Tetris (NES, Nintendo)

Tetris
Also known as: Classic Tetris (Tetris Effect: Connected) Developer: Nintendo R&D1 Publishers: Nintendo, Hyundai (KR) Platform: NES Released in US: November 1989 Released in EU: February 23, 1990 Released in KR: 1990 Released in AS: 1990 This game has unused code. This game has unused modes / minigames. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused music. This game has regional differences. This game has revisional differences. This game has a Data Crystal page

Nintendo's Tetris for the NES is the system's third port of the famous puzzle game created by Alexey Pajitnov, following those of Bullet-Proof Software's Famicom port and Tengen's unlicensed NES port, and is by far the most well-known of the three.

In 2024 the game would be added to the Nintendo Switch Online service.

Unused Sprites

An airplane and helicopter can be found among the ending sprites. These aren't used in any of the endings of the game.

They do have valid sprite indices, and can be made to appear via hacking. To see the airplane, use Game Genie code AUYZLY (US version) or ALAXSA (European version) and finish a Level 0 B-Type game. To see the helicopter, use the code TOYZLY (US version) or TPAXSA (European version) instead. The helicopter skids are cut off in-game due to a programming error and are thus unused, but the main and tail rotors are nicely animated.

To do: When using the code TOYZLY or TPAXSA above, the palette of the helicopter does not match the image above.

(Source: Applying Artificial Intelligence to Nintendo Tetris, Qalle (the codes))

Unused Music

US	Europe

The first track in the NSF is unused, and was presumably intended for the title screen (which is normally silent). It can be heard by setting RAM address $6F5 to 01 at any time. Alternately, use Game Genie code PEIAZI (US version) or PESAZI (European version) to replace music type 1 with this track.

The European version doesn't play the song correctly, meaning the notes go out of sync. In particular, the drum track is faster than it should be.

Two-Player Mode

Setting RAM address $BE to 02 (or using Game Genie code ZALAPP) activates an unfinished two-player competitive mode, a rather surprising omission that was present in Tengen's rendition. The basic rules are in place and garbage attacks are fully implemented, but there are numerous issues:

A-Type setup/high score screen is missing a large chunk of tiles. Both game types have empty high score tables. Standard 1P mode screen layout is always used (no 2P mode layout exists in the ROM). Next piece displayed in wrong location. Colors are glitchy. Music alternates between fast and slow when one player nears the top of the playfield. Crashes to copyright screen when game is over (uses invalid pointer table index 09; maximum is 08).

Leftover Demo Recording Code

The game has an unused subroutine that records the player's input for use in the gameplay demo. This subroutine is activated when $00D0 in RAM is set to $FF. However, since the game tries to write the captured inputs directly to ROM ($DD00-$DEFF), it doesn't work correctly on actual NES hardware or unmodified emulators. This area may have been mapped to PRG-RAM during development, similar to Dr. Mario.

(Source: Applying Artificial Intelligence to Nintendo Tetris)

Regional Differences

European Version

The European version has cheats not present in the North American version. To activate the cheats, hold Select while a piece is landing. In A-Type, you get 10,000 points. In B-Type, you get "Success" and instantly finish the level.

Version Differences

3-in-1 Super Mario Bros. / Tetris / Nintendo World Cup

An official multicart released exclusively in Europe and Australia featuring Super Mario Bros., Tetris, and Nintendo World Cup.

This release of Tetris is nearly identical to the original European version, with one change.

Tetris	3-in-1 Super Mario Bros. / Tetris / Nintendo World Cup

The high score table in A-Type changes the name for the default top score from "HOWARD" to "------". This may have been because "Howard" referred to Nintendo of America consultant Howard Phillips, who had left the company in 1991.

(Source: Original TCRF research)