Beating EVERY N64 Game - Tetrisphere (181/394)

[@ericstoll007]

I love Tetrisphere! I was a manager at Software Etc (Gamestop) back when it released and Nintendo sent an advance copy to me along with an old-school paper survey. After filling out and returning the survey, Nintendo sent me a cool N64 watch. Definitely one of my all time favorite puzzle games as well.

[@chrislevack405]

Neat.

[@JeffGary9]

Do you still have the watch? Could be a nice addition for a collector Edit- obviously though, something of sentimental value can be worth more than money

[@scragar]

RE: game can detect the reset button That's actually on purpose, when you press reset it triggers as specific interupt to run code for the game to be triggered on reset and then the power is reset once the interupt returns. This is meant to be used for things like ensuring you finish writing save files before resetting to avoid corruption or similar. Holding reset can be detected simply because the interupt line remains high(which can be checked in the reset code).

[@Clodd1]

To save games on Everdrive 64 you gotta hold the reset button down for a few seconds.

[@M1XART]

Forsaken has really cool "Reset -effect" as well.

[@monorail0]

I think this would explain why (iirc) Mario 64 has a unique reset screen wipe effect

[@matthewwalter3257]

Nerd

[@genericyoutubecommentchann7418]

First 10/10 since Sin and Punishment. That’s exciting.

[@dangerZization]

This was the first video game I purchased with my own self earned money as a kid, around 13 years. I saved up 40 bucks doing a paper route and bought this game. I still remember the satisfaction of peeling off the Nintendo branded shrink wrap. I was so proud of myself and the game was epic. Epic sound track. I remember raving to it in my bedroom.

[@Katzii]

Never been so early to a Thab N64 game - I binged through this whole series over the course of a few months, so am happy to be up to date and ready to go with Tetrisphere!

[@johnsterne178]

4 more years of content to go!

[@Lublue5]

That’s exactly how it started with me! Lol I think my newest video was Doom when I started

[@CasualKansai]

Welcome to the family, THAB is the man!

[@chrisfair11]

Congrats! It's a fun ride. What games a have been your fav and what are you looking forward to seeing?

[@Katzii]

@@johnsterne178 I look forward to it ;)

[@relm1]

I went back and replayed this game a couple years ago. I was surprised by how well it still held up! My favorite game mode is Hide & Seek, it's basically just Rescue with more variety. There's one stage, Crystal Tower, that always stood out to me for being harder than the others. Congrats on beating Rescue though, 10-10 does not mess around. The other robots are all playable characters too. They have different stats. And iirc different endings? The default (Wheels, the yellow guy) is the well-rounded balanced one, so I usually just stick with him. There's one thing you never did in this video, and I'd be surprised if you beat the whole game without knowing it: IIRC, you can tap B when the shadow is over a patch of grey garbage blocks, to change the garbage blocks into a glowing piece.

[@weeman2097]

I absolutely adored Tetrisphere as a kid! I've been waiting for this episode for a long time. I'm so glad you enjoyed playing it! 😊

[@asymptoticspatula]

Wow! I commented on last week's video that I played Tetrisphere back in the day and remembered liking it but I wasn't sure if it was actually good or not. I'm super impressed with your 10/10 score, especially considering it's a puzzle game, and now I REALLY want to play it again! I think I'd really enjoy the puzzle levels.

[@Moniak]

one of the best soundtracks of all gaming

[@loganq5152]

Shoutout to Neil Voss!

[@schweddy2325]

I was a teenager in the 90s and had a NES and SNES. My dad worked in our state's data processing dept and only bought Apple computers. I was limited on computer games but had (and still have) Marathon 1&2, a bunch of Sim- games, but also a game called Welltris. For whatever reason that old game was the first thing I thought of when I saw this video pop up. Thank you for your channel and style!

[@chipskylark8869]

Fav game ever will be ogre battle 64. Amazing tactics rpg. Been waiting for a way to play it again from Nintendo....

[@mistrdevine]

I’m glad you enjoyed this so much! This and Wetrix were a couple of my favorite puzzle games back in the N64 days.

[@ellis7622]

It’s been awhile since I’ve watched a new video in this series but I could immediately tell how much you’ve tightened up everything about it. From the sound to the editing to your script, everything was greatly improved from the early videos in this series so congrats on that man, keep up the great work.

[@TruckDumpy]

Here’s a lifehack for ya. Use an air fryer on limp, floppy, cold fries. Only takes 3-4 minutes.

[@Dylanbeee]

This was the last N64 game I got for my birthday. Memories

[@TruMaverick]

ThaB You are amazing. Keep going bro. That marble race was so good!

[@Lowkey-NoPressure]

You have some seriously amazing fortitude. 8 hours on one level.

[@nick_the_padbreaker]

Ah, Tetrisphere! Me and my younger brother played this all the time back in the day. It's a shame this never got re-released later on. But it got achievements on RetroAchievements if you're an achievement hunter like me.

[@coolman2805]

This is what i’ve been waiting on since the beginning, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

[@ArcadeStriker]

I have been waiting for this one ever since I knew of your videos on this years ago - this game alongside Top Gear Overdrive were personal favorites for me, and while TGO is on the simpler side nowadays (although I still like the music a lot), Tetrisphere never left the spot it had in my heart ever since I managed to understand how to play it when I was younger. EDIT: Glad to hear you loved it that much. The one thing that I expected you to mention was that dropping over a power/glowing bricks actually combo/break slower than dropping over a normal one. This means that in those super tight times stages, doing combos by dropping over a power brick gives you more time to plan your next move, as it continues breaking nearby bricks one by one- compared to normal drops which break all blocks in the combo instantly. Years ago when I completed Rescue ik a reao N64, I definitely fekt the need to gi for those because the timer would barely if not ever gain extra time and stop zooming in if you relied too much on normal drops instead of dropping over power bricks. Definitely should give this a aecons go sometime soon :)

[@sheeeeeeeit3786]

VS mode at a high level is super satisfying though. Episode 5 VS mode playing against the CPU was pure chaos, its the way the game would force you to use all the mechanics at a breakneck pace to keep up with an opponent thats trying to be a TAS lol

[@davidgoldammer348]

Now this is a review ive been looking forward to! Once went to an old video game store a few years back and decided to get Tetrisphere on a whim. Amazing decision! This game is SO fun and the music is really good too

[@じょせふ-v2z]

yoooooo i fucking loved this game, the pink and light blue pieces were the god combo. top 3 N64 ost

[@dmfrendzy2177]

THAT MARBLE RACE ENDING. SEE YA'LL IN A WEEK That commentating belongs in a KZbin compilation of greatest sports moments

[@LAkeshow17]

Sometimes I just skip to the marble race

[@Liam.Lacoste]

MY BODY IS READY.

[@ryannachtrab]

Still waiting for Hybrid Heaven, I loved that game so much

[@Ironcorgi2]

Same such a unique gameplay in that one. It’s not perfect but i loved that game as a kid

[@Dinkolish]

Glad to be a part of this. Look forward to the videos.

[@loganq5152]

I'll never forget the gmeboy cheat for bonus music

[@silvo305]

This is now my favorite series on KZbin. Please keep it up!!

[@someoneout-there2165]

This is one of my favorite series. Thank you for doing this. So nostalgic and your voice is so relaxing. ✌️

[@teusry]

One of my favorite childhood games! This was one of the ones I was most uncertain about for you because I know your disdain for puzzle games. So cool that you enjoyed it enough to push through for the full clear. And yeah...versus mode is kinda weaksauce.

[@baxterwilliams2170]

Wow a 10/10!! And that marble race! I kind of wish the mechanics were explained a bit more at the beginning. It seemed like you were just putting square blocks on square blocks that were already on the puzzle. Not really clear.

[@iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii4222]

I remember playing this with friends. It was absolutely amazing. This needs to be remade in some form. What an N64 classic. 👌

[@Spacecoke]

I realy enjoyed this game back in the day. I was surprised it didn't get as popular as it should have. It deserves a remake.

[@aaronkemp7789]

Loved the production value on this one!

[@canadianstickdeath]

Man Hide & Seek gets crazy. That damn crystal tower...

[@DougSalad]

Oh hell yes, new episode of Thab's Marble Race is out!

[@TheDuckofLaw]

This game was a lot of fun. Thanks for the fun series!

[@Blink182SubmarineStepson]

So glad that a game I have a ton of nostalgia for actually holds up to the test of time.

[@GamesAreGood-re3eq]

You didn't mention it here so I'll mention it lol. If you hover your shadow over the small breakable squares and your whole shape is on top of NOTHING BUT those breakable squares, you can hit B to instantly create a power piece there.

[@Thabeast721]

I didn't know that til you said it just now!

[@budgetcoinhunter]

@@Thabeast721 The game tried to tell you that in one of the Episode screens.

[@RockEsper]

I've really been loving the editing recently!

[@WillKeaton]

10:43 "Who are these people anyway?" Uh, you mean the other playable characters? Because this is like a fighting or racing game, where you have a large cast of people to play as, each with different stats. In this case, there are 7 different characters you get to choose from, all unlocked at the start.

[@scrub_jay]

What stats could you have in a tetris game? Longer timer? Never played this game, seems interesting

[@WillKeaton]

Each character has two stats, how fast the cursor moves (speed), and how fast you drag blocks across the board (strength). The default character, Wheels, who Thab played as, is perfectly balanced. With the other characters, the higher one stat is, the lower the other is.

[@clintonsmith8215]

Man I seriously love these videos, thank you!

[@LordNuttington]

What a finish in the marbles! I'm looking forward to Turok 2 as I'm replaying it on switch, the levels are so big it is a nightmare to navigate at times!

[@MayonnaiseVenusaur]

Finally some good games. Glad you liked Tetrisphere. You're gonna love Doom.

[@capn_capacitor]

My brother and I used to rent this game all the time. Maybe because it was always available. 😂 It was a fun, addicting puzzle game which was unique on N64 at the time.

[@Doctor1297]

Now this was a blast of nostalgia. Tetrisphere was a fantastic game, my favorite "take a break" game between sessions of some of the epics, like OoT and Banjo. Actually had just about equal fun with the vs. mode against the computer as I have with the single player campaigns, so highly recommended to check it out! My favorite robot to use for vs. mode was the gyro robot. 🤖

[@CheckOutMyPokemons]

Man this takes me back, this was the only game I had alongside Mario 64 for years so I played it heaps, and yet never beat it. So damn hard

[@brennr8792]

LETS GO DOOM! Loved your commitment to the clear, great video

[@Mito383]

It's nice seeing Thab find great games he never would have played otherwise through this challenge.

[@langlest]

I absolutely love these N64 playthroughs. Will you be doing this for any other consoles in the future? I'd love to see a Dreamcast version

[@TheRedlotusblossom]

This is one of my favorite games on the Nintendo 64 and hands down my favorite Tetris game of all time. I hope this is going to be a part of Tetris forever because from what I understand they say there's going to be more Tetris games in that game that have been have not been announced yet so I really hope Tetris fear is a part of that

[@diredocks8057]

Tetrisphere is one of my favorite N64 games. I spent some time researching exactly how the scoring functions in the game, as there's a ton of stuff that wasn't documented about how things function, including even basic stuff like filling the magic meter. I still haven't fully figured out the mechanics for garbage in the multiplayer modes, due to difficulty of testing, but I contributed a lot to the wiki on the gameplay mechanics. This is a super cool and unique game, and extremely impressive on the hardware. It's not perfect but there was a ton of effort put into the presentation. It really hits that 90s abstract sci fi feel in a nice Nintendo way. I highly recommend anyone with an N64 to look into a cartridge, as the game's dirt cheap and has a surprising amount of content. Also a minor correction--the parameters of the level (types of pieces, amount of layers, size of robot etc) are predefined, but the actual distribution of the pieces is random each time, so you can't memorize a sequence of moves or anything. Only the puzzle mode has premade layouts.

[@1WolfFan]

Puzzle Mode on games like these, is actually a pretty good way to train up your eye to see combos and such. I know I did alright at Puyo Puyo (and Mean Bean Machine), but once I did puzzle modes, I started being able to see better combos in my regular play too. This one feels like it could do something similar.

[@scrub_jay]

Agreed, for me it's Lumines. After mastering the puzzles it actually became too easy to keep a run of the base game going for way too long, like over an hour lol

[@flohi198]

Dude i LOVE the marble races. Great Idea! :)

[@bes03c]

I loved Tetrispheee as a kid. I think it is the last game I played on my original hardware.

[@aaronkemp7789]

With each week that passes, we get that much closer to "horse game."

[@Shay-dn7cz]

Ahhh a good Friday I see. THANKS THAB!! We 90s babies thank you more than you know lol.

[@brandontalbort]

So glad to see this game get acknowlegement like this. Sooooo overlooked.

[@firstnamelastname4752]

I rented this game like 20 times as a kid, it’s so much fun! I wish they’d re release it for modern consoles. That ‘scream’ sound in the soundtrack triggered my nostalgia so hard!

[@kylegordon906]

It’s my birthday and I’m sick. Thank you Thab for making it a little bit better!

[@sumo-ninja]

Yes! Always looking forward to the next N64 game and it's always a bonus when it's not another racing game lol... Went through a bunch of racing games it feels like

[@Tomahaka]

This was a good episode. Great commentary

[@some-say-gregms]

I'm so glad thab liked this game, I remember really digging it

[@RonyD2]

I played this game soooo much. I even connected the audio output to my computer to record the music. Awesome soundtrack.

[@00110000]

Wow, didn't expect you to enjoy it that much. Maybe I need to revisit it, for that soundtrack if nothing else.

[@canadianstickdeath]

A mechanic you might not have noticed is if you've got a group of single blocks in the shape of your current block? You can attempt to move them to form them into that block type. I think they become a power block so you can move them up and over, but I can't remember for sure.

[@FrankWestJr315]

I have such fond memories of this game. So glad this came up finally

[@mst311]

I can’t believe how many bangers like Doom 64 there are still to play.

[@Giraffasaur]

Wow, it's great to see you wanted to keep playing after "beating" it. That's HUGE praise to the game!

[@ultimate15clb]

always makes me happy to watch this series!

[@KnuckleDuster2004]

Oh yeah will be tuning in for DOOM64

[@victoraguirre7486]

maaan that last game taking the lead at the end was great! tetrisphere was so fun

[@fluffbyzelda]

Love the commentary on the race.

[@TubbyJ420]

I think this is the only N64 game i used the D-pad with. Only other instance i know off is in Star Fox where you can use it to simply turn off or on the aiming reticle.

[@hanrenfighterjet]

glad you enjoyed it tetrisphere was alway my favorite

[@KrossFire330]

I knew he'd be beating every Nintendo 64 video game, but I didn't think he meant ALL of them. WOW

[@luke182777]

Shout out to N0seBl33D for totally calling the winner before the marble race at 16:47

[@RenoNV775]

Sleeper hit! Loved it as a kid

[@ikemedanizu1917]

Tetrisphere was a fantastic game! They should do a remake of it.

[@DarkKen87]

Nice job

[@Briko-22]

The ost for this game is amazing

[@krileym]

Shadowgate has to be embarrassed with that incredible choke job

[@benjones7634]

Love the 90's bowl cut! Thab's a true gamer💯

[@hogey989]

Sweet! This is the game I've most been looking forward to. Nobody ever knows what the hell I'm talking about when I say how great tetrispheere is haha

[@nikolaifinukov3375]

Ah, my mom bought this as a game for her and her sister after I went to bed. I ended up destroying them at it and they got salty.

[@uhhh_adam]

Love love love this game. Another one of my favorite rentals

[@JasminLeblanc]

You didnt mention this but another very important game mechanic is that you can create a piece with the purple 1x1 pieces. let's say the next pieces you need to drop is the red T shape. If you find purple blocks that are arranged in the same shape as the T blck you can just hover the shadow over and hold B to transform them into the block.

[@syncmonism]

The music was amazing. A lot of people who played this game at the time would have never heard music like this before. The music quality was great considering how little storage space was available for it on the cartridge. A DD version of this game could have used a significantly higher bit-rate, as the system itself was capable of doing higher quality music and sound than what games actually normally used. A lot of games used very low sound quality to save space, while others (often first party Nintendo titles) would often use a higher sound quality, but they were still always very limited in how much space was available for music and sound. It got better when the typical cartridge capacity went up over time, but they were always fairly limited in terms of the amount of space that was available.

[@TheBlahman3]

Sometimes I play this game when I've had a super stressful day just to listen to the soundtrack (especially the song Extol) and solve some puzzles

[@nickschumacher5147]

That was the best marble race so far! Bunch of good games at the end. Can’t wait to watch Doom

[@Nurah.S.S]

Lol the reaction at 16:52

[@cutefenns]

I loved this game as a kid. I still listen to the soundtrack occasionally.

[@JohnnyLeven]

Tetrisphere looks a lot more interesting than I expected. I'll have to try it out at some point.

[@jockel9502]

I've sung this games praises since it came out like a weirdo, glad to see someone else enjoy it this much!

[@jockel9502]

also Zyp Zyp is the best track, fight me

[@ChrisScribs]

I loved this one as a kid!

[@mjdf122]

HE’S BEATING EVERY N64 GAME AND HE MEANS ALL OF THEM

[@-Zakhiel-]

BUT WAIT!... THERE IS A TWIST!!!

[@anthonylujan9917]

I’ve been waiting for this one!

[@Vipperland]

If I'm not mistaken, holding B over the smaller cubes that fit the shape of the current piece creates a new piece. I've always liked tetrisphere, for the challenge and difficulty. 10/10 deserved.

[@Chadly]

You're correct. I was going to mention it as well. Definitely comes in clutch when you can't find pieces to drop on.

[@adamchoquette1937]

I was more invested in the marble run then all season long of the Acolyte!

[@travisbmagic]

underrated game, and their other one, The New Tetris, is the best Tetris on the system (and imho one of the best ever)