Tetris Plus

• Title — Tetris Plus • Developer — Jaleco • Publisher — Saturn, PlayStation Game Boy • Composer — Iku Mizutani • Series — Tetris • Platforms — Arcade, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Game Boy • Released — Arcade Saturn PlayStation Game Boy • Genre — Puzzle • Modes — Single-player, multiplayer

• Illustration — Arcade version screenshot The game consists of two main modes, Classic Mode and Puzzle Mode. Classic Mode is a standard Tetris game. Puzzle Mode is a mission-based mode where the player must clear a pre-arranged puzzle layout in a limited time. Also included is an editor for making Puzzle Mode levels, and capability for competitive multiplayer in either game mode. The console versions also have a two-player Versus Mode, which is essentially puzzle mode with two players racing for the finish line.

The biggest addition to Tetris Plus is the Puzzle Mode. The player starts with the first zone, the Egypt; later there are in order: Angkor Wat, Maya and Knossos. The final area, Atlantis, is unlocked by successfully completing the other four stages. Each of the four locations has a different level set and all of the zones, including Atlantis, have 20 levels each, for a total of 100 levels. Once the game starts, the player is presented with a cluster of pre-placed bricks, and a professor character who enters the play-area through a disappearing gate and gets trapped along with a spiked ceiling. The objective is to get the professor to fall to the bottom, by placing blocks and clearing lines, before the spiked ceiling at the top comes down and crushes him. Two blocks wide and tall, he will aimlessly walk forward until he bumps into a block, after which he turns around and walks the other way. If he comes across a gap that is large enough for him to fit through, he will fall down onto the blocks below him; if he falls from a great height, he will be temporarily stunned upon landing. Conversely, if blocks are placed on top of him, he will climb up them until he reaches the top. Upon starting the level, the spiked ceiling will start at the top of the play area. About once every eighteen seconds, it will move down one notch, slowly taking away workable space. The player is able to make the ceiling go back up, however, if they can clear three or four rows at once. The ceiling will also destroy any placed blocks that are in its way; this can be used to remove any unwanted pieces until the piece the player wants appears. If the timer reaches 125 seconds, the ceiling will come down faster and the professor will get crushed. When the spikes are close to the professor, he will begin to run (or panic if he can't move), instead of just walking, until he is no longer in danger. The music will also become frantic until the professor falls to safety. If the professor hits the ceiling—whether by it descending onto him or him climbing into it—he will die, failing the level.

The game was published in 1996 in the United States by Jaleco, shortly after the company signed an agreement with Blue Planet Software giving Jaleco exclusive rights to publish Tetris games for the Saturn and PlayStation in the United States for the following two years. The PlayStation version sold well enough to be re-released for the Greatest Hits budget range.

Tetris Plus 2 is an arcade game released by Jaleco in 1997 as the only sequel to Tetris Plus. The main difference was that the professor's assistant was made playable, with her movement speed being faster.