READI? GOH. (Tetris Absolute Grand Master 2)

[CMPXCHG8B]

So I recently discovered Tetris Absolute Grand Master 2 (Plus).

I wasn't aware that anyone made a Tetris game as "pure" as this game. Recent (and past) North American rehashes of Tetris have strayed so far away from the basics that it's kinda pathetic- stuffed with fluffy crap like power ups and psychedelic backgrounds covered in rainbow vomit that make it impossible to focus on the tetrominos through some poorly thought out and semi-transparent playing field/user interface. Most of them deck out at a level that is nothing even remotely comparable to 20G in TAGM2, probably so the same casual gaming masses that subscribe to the latest greatest FPS have a hope of actually feeling like they're getting somewhere in the game. Once upon I time I would have thought I was actually good at Tetris, until TAGM2 rolled around and threw my face in the dirt screaming "UR NAWT GOOD ENUF!".

Anyways.

Upon searching this board, there seems to be no high score thread. So I was wondering, should we start one? How many of you actually still play this game? Both retro and modern don't really seem to mean a whole lot around these parts as mostly everything is blurred and blended together anyways. So I really can't imagine I'm the only person playing this.

Of course my own score is pathetically low (actually, I doubt it even registers as anything worthy of being noted). But I'm kinda hoping that'll change once I actually figure out what the hell I'm trying to do and master zangi moves and such.

So how about it? You guys up for a TAGM2 high score thread?

-CMPX

[Moniker]

Damn. Thanks for letting me discover that I suck at tetris. I'm afraid to go dig up my GB copy and find out I wasn't pwning the way I thought I did as a lad.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Just got the Tetris Grand Master Ace port for the JPN region 360. Have to check it out.

My only experience is playing the Atari Games PCB version of Tetris (that made it's debut in the American arcades back in 1987)...back in the day when the quarter was king. It forced you to try to make each credit last as long as possible. I recall watching some very skilled Tetris PCB players playing the Atari Games Tetris PCB at the local junior college back in the early 1990s, the shapes would literally rain down super fast. Just watching some ace players do their magic was definitely eye-raising indeed.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Despatche]

Oh, another one of these. Yet another reason to have a real Off Topic Scores forum, but no.

TGMA was an attempt by The Tetris Company to screw over TGM (iirc you have to /buy/ the standard TGM rules as DLC). TGM4 is currently canceled. Heboris is dead and Nullpomino reigns (there's also Tetris Online), even when the latter makes 0% sense.

[EIHoppe]

I'm very fond of TGM2P--in fact, I'd say it's probably my favorite Tetris of all.

I'd be up for participating in a high-score board here (id est copypasting my records from Tetrisconcept) but be forewarned that I've been playing for awhile and have a pretty good score (M in 8:32), so I'd probably end up at or near the top of the board unless some of the other Tetrisconcept greats (Kitaru? Rosti?) are also active on shmupsforum.

Anyway, what's your score? Are you making it to 20G yet?

PCEFX: TGM Ace is alright, but it doesn't really have the full feel of the arcade versions (esp. TGM2P)--I'd really recommend playing the arcade version to really get a taste of how the Grandmaster series goes.

[zaphod]

http://tetrisconcept.net/

[zaphod]

Damn. Thanks for letting me discover that I suck at tetris. I'm afraid to go dig up my GB copy and find out I wasn't pwning the way I thought I did as a lad.

GB tetris is considerably easier, especially if your grew up with it.

DOn't be afraid.

[mesh control]

Oh, another one of these. Yet another reason to have a real Off Topic Scores forum, but no.

I've always thought that would be cool, but there has to be a [insert game here] forum where these scores could be submitted.

[CMPXCHG8B]

I've always thought that would be cool, but there has to be a [insert game here] forum where these scores could be submitted.

Stupid question, but wouldn't it be easier to write a forum plugin of some sort to handle high scores like a custom thread- similar to how polls work?

Then you can create a single thread, and people can reply to it and stuff. But there's also the option to submit your score and optionally an image (or a link to an image) for proof. The first post then automatically updates and sorts your entry, and you can click on a "+" symbol or something next to the score to open up the legitimacy screenshot (or a literal picture of the 'cade machine, whatever works)...

Now that I think of it, it just seems counter productive to have a 20 page thread full of single-sentence replies and the occasional image- even though that's what I suggested above.

-CMPX

[Vamos]

Oh, another one of these. Yet another reason to have a real Off Topic Scores forum, but no.

I've always thought that would be cool, but there has to be a [insert game here] forum where these scores could be submitted.

Id still prefer it to be here all under one roof . Mods any chance we can make an off topic scores section happen?

[D]

check out type-x tgm3
it can be played on your (low spec) pc/laptop.
You can even swap the music as it deals with wav files

[null1024]

check out type-x tgm3
it can be played on your (low spec) pc/laptop.
You can even swap the music as it deals with wav files

If you're going the PC route, TGM2 runs fine in MAME, even on a netbook.


Also, I need tons more practice, I grew up playing that Windows 3.1 version of Tetris on the Microsoft Entertainment Pack -- which means I keep pressing up to rotate and the button to drop -- but in TGM, buttons rotate, up drops. Gah!

[Moniker]

Also, I need tons more practice, I grew up playing that Windows 3.1 version of Tetris on the Microsoft Entertainment Pack -- which means I keep pressing up to rotate and the button to drop -- but in TGM, buttons rotate, up drops. Gah!

I kept doing the same, so I remapped the keys so that up=rotate. I don't think I have the kind of reflexes such that rotation direction matters, so all's dandy.

[EIHoppe]

If you want to play it even remotely seriously, you will eventually want to use the default controls (up for drop, three separate buttons for locking). High-speed play relies on all the movement being on the "joystick", where you can fluidly drop pieces in sub-20G through zangi-moves (stick rotations e.g. up to left to down) and you'll need both directions of rotation when you get to 20G to make sure your pieces don't get caught on jagged parts of your stack. Having two buttons for CCW rotation is also very useful for 180 degree flips (usually in sub-20G).

In any case, if we don't want to start a leaderboard here, feel free to post your scores at http://tetrisconcept.net--we're a friendly lot there and always glad to have a bit more activity.

[Kitaru]

TGMA was an attempt by The Tetris Company to screw over TGM (iirc you have to /buy/ the standard TGM rules as DLC). TGM4 is currently canceled. Heboris is dead and Nullpomino reigns (there's also Tetris Online), even when the latter makes 0% sense.

The Classic rotation rules are part of the free update. They used to be an unlock with unknown conditions. The only fucked up thing is that it was a launch title and (I heard somewhere it was because Microsoft subsidized Arika) it handles Xbox Live Gold very poorly -- you have to have a membership and go online to unlock a lot of content for offline play, and some of it (the Promotional Exam and Tetris Road courses, along with the awesome set of Russian folk music remixes by Shinji Hosoe that only show up in those modes) is online exclusive. You can get all of the Tetris/Time Attack modes for offline play, but you have to log in with Xbox Live Gold to submit to the leaderboards...

I bought a copy of ACE for $5 and then accidentally ended up with an extra copy when I bought my j360, and one of them came with a 48hr Live trial that I was able to use to unlock everything in one sitting so I'm not too sore about it, haha.

(Kitaru? Rosti?)

Hahaha hello yeah I'll be taking #1 TAP Master, thank you. B)

In any case, if we don't want to start a leaderboard here, feel free to post your scores at http://tetrisconcept.net--we're a friendly lot there and always glad to have a bit more activity.

Definitely. All are welcome!

I recommend taking a look at J.O's TGM Guide (English rewrite courtesy Villadelfia) -- it's the closest thing to an ST we have for the series at the moment.