Carrying on the Tradition

Every genre of computer games has its hard-core fans. But it is always hard to find games that appeal to the general audience. A winner in this area has been Spectrum HoloByte. Starting with its original “Tetris” game, the company has produced a generally appealing series of “Tris” games. Now comes an update of “Tetris Classic” and a new “Super Tetris” edition.

Originated by a Russian researcher, the series is built around a theme of gently falling objects that must be arranged in a logical order to clear the screen and gain points. Sounds simple and not really much better than “Pac-Man.”

The reality of these games, however, is much like playing an eternally regenerating jigsaw puzzle. You assemble a series of simple shapes into a proscribed order; the puzzle disappears and another takes its place. You must put the new puzzle together--faster and with new assortment of the same shapes.

“Tetris Classic” is the same game as the original with updated graphics, new sound effects, music and a competitive mode feature. In “Super Tetris” you get demolition tools to help you correct mistakes; you must clear away a pile of rubble to reveal completed graphics before moving to additional difficulty levels; and you get hidden treasures and traps buried in the pile of rubble. It is also available in a Windows version.

While the company still has a few things to work out to achieve a consistent installation process, the games show well with their new technologies. They could turn even the most casual players into hard-core gamers.

Super Tetris Tetris Classic

Rating: * * * * (Super Tetris)

Rating: * * * (Tetris Classic)

IBM and compatibles; 640K RAM; hard drive required for VGA; sound cards optional. List: $49.95 (Super) and $44.95 (Classic).

Computer games are rated on a five-star system, from one star for poor to five for excellent.