Fortnite had a great run, and the newly-released Apex Legends is carrying the mantle of battle royale shooters, but let’s face it, the format still feels slightly…empty. Sometimes you can be scavenging for resources for a long while, only to get shot and killed in a few seconds. Then you just do it all again. The battle royale format is great, but maybe shooting games don’t make for the best experience.
Maybe…just maybe…the best way to use the battle royale format is a much simpler, older game.
Tetris 99
Tetris 99 is a real thing in this timeline. A free download on Nintendo Switch, it’s the classic Tetris game with its own take on the battle royale mode, which pits you against 98 other players at the same time.
On top of managing your own game, lines that you clear can be sent to other players in the form of “garbage rows” that clutter up their rows to knock them off their game and potentially eliminate them. It’s really as simple a game as its always been, but with the added pressure of dozens of other players competing at the same time, and with the option to target specific players to send garbage rows to, you can quickly eliminate a top threat…or you could get absolutely bombarded in the blink of an eye.
When the game was announced on February 13th and available for download that same day, it had a slightly memey vibe to it; you could certainly argue that Tetris was trying too hard to hop on the battle royale train that has been so popular these past couple years. But after a few days, it became clear just how much fun and how well-received the format was. The game is fun, addicting, and easy to jump into.
On top of that, there will be periodic tournaments for the game, with the first taking place on March 10th. Perhaps the game that was such a staple of your childhood will be your ticket to esports glory!
