ModRetro Tetris Review

The Best Tetris Ever on Game boy

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Bundle Deal

As of publishing, ModRetro Tetris can only be purchased bundled with the Chromatic Console.

It is currently available for purchase for $199.

If I told you a decade ago that in 2025 I’d be reviewing a new Game Boy game, don’t worry, I probably wouldn’t have believed that statement either. However, in recent years the Game Boy platform has steadily received some banger new indie titles that willingly capitalizes on the retro 8-bit style. So with that in mind now, I’m not surprised to see a new Tetris release on the same platform that it got popularized on some decades ago.

This is ModRetro Tetris, and it just might be the best Tetris edition to ever grace a Game Boy screen. Many of us remember the Game Boy Tetris that was bundled with the North American and European release of the handheld. In fact, it was my first exposure to the puzzle game that also set me down on a path of addiction with the Game Boy. Since then there have been new gameplay implementations and versions of the iconic game for nearly twenty years now.

Modern Classic

The four game modes

Modern Tetris has become more player friendly and encourages riskier implementation of block building thanks to safety nets like piece saving and drop projections. These modern touches make casual play a lot less frustrating when you aren’t fully at the mercy of RNG. ModRetro Tetris brings those modern amenities to the table while maintaining the aesthetic spirit of the Game Boy architecture. 

It’s a bit of a bizarre feeling when you first boot up the physical cartridge into a Game Boy or Game Boy playing device like the ModRetro Chromatic which the game is bundled with. You’re immediately greeted with a slightly different version of the iconic Game Boy Tetris song. It’s familiar and yet slightly edgier sounding. It’s a good signifier for what one can expect from this new game.

Like other older Tetris games, there’s not a lot of variety in game modes. Afterall, Tetris at its core is a simple game of stack building and elimination for survival. In some older games, there are puzzle modes where a board is dirty to begin with and the player would have to build lines to clean the field up. This version of Tetris doesn’t have anything like that. It’s a simple clean slate start in each of its four game modes. There’s Marathon, Sprint, Ultra, and Endless modes, which are all pretty self explanatory about how they work. 

I mostly played on Marathon and Endless mode in an attempt to hone my block building skills. Ultimately that’s really all I wanted on a mobile Tetris experience. For years now, I would play a copy of NES Tetris, or what is referred to as Classic Tetris through an emulator on one of my handheld consoles. That was my method of quenching my block building thirst from anywhere at any time. 

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Customizing Gameplay

I’m ecstatic as a Classic Tetris player to now have the ModRetro Tetris at my disposal. ModRetro allows players to play the Classic Tetris rules through altering of the settings menu to match the iconic competitive format that has been popularized through modern competition. The Tetris that was made cool by champions like Jonas Neubauer and Joseph Saelee can be played in a neat presentable way that is straight to the point. That’s exactly what a lot of older Tetris players wanted. Speaking of competition, this Tetris cartridge can also go head-to-head in a multiplayer match using a Game Boy link cable. 

ModRetro Tetris is also a fresh approach to the game too. Just because it can play Classic Tetris doesn’t mean one has to. In fact, I spent a majority of my time playing the default settings with all the modern necessities turned on. Instant drop by pressing Up on the D-pad speeds the game up so much. Seeing the next three pieces projected also makes it much easier to plan ahead with your stacking. And finally, the biggest cheat of them all, the piece hovering prior to locking on location can prolong a high level gameplay. Once again, the great thing about this copy of Tetris is that when you get good enough and want to test your stacking without these assists, you definitely can by altering the settings to classic mode. 

This last comment is somewhat irrelevant, but I forgot just how satisfying it is to click in a cartridge into a cartridge reading console like the ModRetro Chromatic. It’s just nostalgic and probably does something with the human’s endorphins. I miss cartridge life in this digital age we’re in now. 

Best Of Both Worlds

Ultimately, this ModRetro copy of Tetris is a game that tests players against themselves. It’s all about setting up profiles and attempting to beat your own high score. Unlike original Game Boy games with its save data stored on the cartridge, this cartridge does not rely on the internal battery backup.

It’s an extremely addictive and easy to pick up take of the classic game that has now become my go to when I get the itch to play the stacking simulator. In fact, it’s my preferred relaxation tool now, replacing Tetris Effect in my arsenal. I just love the classic vibe mixed with the modern presentation that ModRetro has incorporated with the colors of the blocks.

The only major downside is that you can’t purchase a copy of the game by itself without ordering the Chromatic console which MSRP is $199. That's a pity because other Game Boy games that ModRetro sell on their website retail for around $40. If this was sold at that price, I would immediately recommend it to anyone who loves Tetris. I do surmise that the company will eventually sell the individual cartridge after sales of the Chromatic slow down. It’s too good of a game not to be more easily purchasable. 

With that said, the Chromatic is also a ridiculously good Game Boy that might be worth the purchase at that price, but that’s a different story. My review of the console is coming soon so be sure to come back for that, but know that I’m smitten with just how near perfect a Game Boy not made by Nintendo this thing is. 

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