Tetris The Absolute Grand Master 2 Plus drops into the Arcade Archives

The true test of ergonomics returns

Another pretty special release has joined the Arcade Archives release, as publisher Hamster rolls out the intensely puzzling and bizarrely titled Tetris The Absolute Grand Master 2 Plus — now available to download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Developed by Arika and published by the last bastion of the coin-op, Psikyo, Tetris The Absolute Grand Master 2 Plus, (known in the community as simply “TGM2” or “TAP“), hit Japanese arcades in 2000, launched as a last-minute update to the original TGM2 board. Much like its predecessor, Tetris The Grand Master, TGM2 is an expert-level iteration of Alexey Pajitnov’s classic block-busting puzzler, and tasks players with using adaptation and forward-thinking to manage a rapidly filling playfield of Tetrominos.

Check out a bout of TGM2 T.A. Death in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Masterjun3.

TGM2 retains the complex gameplay of its predecessor but adds a casual player-friendly “Normal” mode, as well as an evolved edition of “Master” mode, which features huge acceleration after level 500. Also part of the update is the incredibly challenging “T.A. Death” mode, which features fixes 20G gravity settings, as well as a consistently high speed from the get-go. It is considered one of the most difficult challenges in Tetris history. The arrival of TGM2, (and previously TGM), on the Arcade Archives plugs a gap that has been in the collections of Tetris fans the world over for generations.

Well, at least in an official capacity… Now get droppin’!

Tetris The Absolute Grand Master 2 Plus is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.