Tetris DX on GBC, colourful and enriched version of the undeposed classic. New colours, Marathon and Ultra modes added, record saving. The definitive portable Tetris version for its era.
Your verdict
Category
Puzzle4 players3+
Description
The Game Boy Color version of Tetris enriched with colour visuals, a Marathon mode, a timed Ultra mode and an improved versus. Published by Nintendo, released in the United States in October 1998. Full colour Tetris, Marathon, Ultra and Vs. modes, high score save system, Super Game Boy compatibility. US edition.
Tetris DX review
3/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Polished"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The repertoire stays tied to traditional Russian tunes, Korobeiniki first among them, arranged here for three voices with a marked bass that serves as a metronome. The tempo climbs in steps as the level rises, and the theme's return after a four-line clear works as an audio reward as clear-cut as the score on display.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Recoloured with saved high scores, the block-stacking keeps its instant response and its irresistible build-up of pressure. It all comes down to reading the stack and the speed of rotations, for immediate fun that never dulls. Few handheld versions match this refinement, and the title remains a must for fans of pure challenge.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The definitive version of the giant on a handheld: colour makes its entrance, profiles save your records and the marathon mode pushes the limits of endurance. Sliding the perfect piece keeps its hypnotic pull, magnified by impeccable comfort. Timeless, immediate, endless: the ideal companion for vanishing an hour.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Rotating a piece, completing the line and feeling the speed race away: it's hard to imagine a loop purer or more immediate to restart. The climbing score and the extra modes turn every game into a personal challenge you instantly want to replay. Elevated by color and saved high scores, this version remains a timeless peak of pull.
Difficulty
"Easy"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Stacking the pieces in search of the perfect score is, by nature, never truly over. The Marathon mode, the timed Ultra mode and the improved versus renew themselves with every game, carried by timeless handling. That indestructible mechanic, built for high-score chasing, founds a longevity puzzle fans savour.
Color overhaul of the original Tetris, positioned as a flagship companion cartridge to the North American GBC launch in October 1998. Beyond its low rarity due to a massive print run, the collector specificity lies in the internal CR1616 cell that saves hi-scores and player profiles, now uncommon in functional state on cartridges over twenty-five years old. The battery compartment's condition is the structuring criterion on the market.
Better with friends
A colorized take on the ultimate puzzle, which loses none of its pull when you link two consoles to face off. Every burst of cleared lines dumps junk rows on your rival, in a competition that's crystal clear, snappy and terribly addictive. The duel needs the Link Cable and two units, but once going, the instant rematch forges rivalries that last well beyond the final piece.
Is Tetris DX still worth playing in 2026?
Nearly thirty years after the original Game Boy outing, Tetris DX still holds a unique spot, namely high score saving, a 40 lines mode, a timed Ultra mode and color skins per level enrich the untouched core. The feel is crisp, rotations are quick and readability is faultless, which becomes obvious upon switching back from Tetris Effect or current mobile releases. For anyone after the purity of the falling block puzzle, this remains one of the most direct and playable incarnations of Alexei Pajitnov's design.
