S4E11: Tetris -or- Playing the Classics

Jennifer Miller Hammel, host of Classical California’s Arcade, is t-spinning her way in to discuss the titanic tuneful tetrad of Tetris (Game Boy, 1989), Tetris (NES, 1989), Tetris DX (Game Boy Color, 1998), and Tetris 99 (Nintendo Switch, 2018) with Mike and Jaymo as part of The Old SwitchAroo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog.

In this episode, Jennifer shares her efforts to get video game music from game rooms to the concert hall, including how she’s brought video game music into both Classical California’s mornings and always streaming on Classical California’s Arcade featuring both video game music and the classical music that influenced it. Everyone shares some of their favorite video game soundtracks, from Street Fighter and Cruis’n USA to Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, and Jennifer gives her perspective on how video game music can follow the same trajectory that John Williams took film scores on to get the music integrated into modern classical music performances.

Once they pick up the controllers, Jennifer helps contextualize the music attached to Tetris, from the now-iconic Tetris theme Korobeiniki and The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy to the original music created for Tetris DX. We’ll also take a very big leap down the rabbit hole that has been the quest to beat Tetris on the NES, including discussing the Classic Tetris World Championship and how players have met every new challenge that has been found in Tetris over the last few years. And Mike will share one of the most unpredictable Tetris reviews he thinks you’ve ever heard.

Thanks for listening, and a very special thanks to Kristal Fields of The Lazy Circles for our catchy theme song! Subscribe to The Old SwitchAroo to get more retro goodness delivered straight to your feed! You can also join the fun on https://www.theoldswitcharoo.com, where you'll find links to our Discord, social media, and so much more!

Game on, everyone.

(0:00) Intro

(0:59) Welcoming Jennifer Miller Hammel

(16:45) Tetris (GB)

(50:20) Tetris (NES)

(1:11:53) Tetris DX (Game Boy Color)

(1:19:28) Tetris 99 (Nintendo Switch)

(1:28:53) NintenDO or NintenDON’T

(1:36:25) Outro

Catch Jennifer Miller Hammel in the mornings on Classical California or anytime by checking out the always-streaming Arcade: https://www.classicalcalifornia.org/arcade

Tetris (NES) Manual: https://www.retrogames.cz/manualy/NES/Tetris_(Nintendo)_-_NES_-_Manual.pdf

Tetris DX Manual: https://www.thegameisafootarcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Tetris-DX-Game-Manual.pdf

Tetris Opera - Video Games Live (VGL) - Vocals by Jillian Aversa | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1yZEs-hBHo

Objective Ministries Tetris Review: https://objectiveministries.org/zounds/gaming.html

Tetris Official Website - Fun Facts: https://tetris.com/news/fun-facts

First person to play a videogame in space | Guinness World Records: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/109300-first-person-to-play-a-videogame-in-space

Jeopardy! messed up by taking a silly gaming meme at face value by Michael McWhertor | Polygon: https://www.polygon.com/2019/10/9/20906250/jeopardy-tetris-viral-photoshop-joke/

World’s biggest game of Tetris played out on 2,000 drones by Anthony Cuthbertson | The Independent: https://www.the-independent.com/tech/worlds-biggest-game-of-tetris-drones-b2885283.html

Complete History Of The Soviet Union, Arranged To The Melody Of Tetris | pigwiththefaceofaboy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWTFG3J1CP8

Nintendo A Cappella by Redefined: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSBIAGCulDw

The History of Tetris World Records | Summoning Salt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOJlg8g8_yw