Tengen Tetris (Prototype B)

Tengen Tetris (Prototype B)
Build name N/A Dump status Released, redump needed Dumped by Steve Lin Released by Hidden Palace File release date January 1, 2022 Origin EPROM cartridge Labels N/A Game Tengen Tetris System NES Genre Puzzle Final build JP Unreleased EU Unreleased US N/A Release date JP Unreleased EU Unreleased US May 1989

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A prototype of Tengen Tetris for the NES.

Notes

• Has a different and more basic-looking intro screen, with a more basic logo. The menu music is different, using a theme that was never heard in the final game.
  • There are no fireworks on this screen, in this version.
  • In the copyright text, "(C)1987 ACADEMYSOFT-ELORG." begins with a "TM", in this version.
  • The copyright text also shows "(C)1988 TENGEN." instead of "(C)1988 TENGEN".
• The screen border is visually very different, and is green and red instead of blue.
• The main menu has a different logo to the one used in the final, notably including "TENGEN PRESENTS" above it.
  • The differences in the Tetris logo also carry into the gameplay HUD.
• The autodemo is not properly recorded yet, so the demo places all the blocks to the left of the screen, quickly resulting in a game over.
  • The main menu music continues into the autodemo rather than the demo being silent.
• The only options on the main menu are "1 PLAYER" and "2 PLAYER" - there are no cooperative or versus computer modes.
• The menus - aside from the title screen - are missing their licensing info.
• There are no handicap or music menus, and only two tracks (Bradinsky in 1 player mode, Loginska in 2 player mode) play in-game.
• The HUD at the top of the screen in the menus is wider than in the final game.
  • Additionally, the rows are "HIGH SCORE", "SCORE" and "LINES", rather than "SCORE", "LINES" and "LEVEL".
• The menu sound effects differ from the final.
• The blocks all have a different look, with each block being represented by a unique pattern. The blocks look much more primitive than they do in the final as they lack defined borders or a 3D design.
  • The block stats on the right half of the screen do not feature images of the blocks underneath; instead, they're identified by that respective block's unique pattern.
• The "STATS" text is lower than it is in the final.
• The "HIGH SCORE" is set to 0 by default instead of 17000, and the high score in the HUD is placed a bit differently to how it appears in the final.
• The "PAUSE" text does not have a red border around it, in this version.
• The "GAME OVER" text has a blue border instead of a red one.
• There are no Russian dancers or bonus screen each level increase - instead, the game continues as if nothing important had happened.
  • Also, the level increases every 10 lines, instead of every 30.
• Blocks hold the same colour and pattern when they drop, rather than changing to a different colour like they do in the final.
• The block dropping sound differs from the final.
• Blocks often cannot be turned when they are pressed against the wall.
• There is no high score screen after gameplay.
• Score numbers for individually placed blocks are always white instead of appearing in multiple colours.
• Lines clear instantly without any visual effects.
  • Unlike Prototype C, when multiple lines are cleared they all disappear simultaneously, like Prototypes A and D.
  • They also do not show text indicating how many lines have been scored ("SINGLE", "DOUBLE", etc).
  • The blocks do not clear from left to right as they do in the final, instead all blocks in a row clear simultaneously.

Screenshots

• 

  Title screen

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  Main menu

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  Main menu

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  Autodemo

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  1 Player

• 

  1 Player

• 

  2 Player

Files

File	Type	Date	Size	Comment	SHA-1
Tengen Tetris (Prototype B).nes	ROM file	2000-03-20 01:08:02	40 KB	ROM file.	d41e4981ce5b6c58ed73b31c2510d95af950d563

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Frank Cifaldi at the Video Game History Foundation and the anonymous donor for this part of the lot! A huge thanks to Hwd45 for researching this prototype!

See also

• New Years 2022 (January 1, 2022)
• The Cutting Room Floor (TCRF)
• Internet Archive (IA)
• Video Game History Foundation (VGHF)