Kevtris Pocket PC Freeware Reviewed
Kevtris seems to have a lot going for it, despite the off-putting title. With more options than the average free Tetris download, it has quite a bit to offer.
The
Kevtris download
is available on the Pocketgear site if you're interested after this review.
OptionsIt comes complete with a standard set of game modes for Easy, Medium and Hard. The options are surprisingly robust for Pocket PC freeware. You can insert junk rows to make things a bit more challenging, change level backgrounds, and adjust the annoying "ghost" show drop preview. With additional options for "hard drops" or one piece drops, same piece sequences and a "Wacky pieces" mode, I was pleasantly surprised at the feature set. You can also move slider to control the speed of the game. Use this with caution-- I'll explain why in a bit. It comes stock with a set of dummy high scores. Display
The display is visually pleasing, with the onscreen blocks shimmering at intervals. The colours are sharp, and I found that my eyes weren't fatigued even after long periods. ControlsThe controls were one of two major reasons that Kevtris should keep its Pocket PC freeware status. Adjusting the speed of the game to maximum did very little on my Axim x51v except make the pieces difficult to place. No matter how subtle your D-pad movements typically are, maneuvering them into place is challenging at the high speed setting. I suspect that this problem may not just be with my unit; it seems as if sliding the gauge slightly results in more movement of the pieces than necessary when softly pressing the buttons. Fortunately, you can reassign the hardware buttons. Gameplay
The other main reason Kevtris should remain Pocket PC freeware is that completing rows can be excruciating.Even when setting my processor at maximum performance, the row disappears in an exasperatingly slow fashion. This makes for a lot of tedium after only a few rounds, diminishing gameplay enjoyment. ConclusionsWith lots of options and tolerable controls at normal speed settings, this is not a bad download. It's freeware status definitely contributes some points towards its rating. I'm hoping the subsequent updates will address these more than niggling issues-- a good, if not excellent download. PDAGameGuide Rating: 4.1 out of 5 Pros: Visually impressive for free Tetris clone. Packed with more options than your standard Pocket PC freeware game. Cons: Gameplay marred by slow-mo row disappearance syndrome on completion. Controls glitchy on higher speed settings.
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