Joystiq [Xbox]

During an interview with Gaming Target, the developers of the upcoming Tetris Evolution outlined some of the game's key features that differentiate it from other Tetris titles. Included in the game are two new modes, "Eraser" and "Go Low." "Eraser" is fairly simple, just erase a few predetermined lines. See, easy. "Go Low" asks players to make the highest block drop as far as possible when clearing away lines. Of course, most gamers know that the extra modes don't matter too much in Tetris, so long as the game plays properly.

The game promises high definition still and video backgrounds, customizable skins and player icons for your board, and 4 player Live multiplayer. 40 achievements are lined up for the game, with most of them awarded for achieving high scores in various modes. Hardcore players will be glad to hear that multiplayer matches do not allow "infinite spin," where players can constantly spin a piece, forcing it to stay in play. Single player games, however, allow you to toggle between infinite, extended, and classic spin settings. Another happy note, the game has been priced at $29.99.

Finally, when questioned about the reasoning behind making Tetris Evolution a retail title instead of an XBLA title, a developer responded, "I can't really speak for the Xbox Live Arcade version. We've known for some time it was being developed, but we don't really have any visibility as to its feature set." So there you have it, a Tetris developer says an XBLA Tetris is in the works. The developers do elaborate, however, that the amount of features in Tetris Evolution -- in particular the full motion backgrounds -- would exceed the XBLA size limit.

Would you bother with a retail Tetris if you knew a version was coming to Xbox Live Arcade?

[Thanks, John]

Update: Gave credit to our tipster.