Tetrinet

Download: tetrinet.zip

Tetrinet is a multiplayer tetris variant. On this tetris variant, two players must compete, trying not only to clear lines, but at the same time, attack the opponent with Block Powers! Just don't say I didn't warn you: this game is extremely addictive.

This incarnation of Tetrinet is programmed for the MSX platform, and the complete game, including graphics and music, has only 4kb!

This game is meant to be run from the MSX BASIC environment. Insert the disk containing TETRINET.BIN in your drive, and then type:

BLOAD"TETRINET.BIN",R

If you're using an emulator, you will need to create a disk image before playing. The recommended emulator for MSX beginners is BlueMSX. To play Tetrinet in this emulator, first you need to create a Windows Folder containing only the TETRINET.BIN file. Then start BlueMSX and press Right ALT+F9. This will open the "Insert Directory" menu. Select the folder where you placed the TETRINET.BIN file and start emulation. After this, just type the BLOAD command above.

Before you start to play, familiarize yourself with the game screen:

Two players play at the same time, player 1 controls the right field, player 2 controls the left field. Right below the playfield you can see the Block Powers each player has stored. On this example, player 1 has the R power, and player 2 has no block powers available.

In the center of the screen, each player has a NEXT field, displaying what will be the next block. Right below the NEXT field, each player has a log space, each time a block power is used on the player, the name of the power will be displayed there.

The game can be played with keyboard or joystick:

When there is a Block Power available, you have three possible commands:

• Use the power on yourself: Press the Power Select button, and while keeping it pressed, press the down button.
• Use the power on your opponent: Press the Power Select button, and while keeping it pressed, press the up button.
• Discard the power: Press the Power Select button, and while keeping it pressed, press the drop button.

If you want to abort the game, just press CONTROL+STOP. Pressing CONTROL+STOP while in the intro screen returns you to the MSX BASIC environment.

Just like in the original tetris, you can pile up your blocks, and if one or more lines are filled, they will be removed from your playfield. Try to remove more than one line at a time, since this will send lines to your opponent!

• Clearing two lines from your field: adds one line to your opponent
• Clearing three lines from your field: adds two lines to your opponent
• Clearing four lines from your field: adds four lines to your opponent!!

Also, for every line you remove from your playfield, one of your blocks will turn into a Special Block. These blocks are white and have a letter inside. If you manage to clear a line containing a Special Block, it will be added to your Block Powers collection, just below the playfield.

You can use these Block Powers on yourself or in your opponent. Each Block Power has a different effect:

• A: This is the Add Line block. It will add a "junk line" to the player's field that you choose.
• C: This is the Clear Line block. It clears the line closer to the bottom in the playfield.
• N: This is the Nuke block. This removes all blocks from a playfield, giving the player a "fresh start".
• R: This is the Remove block. It removes 10 random blocks from a player's field.
• S: This is the Switch block. This switches your playfield with your opponent. If either of the fields' block stack is over 16 blocks high, the stack will be lowered.
• B: This is the Basic block. It removes all Special Blocks from a player's field.
• G: This is the Gravity block. It takes all the blocks on the field and "pulls" them all towards the bottom of the field, eliminating any gaps in the blockstack.
• Q: This is the Quake block. This causes each of the lines of blocks on a player's field to randomly shift left or right or not at all.
• O: This is the Bomb block. This is the block bomb, when used on a player, it clears 3x3 portions on their field anywhere there are 'o' blocks. Any blocks that were in the 3x3 areas are scattered around the field.

Use your imagination and extract the most of the Block Powers!

• Add Line is usually sent to your opponent, to make his field higher. However, you can use it on yourself, in the beginning of the game, to collect Special Blocks faster!
• Clear Line can be used like this, too: when your opponent is about to get a Special Block, clean his line!
• If you see your oponent is about to Switch fields, mess up your own blocks using Remove or Quake, so he will get a garbled field!
• If your opponent is about to send a Bomb to you, you can use Basic on yourself and remove the threat!

There are many possibilities, you can think up a new strategy for yourself!

• The 2004 Minigame Compo where this game was submitted.
• Tetrinet BR, for portuguese speakers.
• Tetrinet Strategies from TetriFast.net.

This game was programmed by Ricardo Bittencourt. The main music was designed by Alex Sato. The original version of Tetrinet was created by St0rmCat. This manual was revised by Cyberknight and Vanessa Sabino.

This game requires an MSX compatible computer with 16kb of RAM. The game adapts itself for 50Hz or 60Hz, so the music will be always played at the same speed. Special care was taken to preserve the BASIC environment, so you can return to BASIC after playing, without even losing the program you were working on. This game was programmed in Assembly, and portions of it have been superoptimized. No penguins were harmed during the making of this game. Enjoy Tetrinet and have fun!