Admission is free...

My eyes water and ache. My head pounds painfully in time with my heart. My fingers; they tremble and shake. I have become irritable. The time has come to admit it, publicly for all to see. I am an addict, but I have no shame. Look, ye readers, what has its claws into my very soul:



This game, released in the 1980's from the former Soviet Union, is easily one of the most addicting games I have ever played. And I do mean EVER. Since hooking my Nintendo up, I have enjoyed playing many NES games I haven't played in years. However, now that I have been (spoiled by...) playing modern games with advanced AIs, I find that many of the games I used to enjoy more can be beaten through pattern recognition, muscle memory, and constant repetition (thus lowering the overall fun level of some games). Not so with Tetris...

If you are unfamiliar with Tetris (how many of my generation isn't...), the point is to drop blocks (every shape composed of four square blocks...) to eliminate lines of blocks to reach your goal. The beauty of the game is every time you play it, it is different. It's like you build a puzzle while, at the same time, you undo it. It requires great hand-eye coordination and quick thinking. AND IT'S SO DAMN ADDICTING! If there never was a 'Tetris Anonymous', there really should be. Even in today's realm of modern games, I know few others that I would play for hours and hours and hours like Tetris. Super Smash Bros. maybe, but Tetris is so simple a game. It's perfect...

My family and I, back in the day, would have Tetris competitions every so often. Let me tell you, we can be a competitive bunch. Thankfully, it's all in good fun. But the thing I loved about our family Tetris time is that we would always turn off the sound and put on The Alan Parsons Project (usually The Instrumental Works). If you don't know them, look them up (This post is about Tetris, sucka!). Beyond enjoying APP, Tetris would speed the music up once you reached the top, throwing you off your game (Dad would get so mad...). Also, since APP usually has a good beat, it was ideal for playing the game. As a result, I can't help but think of Tetris when APP is on. Thanks Dad...

If you've never played it, you are missing out. Then again, if you haven't played it, you don't have the addiction inside you. As a kid, it was almost embarrassing to be in a Pizza Hut, just staring at the in store console because you didn't have a quarter on you. Think about that: I wanted to PAY to play a game I already owned. Now THAT is addiction. Thankfully, weening is a process I think that, with time, I can truly be free of it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go play some Tetris...