Tetris Creator Alexey Pajitnov Loves Playing Tetris 99

While the Tetris franchise has gone on to spawn numerous sequels and strange spin-offs, it looks like its original creator Alexey Pajitnov hasn’t been too far behind.

Recently, the father of Tetris sat down with Nintendo Life for an interview about the past and current state of the Tetris licence. In one particular segment, he eventually comments on Tetris 99 – the latest rendition of the game on Switch, where players go up against 98 online players to be the last one standing. Here’s what he had to say:

On Playing Tetris 99:

Oh yes. I love the game. Unfortunately, my son stole the Switch from me [laughter], so I can’t really enjoy it. But as soon as he gives it back to me, I will play again and again. That’s one of the best games of Tetris of the last year. I really like what was done.

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On whether he has ever won:

No… I was third a couple of times…

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On what people would think if they knew they were playing against him online:

I’m not really a good player. I think they’d be fascinated for a second and then, “So what?” I’m much more a good player in amateur [circles]. But I can’t even approach the professionals.

Overall, it’s good to see that Mr. Pajitnov still loves the series in its current form today! Let’s hope the Tetris franchise continues to honor his vision, regardless of where it heads toward in the future.