10 Proven Tips for Classic Tetris Players

Classic Tetris is commonly used to refer to the 1989 NES version of the retro game. While a true classic, the game has grown in popularity over the last decade. With the Classic Tetris World Championship (CTWC) becoming a global esport tournament, many new and younger players have picked up the game and started practicing.

Here are the Tips for Classic Tetris Players

The world record has been broken several times in recent years, new stars have risen to the occasion, and even a new playstyle known as rolling has been invented. There are several things you can do to improve your game, whether you are a retro gamer looking to get back into the craze or a newcomer looking to make a name for yourself.

While the game is over 30 years old, the intricate mechanics and scoring system can have a significant impact on how good a player you are. Learning how much you can score with a line clear versus a Tetris, how the framerates work and what you can do on each level, and what pieces can spin into what slots are all important skills to have if you want to play at a higher level.

These are just a few examples of the technical knowledge available to you. After all, information is power. If you’re interested, the game’s non-technical history is also quite fascinating.

Tetris is a game about concentration and execution at its core. You must visualize where each piece will go and then transport it there at breakneck speed. Concentration and focus are essential for a good game, regardless of your skill level.

Although it may appear trivial, deep and rhythmic breathing is the best way to accomplish this. You should try to remain calm by taking deep breaths and approaching a meditative state. After all, Tetris is a game about moving past mistakes and later correcting them, so it’s even thematically appropriate!

This is true for all esports titles but watching the best of the best will undoubtedly elevate your own game to incredible heights. This is especially true in a puzzle game like Tetris, where seeing patterns, piece arrangements, and stacking styles of better players will immediately bleed into your own play style.

After watching a few CTWC pros play, you’ll notice patterns in your next game that you wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. Even if you don’t, watching a match or two is a lot of fun.

There are currently three popular playstyles in Classic Tetris: DAS, Hyper tapping, and rolling. Choosing your playstyle in Tetris is an important decision because each has advantages and disadvantages. DAS is probably the weakest because it’s difficult to keep up with faster speeds, but it could be a good choice for slower speeds because it’s less tiring than tapping. For a time, hyper tapping reigned supreme in Tetris, requiring physical effort but compensating with high-speed consistency.

The newest playstyle, however, rolling, is the current top dog. It’s less tiring than hyper tapping but equally, if not more, consistent at higher levels. The fact that the current world record is held and has been held by rollers for a long time says a lot.

While concentration and focus are important in Tetris, you must also execute the plans you devise in your head in very short periods of time, such as a few frames. To do so, you should also work on improving your physical Tetris skills.

If you’re a DAS player or roller, you should work on your timing and rhythm, whereas if you’re a hyper tapper, you should work on tapping quickly and consistently. One of the reasons the younger players appear to be taking over the scene lately is their quick reflexes and reaction times.

When it comes to the physical aspects of Tetris, positioning and a comfortable grip can be detrimental to a high score. Whatever playstyle you choose, you’ll be planning and executing moves in a matter of frames. That is something you can do with a comfortable position and grip.

Towels have been used to clean sweaty hands, feet have been used as leverage while rolling, and gloves have been used to keep the controller from slipping. Of course, in a game that requires concentration and speed, you should try to make yourself as comfortable as possible so that you can focus solely on the game.

Tetris, while essentially a score attack game, also offers some entertaining variations for players. You could try no-rotation, which is where you try to place pieces as they come without rotating them. You could engage in no-next-box activities.

This means you won’t know what the next piece will be and will have to improvise when it arrives. You could try B-type to hone your cleanup skills. Playing these variations can greatly improve your play because they each allow you to focus on a different aspect of a regular Tetris game.

The Tetris community is one of the more wholesome esports communities available. The player base is usually quite welcoming and helpful, possibly due to the nature of the game not involving attacking or stopping the opponent, or the game being such an oldie that the players are either middle-aged or younger people with a retro itch.

Because of the game’s recent resurgence, small tournaments and events are popping up all over the world, making it easy to find a local group of Tetris players to hang out with and learn from. If you want to improve, it’s always fun to have people to compete against who your friends are with.

When you’re just starting out, all this talk about physical exhaustion, grip, technical knowledge, and playstyles can be overwhelming. Tetris, on the other hand, is similar to riding a bike. Even after a break, you will retain your muscle memory and pattern recognition.

You may even play better with a clear mind rather than a full day of grinding. In short, take a break from the game and don’t get lost; get some fresh air, listen to some music, and unwind. When you play again, it will be even more enjoyable!

Tetris is, at its core, a puzzle game with a strong emphasis on speed and execution. One thing all of these things have in common is that practice makes perfect. When you play consistently and try to implement what you learn with each failure into the next game, you will be amazed at how much your score has improved.

There are several ways and methods to practice, but the most straightforward way to improve is to play the game as much as possible. So, start stacking!