Nerdicus Genesis Review #33: Blockout

Title : Blockout

Publisher : Electronic Arts

Developer : California Dreams

Genre : Puzzle

Players : 1 /  2 Player

Release Date : 1991

Estimated Value (as of today's date) : $6-$10

I know, I know. The box art is of the mega drive version. It was impossible for me to find any images of the original sega genesis box art. Regardless of the fact that I am using the wrong box art (stop crying!) what does this game immediately remind you of?

I'll give you one guess. Come on. Do you have it? I know you're thinking what I'm thinking. It's completely obvious.

DR. MARIO OF COURSE!! Ha, no. I'm kidding. We all know this looks like Tetris. But this isn't your ordinary Tetris remake. No, this is Tetris......in 3D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cue the insane 3D graphics! No graphics? None? Really? Ugh. I hate 3D anyway. I can rant about it for days on end. I mean, this isn't real 3D. This is just 3D shapes in a 3D environment. I think I've said 3D around five times or already. 3D. Six. 3D. Seven.

Wow, this review is annoying already, isn't it? Enough yammering, let's just play this damn puzzle game and get it over with. Can you hear me grumbling? I hate puzzle games. And it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm horrible at them.

Okay, it has everything to do with the fact that they destroy me.

You know how in Tetris, you had to complete rows? Well, now you have to complete layers. If that sounds difficult, it's because it is. And it's difficult for a lot of reasons...good and bad alike.

Here's the good reasons. You've got a bunch of different sized pits, and a large assortment of blocks reminiscent of the Tetris game. The larger the pit, it's typically easier to fit the blocks around it. Smaller pits, means less variables you have access too. In other words, you get screwed over a lot easier. Apparently, there are over 195 different sized pits that you can encounter in this game. That's 195 reasons to work on your problem solving math and geometry skills in order to do well in this game.

And I suck at math.

Compared to Tetris, there's quite a large assortment of blocks that you'll encounter in Blockout. You've got some basic flat blocks, that can fit all along a single layer. These are typically the easiest to place down.

Then you've got your basic polycubes. I can't even describe these shapes.....so I'll just show you some pictures of 'em. These are the ones that you'll need to squeeze into those perfectly arranged holes on your pit. That sounds wrong, but whatever. Thanks Wiki for the images!

•  The "L" tricube
•  T tetracube: a row of three blocks with one added below the center
•  L tetracube: a row of three blocks with one added below the left side
•  S tetracube: bent triomino with block placed on outside of clockwise side
•  Left screw tetracube: unit cube placed on top of anticlockwise side. Chiral in 3D.
•  Right screw tetracube: unit cube placed on top of clockwise side. Chiral in 3D.
•  Branch tetracube: unit cube placed on bend. Not chiral in 3D.

Then there's the extended cube...which...is big.

*sighs* You know what, just reviewing this game is reminding me how much I suck at puzzle games and at math, so instead of continuing on with this charade that I actually enjoyed playing this game I'll just end it here.

Listen. The game is pretty good, and it plays just like a 3D Tetris would expect to play. For me though, it isn't fun and it's a headache. But like I said. That's just me. I hate puzzle games, but at least this one goes the distance in challenging you like no other puzzle game would.

I should have gotten a tutor...

Final Score (out of 5) :

Until Next time - Keep on Gaming!