Legendary Tetris creator announces the arrival of his game to Nintendo Switch Online

Nintendo just announced that two versions of the classic video game Tetris are now available in its Nintendo Switch Online service. However, this trailer is quite different from usual because it actually features the legendary creator of the iconic original.

Alexey Pajitnov, the game designer and programmer who created Tetris back in 1984, unexpectedly appeared in this endearing video that Nintendo posted on its official social media accounts. In it, he explains that 2024 marked the 40th anniversary of his creation and, to celebrate, two great versions of it are now available on Nintendo’s online service.

First, there’s the popular NES port, which the company added to its respective NSO catalog. This was one of the most popular versions of the game, even though Pajitnov confirms that it wasn’t available on any other system since 1989. Secondly, Nintendo also added Tetris DX to the Game Boy catalog, an enhanced colored port of the original Game Boy version that the Big N released back in 1998 for its successor, the Game Boy Color. The best thing about Tetris DX is that it features online multiplayer, so you can play against your friends anywhere.

Tetris has always been important for the Nintendo brand

Screenshot via Nintendo of America/YouTube

Pajitnov thanked all fans around the world, claiming that they are all part of his game’s legacy “for the past 40 years and into the future” and concluded this brief but incredible announcement by encouraging everyone to keep playing Tetris. This legacy is truly fascinating, seeing as the history of this game is a convoluted mess that involves patents, legal battles and the Soviet Union. Apple Studios even released a biographical film based on these events back in 2023.

After all the problems that Tetris had to go through, it is always nice to see Pajitnov once again, still happy to promote his revolutionary game and encourage more and more people to keep experiencing it. While not a Nintendo exclusive, the gaming giant released multiple exclusive ports on many of its systems, which helped it attract a bigger audience.

As Pajitnov said in the video, NES Tetris and Tetris DX are historical video games, and they were most people’s introduction to this classic title. And if that wasn’t enough, Nintendo kept making and releasing many high-quality ports throughout the years, like the excellent Tetris DS or the unique Battle Royale, Tetris 99, which to this day is still receiving constant updates.

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