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Tetris, Genesis 'TV Game' Devices Detailed

Posted by simoniker on from the surreal-controllers-101 dept.

Thanks to Spong.com for its report on the announcement of Radica's new Tetris 'TV game' device, to be launched in the UK alongside previously mentioned Sega Genesis and Taito all-in-one devices. Apparently, "The [oddly designed] Tetris unit comes with two specially designed controllers containing several variants of the classic Russian puzzler: Tetris, Battle Tetris, Garbage, Timed and Hotline", and in addition to this, the previously-confirmed Genesis 'TV game' is "...fueled by the 16-bit pleasures of Sonic, Golden Axe, Altered Beast, Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Flicky and Kid Chameleon."

30 comments

  1. oddly designed by antizeus · · Score: 3, Funny

    I wonder how much testing they did with that square joystick. Looks painful.

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    -- $SIGNATURE
    1. Re:oddly designed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Actually it almost makes sence... you have your four directions... and twirl the square thing to make your block rotate. Fairly simple... no buttons needed.

    2. Re:oddly designed by gmhowell · · Score: 1

      Probably not much more painful than the original NES and 2600 joysticks.

      A friend had either a 5200 or a 7800. One of them had absolutely awful controllers as well. The first tolerable controller I remember was the Sega Genesis controller.

      --
      Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
    3. Re:oddly designed by TheAlchemist · · Score: 1

      Neither the 5200 or 7800 controllers are that great. The 5200 controllers were highly prone to failure, the analog joysticks were not self-centering, and the fire buttons were awkward to use. Atari moved back to digital sticks with the Atari 7800, but these seem to have been designed more for aesthetics than ergonomics, as many people find them uncomfortable to use for any length of time. Between the 2600, 5200, and 7800, only the original CX-40 Joystick has really stood the test of time.

    4. Re:oddly designed by gmhowell · · Score: 1

      It must have been the 5200, as I do remember thinking the non self-centering meant it was broken, until he corrected me. I also remember those awful stacked fire buttons.

      The CX-40 may be useful today, but clearly, the 2600 joystick is iconic.

      --
      Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
    5. Re:oddly designed by SnoBall · · Score: 0

      Sales of medical supplies are expected to go up this season.

      Too bad it is only in europe. :(!

      --
      Don't eat me ... *looks at nickname* ... okay, eat me.
    6. Re:oddly designed by gamgee5273 · · Score: 1

      How much movement do you need for Tetris, though? The abiltiy to move the piece to either side and to make it turn... I think the controllers look just fine.

    7. Re:oddly designed by drinkypoo · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The first "tolerable" (some might say excellent) controller is that of the NES. While it was decidedly non-ergonomic in shape, all controls can be reached comfortably by people with hands of any size, plus it has four buttons and one of the best D-pads ever created by mankind.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    8. Re:oddly designed by coaxial · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Probably not much more painful than the original NES and 2600 joysticks

      The NES didn't come with a joystick, it had a joypad. Later Nintendo simultaneously came out with the Max (similar to a joypad, but used a sliding tab instead of the standard cross rockers), and the Advantage (a joystick and large buttons making a reasonable standup controller facsimile).

      The 2600 had a true joystick. It wasn't painful at all. In retrospect, a stiff, but not painful.

      Now in the interest of full disclosure I did hurt my hand on a 2600 controller before. I was playing Defender all day everyday one summer when I was 6 or so and I got a blister on my left hand from sticks base slightly rubbing the webing between my thumb and forefinger. I didn't stop playing though. My mom gave me a a white glove to wear, so I made like Michael Jackson and kept playing for as long as I could. I loved Defender, because I was really, really, really good at it. (reaching levels beyond 100 was routine.)

    9. Re:oddly designed by cmpalmer · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The best 2600 (and, subsequently, C-64) joystick was the Wico Command Control. I've still got one that I don't want to get rid of even though I don't have anything to use it with.

      Maybe I'll use it for a Mame controller...

      --
      -- stream of did I lock the front door consciousness
  2. heh by no-arg+constructor · · Score: 2, Interesting

    it really shows just how one simple game, still after all these years, sill has replay value. tetris is a rare game that to this day has me twitching in fits that i can't place the t block where i want it to go. 7 simple geometric shapes still rule the puzzle game landscape. its just amazing what a following this game has after all these years. i STILL love tetris!

    1. Re:heh by brunson · · Score: 1

      Like the Soma Cube, the best puzzles are the simplest.

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      09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0
      Jesus loves you, I think you suck
  3. That's one freaky-ass controller by stuph · · Score: 1

    I wonder how you go about turning the pieces? Moving them left and right, along w/ dropping them down makes sense, but I don't see a "flip" button anywhere...

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    --Less Thinkin', More Drinkin'...
    1. Re:That's one freaky-ass controller by brunson · · Score: 1

      I think twisting the knob would be the most intuitive interface.

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      09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0
      Jesus loves you, I think you suck
    2. Re:That's one freaky-ass controller by stuph · · Score: 2, Funny

      ouch

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      --Less Thinkin', More Drinkin'...
    3. Re:That's one freaky-ass controller by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the only problem is, most men can only play tetris 2, 3 times a day tops using this setup.

    4. Re:That's one freaky-ass controller by MasterDirk · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I think pressing the up direction is the normal way.

      But I do see how a z-axis turn on the stick ("twisting the knob" is just too much of an invitation...) would be best, since the controller sort of looks like a tetris-board.

      --

      "Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

    5. Re:That's one freaky-ass controller by Black+Hitler · · Score: 1

      Yep, that's it. From IGN:

      The controllers are unique "Tetromino" designs, complete with twisting action to rotate the pieces in the direction that the user indicates.

  4. Dude! by brunson · · Score: 1

    I love Golden Axe!

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    09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0
    Jesus loves you, I think you suck
  5. Rotate the red bit? n/t by misfit13b · · Score: 1

    n/t

  6. Mandatory Penny Arcade strip by (trb001) · · Score: 2, Funny

    Fitting Penny Arcade strip. Yet Another Tetris Product.

    --trb

    1. Re:Mandatory Penny Arcade strip by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jeez people... let it rest with the PA links.

      Why is it that every single news story that is posted here has to have some sort of Penny Arcade link to it? Meh.

    2. Re:Mandatory Penny Arcade strip by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not to mention the Rez trance vibrator. If there something that gets repeated more then PA it has to be that.

  7. As with any retro product... by lightspawn · · Score: 2, Informative

    It may look cool, but we'll have to reserve judgement on whether it's actually worth owning (or giving) until we can tell how accurately the games are reproduced.

    P.S. Also available: Spongebog squarepants. Guess which part of his body is the joystick!

  8. The Genesis Device? by S.+Baldrick · · Score: 5, Funny

    Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!!!!

    1. Re:The Genesis Device? by paulcammish · · Score: 1

      Yea, and you wouldnt believe how many planets they went through beta testing it...

    2. Re:The Genesis Device? by badfrog · · Score: 3, Funny

      You forgot the link!
      http://www.khaaan.com

  9. Tetris info by bigbigbison · · Score: 1

    More info on the new game can be found at Firebox.com (link courtesy of matteo bittanti's blog).

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    http://www.popularculturegaming.com -- my blog about the culture of videogame players
  10. Colony 7? by British · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Nice to see Colony 7 is included with the Space Invaders pack. It's tiresome to see the same set of "popular" 80s arcade games over and over and over and over again in emulator packages.

    Consider the fact that in my MAME directory ther's over 1800 games, many of them obscure arcade games forgotten over time. Mind you, I think a 3rd of them are just Space Invaders clones from 1979.

  11. Welcome to your DOOM!!! by elasticwings · · Score: 2, Funny

    Because of this video. I can never look at Altered Beast the same.