One of the more surprising announcements during the recent Switch-focused Nintendo Direct was the reveal and of Tetris 99 - a battle royale take on the classic tile-matching puzzle game originally created by Russian video game designer and engineer, Alexey Pajitnov.
If the name wasn't already enough of an indication, this recent release is a free multiplayer game exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, where 99 players verse each other in Tetris until just one person remains. As exhilarating as this experience is, it's the only mode on offer in the game right now.
According to dataminer OatmealDome, Nintendo has plans to update the game in the future with three new modes:
"Team Battle": Two giant teams clash. Be on the winning side!"
"COM Battle": "Battle against 98 bots. Defeat the machines!" (supports both 99 Battle and Team Battle)
"Marathon": score attack -> 200 lines or endless
The dataminer also mentioned how Nintendo would host in-game events in the standard mode, where players would receive rewards:
"Also, as announced by Nintendo, there will be in-game events in the standard 99 Battle mode. There will be some sort of reward given out, but I'm not sure what. (To be honest, I'm not even sure what is special about an event yet.)"
Have you tried out Tetris 99 yet? What is your highest placement? Would you like to see new modes added? Tell us below.
[source old.reddit.com]
Comments 73
not sure why Nintendo just won't license a no-frills Tetris game, and sell it on the eshop for $15.
but no whatever it's fine.
Is Marathon going to be a single-player mode? I hope I can play it offline.
Ok so they are making a fun game even better this game is hard to put down.
The best battle royale game just keeps getting better.
My highest placement is 21 so far. Not bad considering im terrible at Tetris. Some games are over in a heartbeat. lol
More modes would be great, the team one sounds awesome.
And I was happy to come in at 40th place.
@MasterGraveheart I think so. The mobile version of Tetris has a mode called "Marathon", and it's basically just regular single-player Tetris.
@btedgeworth Right. That'd be something I'd totally be down with, a simple pick-up-and-relax version of the classic Tetris on my Switch beyond just Puyo Puyo Tetris, which is great, don't get me wrong, but I have that on a card and I'd like something more on-board my Switch, y'know?
I’m honestly bored with hearing about data mines. Until these games/modes are actually released, they’re basically worthless fluff pieces.
Just downloaded and played this. Finished a close second in my second match. Fun stuff!
Can't wait for sandbox mode
People who Datamine ruin all the surprise.
@MasterGraveheart exactly what the game needs IMO. Battle royale is great fun though.
TETRIS 99 GAME OF THE YEAR BABY!
Thats good to know there are offline modes coming. As great of a game it is, I have no idea how long these lobbies are going to stay healthy before people get bored and move on. Least the bots can emulate the feel of the main mode.
@BanjoPickles At least we actually got to know what those modes are, unlike Smash Ultimate which is basically getting a 3.0 update while showing nothing of what it would entail.
This is genuinely, unironically fantastic. I may or may not have wasted this entire evening playing it. I suck at it, but at least it's fun.
I think the highest I have gotten is fifth. I get in the top ten fairly often but I sure start to panic at that point. Not sure if I should be more strategic on who I am attacking or just trying to survive at that point.
I'm so addictive to this that I couldn't stop playing and hearing about new features coming is a blessing.
I really it but i'd honestly like to play with my friends in the same match, especially for something like team.
edit: yes I know, its tetris but its more so the cohesive experience i'm after when say a friend saves himself from the brink and or loses and so on.
This is the Apex and Fortnite killer right here.
Really enjoying this so far, the best I've managed to finish is 11th. When you make it to the last 50 and the music speeds up it gets really tense and gets the heart pounding.
I've found that if you take your time and build up lines slowly you tend to stay in the game longer. You kind of stay under the radar and avoid being targeted by other players where as if you clear all the lines very quickly the other players seem to attack you more.
There's obviously a fair bit of luck involved either way but that's my take so far
This is the killer app, they should of used this to launch the onlijne service.
@Mailman Clearly stated it was online only.
@ilikeike Snap, it's the killer app. This should of been used to launch the online service.
@Delibheel I wonder how long it will take to get note blocks.
Dear Nintendo Life, PLEASE stop putting what data miners [may have] found in the title (or subtitle) of the article. Let the people who don't like surprises click away and read the article.
"where 99 players verse each other"
I didn't realise it was a poetry competition.
This game is pretty hardcore. I barely got to 47th.
@Beatley82 Poetry Battle Royale? Sounds a bit like Doki Doki Literature Club.
35 is my highest.
Mario. I’m number 1
They need to allow to you to play with friends and join their group. Saying that if one of you gets knocked out early doors it could be a bit of a grind for them to wait until their friends finish. The least they can do is give us leaderboards between friends.
Best finishes have been 11th and 2x 12th. Just can't break into that top 10!
Sorely missing the one/two player offline mode and I’d pay for it! How can you not have Tetris in your library! And where’s Dr Mario???
Solo player against machine or even better classic version mode. Yes please
On my second game I reached number 2. Then I reached 86...this is an addictive game! More modes the merrier
I'm not a dataminer and I knew it was happening.
@kurtasbestos if you look at the stat screen, there are already provisions for new modes.
The stat screen seems to indicate more modes will come, such as some kind of solo mode, and as addictive and thrilling as this game already is, there does seem to be some things missing such as friend-intergration and so on.
My highest placement is #2 but only once.
Sounds good, it'd get me back into it. Once I placed 1st in a match, I was pretty much done. Didn't see much point to the level grinding and it would just be more of the same. So yeah, more modes could be nice.
@GeeEmm 21 for me too. Quite promising!
@Mailman Buy Puyo Puyo Tetris.
TETRIS 99 is very addicted as well, Im so very happy. And YOSHI did it pretty great job on demo version.
I managed first last night after about 25 games. It got too fast in the last few seconds and half the board filled before I knew it, I only just won as I was only a line or 2 from the top. Took me a while to notice that it shows on screen what the right stick does and now I regularly get KOs. Love this game.
The bit about the events that they've datamined was already been announced in the Switch news section, so that at least gives some credence to the rest of the datamined info...unless they've just copied it from that news item.
@ilh For me, I'm Top #10 places on Tetris 99 play over and over again rematch. I Love Tetris 99. But too much pressure on Navigation button keys.
I managed to get a 7th place finish but I was only focusing on my own board. I haven’t worked on any attacking yet
I played 3 quick matches and then the song was stuck in my head for the rest of the day
Another interesting note about the game is that it let me play online, using my phone as a hot spot (much like Fornite), where as Splatoon 2 doesn’t let me
I don’t understand/enjoy the Battle Royale elements of these game. I don’t want to have to ‘attack’ others or them attack me while I’m trying to play the game. Just give me a 99 multiplayer version of normal Tetris ...
Would be nice if they made it so you could get into a game with friends.
@ottospooky
Just don’t bother with the Attack options. Play it to hang in as long as possible and it’s what you’re requesting. Each time you get 2/3 it’ll just put lines on a ransom players screen.
@Beatley82
I have Puyo Puyo Tetris, the online mode is pretty dead and this was before Tetris 99 was released. Marathon mode isn't endless unless I've missed something. I may very well have as i haven't touched the story just playing solo. I also haven't played a single game of Puyo Puyo
I might be an idiot, but I can't get my head around the battle royale aspect to be honest. Still massively enjoying the Tetris though, cos... Tetris.
Reached #10 in first game, 16th in second game. Really nice idea, funny game. But single player mode would be welcome
Kinda sucks you can't play with your friends though.
@Welshland You have missed something.......in options you can turn endless mode on for Tetris marathon.
@MysticGengar There is no way I have 98 friends.
I love Tetris! The main reason I bought the switch in the first place. I did get a few times 1e but most second. Also updates would be great~
@Beatley82
Oh i have searched the options and couldn't find it, maybe I wasn't looking hard enough lol
I will take another look later today.
Do you have to complete the story for this to unlock??
@Beatley82
You don't need 98 friends as you are battling randoms
@Mailman There isn't going to be one. The point of the game is you playing 99 other people online, hence Tetris 99. You need to play just 'Tetris'
@Burning_Spear I finished 2nd my 2nd too!!! And won on my 6th. Great for a five minute break
@Beatley82
It wouldn't be that hard to NOT fill the whole room, or at least fill it with randos.
I too have datamined the same info about events... from the News channel. Much skill. Very data. Wow.
@Welshland No you don't need to have even touched the story.
Main menu > solo arcade > challenge > marathon > pick character > select 'settings' > switch endless to on, to play beyond 150 lines > confirm and play
Adding classic Marathon mode, and Com battle for practice for the real deal should have been there immediately, vital to learning the game and enjoying it for even more people. Add this soon please.
@Beatley82
Cheers for the info, I did look whilst on lunch and again couldn't see it, i must need these 43 year old eyes checked
Edit: I was looking in the main option which is why I couldn't see it. My old eyes are fine after all
@Welshland haha no problem, glad you found it. To be fair to you the menus aren't brilliantly laid out on that game are they, it's all a bit convoluted.
@Beatley82
No the lay out isn't great at all but it does it's job
Was playing the TETRIS EFFECT weekend trial on my PS4 last weekend all I kept thinking was how I wanted an official TETRIS on Switch. 4 days later TETRIS 99 was announced and launched. No I get a Marathon option supposedly in the future and a bot-mode for training (queue EYE OF THE TIGER)? I am quite the happy gamer.
This game is surprisingly fun! I am glad they are going to continue supporting it!
Oh good, hope one of those modes allows for local 2-player vs. or even taking another player or 3 online with you vs. others
This game desperately needs some solo content because a portable game is useless if it is online only.
So far, I've been in 1st place 7 times.
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