Most gamers, and most people in general, realize Tetris is an important game. Especially, Fractal Tetris Huracan, who wants to marry the game. Many of us probably attribute importance to the game’s cross demographic appeal. Tetris was getting grandma to play video games way before WII Sports. Some of us might even be nerdy enough to credit the game’s importance to its inclusion as the Game Boy pack-in title, a decision that lead to the Game Boy being the highest selling handheld console for years until the DS line.
The Tetris Effect: The Game that Hypnotized the World by Dan Ackerman tells a story that positions Tetris as much more than just mass appeal and big sales. Tetris reflects the delicate intersection between Cold War Soviet Union Communism and American Capitalism. If you’re thinking spies and subterfuge, you’re not far off. In fact, the subtitle of the paperback version of this book is “The Cold War Battle for the World’s Most Addictive Game.” (more…)
