A new listing on Nintendo's Japanese website suggests that a physical edition of the Nintendo Switch Online exclusive game Tetris 99 will soon be available to purchase.
The listing shows a 'boxed edition' which is scheduled to release on 9th August for 3,148 yen before tax (approx. $29 / £23). It includes the main software, "additional content" which can be played offline - which we would assume is the $9.99 Big Block DLC, and a 12-month subscription to Nintendo Switch Online.
Considering Tetris 99 is arguably one of the biggest selling points for the all-digital Switch Online service, it seems rather odd to have a physical version knocking about. Saying that, we're sure collectors wouldn't mind adding a copy to their shelves given the chance. A western release for the game hasn't yet been confirmed.
Of course, the price of a 12-month membership and the Big Block DLC works out at the same price as this bundle, so if you're after both of those things, this is actually a pretty neat way to go.
What do you think? Do you hope this physical edition makes its way over to the west? Let us know in the comments.
[source nintendo.co.jp, via twitter.com]
Comments 25
Still haven't played it, and probably wont as I see Tetris as a relaxing game, bringing in the competitive part has put me off it
Not interested personally, there's only so many times I can be utterly destroyed by better players before throwing the towel in - although that applies to most online games for me. Will be great for collectors if it makes it here though.
If I put the game on my bookshelf will all my Switch games disappear?
@Bunkerneath
Tetris was never relaxing. I wouldn't recommend it If you have high blood pressure.
The online sub must be doing really well if they're practically giving it away with copies of Tetris and Mario Maker 2. Not to mention the freebies that come from twitch subs. The annoying thing is they'll claim that 'so and so numbers have signed up' and 'it's been a massive success' when in reality they've had to give away a lot of yearly subs to cover over the fact that no one wants to be tied to the online ecosystem in this way. I fully expect that Nintendo will lock my Mario Maker levels behind the paywall and to keep them online I'll have to keep paying them a service charge year on year.
@Old-Red “I fully expect that Nintendo will lock my Mario Maker levels behind the paywall and to keep them online I'll have to keep paying them a service charge year on year.”
So what you seem to be saying is that you’ll have to keep paying them for a service to be able to use that service. Server space isn’t free. I don’t see the problem here. Please enlighten me.
As I already have a family plan (like many people), I'd rather get a physical version for say 19,99 without the subscription card.
I love this game and play it quite regularly. It's perfect for short 10-15 minute sessions!
But I have no need to buy a physical copy.
@Moroboshi876 I'm fairly sure this is a boxed code, not a physical edition.
@chardir Most probably. Then I'm not interested. Just will look for the eShop with the best price and download the DLC. I guess it's South Africa, too bad there isn't any price comparison website for DLCs.
@Lordplops At times the online is indeed very crushing, it almost seems like you get ganged up on. I've literally started a new game and been wiped out in seconds. I enjoy playing the computer and winning.
@Lordplops @Bunkerneath I have the DLC and have almost stopped playing the online matches since then. The marathon mode is what Tetris is for me.
I'm not sure, but it sounds like it might be a shelf package that does not include a game card, but codes to redeem for the DLC and online subscription service.
@Aneira Actually Tetris Effect (PS4) is quite relaxing. But Tetris 99, not so much. Both are perfectly fine, though.
@San_D agreed, always my favourite way of playing it, since the good old GB days
@San_D Agree 100% tho I don't have this one, Puyo Puyo Tetris, I 4 get my score but I just wanted 2 reach 100K (I think it was anyway), so u wud recommend this DLC? , Wat about vs 100 (cpu) ? Is that fun ?, I'm not a huge fan of this Tspin story as I prefer 2 play "straight up" Tetris without that funny stuff lol, old school...
@beazlen1
So, what you saying is that Nintendo make a game where we make all the content for them and do the majority of all the hard work and them getting the luxury of charging us for the pleasure is fair?
My argument is that it would be unfortunate if they held our uploads and progress to ransom by demanding to we stay tied to their lackluster online. Hopefully they won't do this.
@Lordplops haha Marathon mode, marathon mode, marathon mode...legendary...I knew it...
Between this and Super Mario Maker 2 (and the numerous free trials and cross-promotional giveaways) I'll probably have no need to subscribe.
And I was thinking about how neat it would be if this had been issued a physical release (though I hadn't considered that it would happen) as I've been yearning a bit for a more traditional Tetris experience. If there is to be a western release, I hope they make it known as I would hate to import when I can support the local release.
@Sim1 I'm afraid I haven't tried CPU Royale, but can try in some time. I bought the DLC to play Marathon as it was cheaper than getting Puyo Puyo Tetris, and I don't really like the Puyo Puyo aspect of the game at all. If you are after Marathon, this DLC is an easy recommendation.
@Old-Red I don’t see why the sub wouldn’t be required. I doubt they’d “hold it ransom” though, that’s a LOT of server space dedicated to people with lapsed subscriptions that will have stages sitting ransom. It’d be more likely that they simply delete the stages off their servers (possibly with a small buffer, like 30 days, to give people a chance to resubscribe). If you get a new subscription later, you’ll have to reupload them, though they could at least easily have it marked that you beat the stage already (assuming you didn’t edit it) so it would be a quick upload.
The point of server costs would be irrelevant if Nintendo kept data on the servers for people who aren’t paying to use them. So holding them ransom would be silly. If you aren’t paying, then you aren’t entitled to server space. On the chance that they leave the stages uploaded when your sub runs out, they’ll still let people play them because locking potentially good stages out from other players can cost them more money than the creator’s tiny subscription cost. There’s very little chance they’ll keep them online and just make them inaccessible.
It's likely a physical cart. The page calls out the 12 month subscription as being a code, and that the subscription code will be written on a piece of paper... so if everything was codes they'd probably say that.
'Boxed edition' is just a confusing machine translation for パッケージ版, ordinary term used for a physical version.
And yep, the "Complete Pack" Season Pass it comes with is the Japanese name for the Big Block DLC.
As for Mario Maker... Didn't Nintendo already delete unpopular levels after some time on the WiiU version? The Switch version could be the same way.
Id love a physical version to come to the west, personally
Man they should had just sell it to us physically for 99 cents. That would had make the title a little more sense.
@Kienda Hahahah good one!
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