discovered the game. If all this talk of T-Spins and clearing lines has put you in the mood to show off just how good you are at Tetris now, click here to play Tetris online!
