Is Tetris an arcade game?

Yes, there are several types of Tetris games available for play, with some of them actually being made available in the arcade. Tetris is almost quite literally available almost anywhere. It’s very simple nowadays to get some play time in with the game Tetris, with one of these methods of playing going over many avid user’s heads. 

You can play Tetris in the arcade

There used to be a time when arcade gaming was everything gamers could think about. Instead of turning on their gaming system, they would simply go over to their local arcade or mall for some gaming. And these arcades were made up of seemingly endless arcade game cabinets that were filled with colorful games from large gaming developers. There was almost endless noise coming from a number of games at all times, that likely lives on in the minds of older gamers to this day. 

Among all of those games one would be able to see the unique cabinet version of Tetris – a game whose play was a unique experience among arcade games. 

Once upon a time there were arcades everywhere, giving both children and adults an escape and the chance to spend a few dollars to get a genuine gaming experience with some of the most up-to-date games. Most arcades that were actually worth being in would have a Tetris machine in their lineup, and one would always be able to find an individual attempting to place a new high score on the machine. The high scores that are seen today and their placement don’t hold up when compared to those seen in the arcading days. 

Going to an arcade and seeing your score and name on the leaderboard was something special. Having your initials next to a high score achievement was something that garnered respect from the regulars at the arcade. And taking the top spot on the Tetris machine was seen as an even greater achievement considering there was such a large number of people aiming for the high score. 

Competition locally was always tough, and none of the matches today match up to the walk to the local Tetris machine to check to make sure your name still held up in the leaderboard. In all actuality, playing on a Tetris arcade machine was completely different from the way the game is played today. Nowadays people are able to sit down on their couches in front of their television to play the game, an activity that isn’t the same as that of playing Tetris in the arcade.

Playing Tetris in the arcade was completely different. You played the game while standing and were forced to play with the same controller every other player had to use. Occasionally buttons would stick or the joystick would be kind of loose. There were even some machines that were on so much that they experienced a bit of burn-in on the screen.

While these may sound like negatives, they aren’t. They all make up the experience that is playing Tetris in an arcade. Playing like this gave players an idea of how each Tetris machine was to be played. You learned the nuances of the older machines, and would get the urge to hurry to the arcades with the newer machines so you could get an idea of how they played. Players would leave the multitude of arcades with skills that came from the constant movement among arcades to test and play on each machine. 

Newer options for the arcade Tetris are beginning to amass even though the model in North America was lost for a large number of years. Retro arcades are actually becoming a niche market as of late. Some arcades are full to the utmost with old cabinets, while others mix retro arcading joy with food and drinks. Either way it goes one should be able to find an option that sits close to their home. It’s definitely worth trying to find one of the locations to try out the arcade version of Tetris as there is nothing quite like it. That was true back in the day and it still rings true today.