4 – Tris
Here it is, the very first homebrew game for the Intellivision! This is such a classic game for the system that it has actually been released in four different versions (Philly Classic and Non-Philly Classic in white boxes, IntelligentVision with new box and overlays; and LTO with another revised box and overlays). 4-Tris, as you can probably guess from its name, is an adaptation of Tetris.
Tetraminos (seven different kinds of pieces made of four blocks each) fall from the top of the screen and you must reorient them and lock the in position at the bottom of the screen in order to complete lines. As you complete lines of blocks, these disappear and give you points. If you start leaving gaps, the blocks accumulate until you can no longer lock pieces in place to form lines, ending the game. Though the premise of 4-Tris is simple, it is a highly addictive game that just makes you come back for more. Music plays in the background as you work hard at aligning all the pieces to achieve the high score. Though the graphics for 4-Tris are simplified when compared to the original Tetris, they work well. The control is responsive and the experience is just plain fun. You do get to choose what level you start on by pressing numbers 1-9 on the keypad or you can run a sound test by pressing zero. 4-Tris also has a couple of Easter eggs to add to the fun. One of them has a message from Joe, the maker of the game, and the other is a bonus game, Pong!
TrekMD is an MD by day and a writer by night, a lover of all things Atari.
You can visit his ramblings on Twitter at:
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