Steve Cochrane

Here’s a simple rule for all makers of electronics: if your device is capable of playing Tetris (i.e. it can handle a few hundred pixels, has some kind of directional control and at least one button for rotation) you should have Tetris on it.

Everyone loves Tetris. Everyone. Have you met anyone, ever, who doesn’t like Tetris? I haven’t. Hell, Moms everywhere love Tetris. It’s terrific for its pick-up-and-play appeal, just as good for five-minute rounds as longer sessions. It’s super simple to program, with no logic involved whatsoever, and the graphics are just blocks.

Seems like a no-brainer to me. Apple, being the smart company that they are, recently put games up for sale at the iTunes Store, one of which is Tetris. The iPod controls are not ideal for games, but hey, it’s there, ready for you whenever you’re stuck in a line somewhere. So get it together, electronics industry.

When I was in fourth grade I even had a Tetris watch that I ordered from the back of some cereal box for a whole five dollars (and proof of purchase of course). Until my teacher told me to keep it at home, I was the most popular kid in class (if you provide Tetris to people, they love you). Here’s a picture of it that I found on Wonderland: