Gameplay (6/10)
The premise behind TetriCrisis is deceptively simple. As blocks fall from the top of the screen, you need to arrange them in such a way that they form complete rows across the playing field. As soon as every section of a given row is full, that row will be removed to make room for another row. Incomplete rows will keep piling up, and if you get to the point where the next piece to fall has nowhere to fall - it's basically touching the top of the playing field - the game is over. In TetriCrisis you are provided with seven different gameplay modes to add to the challenge of this concept. The seven modes are: Original Mode, 25 Line Challenge, Time Attack 30, Time Attack 60, Time Attack 120, Garbage, and Crisis+Mode.

The claim is that Original Mode is just like the Gameboy translation of Tetris, and I would say that's probably pretty accurate. Basically Original Mode is a "keep playing until you're bored or your incomplete rows have reached the top of the screen" mode. There is no other way for the game to end in this mode. It's fun for nostalgia's sake, or if you've never played Tetris before, but for long time veterans you'll probably lose interest rather quickly in this "no features added" mode.

25 Line Challenge mode is basically an attempt to see how high a score you can reach before you've cleared 25 lines. In the 3 Time Attack modes, you get the number of seconds specified in the mode's name to clear as many lines as you can. None of these modes really did anything for me. On the Line Challenge mode it would have been nice if you could specify the number of lines yon wanted to go to, and for Time Attack, you should have been able to say how long you wanted to play for. Better yet, combine the two and let me see how many points I can get by clearing X number of lines in Y amount of time, where I lose not only by reaching the top of the playing field, but if I don't get the amount of lines I specified in the time I requested.

The two modes that held my interest the longest were Garbage and Crisis+ modes. In Garbage mode, you always have a certain number of lines at the bottom of the screen that can't be cleared away, based on a setting in the options screen. In Crisis+ mode, every so often a new line is added at the bottom of the screen, prematurely pushing you to the top of the playing field. These two modes at least added new twists to the formula and provided for some amusing play time.

Graphics (10/10)
The graphics are all Tetris. There's not a whole lot you can do with falling blocks that wouldn't seem like you were getting carried away. Special effects are basically limited to flashing either when you've created one or more complete rows that need to disappear or when the game is over. There's a cool background that you can display, but it's pretty well covered by the interface when you're actually playing the game. The on screen controls for playing TetriCrisis with a stylus are simple yet slick, and the presentation as a whole breathes professionalism.

Controls (9/10)
You can either play TetriCrisis with the stylus or the hardware keys. Personally, I found the game much more enjoyable with the buttons. Of course, on my Tungsten E my hands tend to get a bit cramped when using the D-Pad for any length of time, but my brain seemed to relate better to using the hardware buttons. The default configuration is D-Pad left and right to move left and right, D-Pad down to speed up a block's decent, D-Pad up to move the block immediately to the bottom of the screen, and hardware keys 3 and 4 to rotate the blocks counter-clockwise and clockwise respectively. The onscreen controls are presented nicely enough, but I found it difficult to try and manipulate them while also paying attention to what was going on in the playing field. The main thing I didn't like about the control scheme was that the game type was considered an option, rather than made available from the main screen. It was somewhat annoying having to go to the options menu every time I wanted to play a different game type.

Sound (8/10)
As with the visual elements, the audio portion of TetriCrisis is very well done. The sound effects are decent and all fit pretty well with the atmosphere of the game. I really like the sounds when you clear a row or advance a level. As for the music, please take note, Indie developers - this game has some! There are at least 4-5 songs that I've picked out during my time playing this game, and some of it's not too bad. I realize there are a wide range of Palm devices that do not support sound, but for those that do it's nice to have some. Thank you, Silent Hero Productions.

Options (10/10)
In addition to the actual game type you want to play - which is described in detail in the gameplay section - there are a number of additional settings you can configure. You can specify the number of rows that appear at the bottom of the screen when the game starts, as well as the actual level in the game where you want to start. You can toggle the display of the next piece as well as the drop shadow if you want to add more challenge to the game. You can even turn off the background if you want. Sound settings are adjustable, and the hardware keys can be configured to your liking.

Replay Value (6/10)
This is a tough call where TetriCrisis is concerned. Intrinsically there is tremendous replay value. With seven game modes and the ability to adjust the starting level as well as the initial handicap on the number of rows, there's plenty to keep you busy. However, most of the gameplay modes are of limited value, and the rest get repetitive after a while. That's just the nature of a Tetris style game. While there was a time I would have felt there was tremendous replay value in TetriCrisis, any more I'd say it's good for short spurts at best.

Summary Plain and simple: TetriCrisis is Tetris with a few enhancements. There's no denying that the game is incredibly well constructed, and the audio and visual elements are top notch, but in an age where puzzle games more often than not require you to think, it's hard getting involved in one based mainly around reacting to falling, rotating blocks.

The Good

• Aesthetically pleasing
• Technically well constructed
• Garbage and Crisis+ Modes are fun

• The rest of the game is not all that interesting