Favorite Tunes #107: Block Droppin' Beats

The puzzle gaming genre may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of games with good music. You certainly wouldn't want some sucky tunes playing as those blocks rose or fell, now would you?

Technotris - Super Tetris 3 (SFC)

Super Tetris and three of theme at that? It seems like everywhere I turn there's another version of Tetris I haven't heard of. Technotris was a track first used in Bullet-Proof Software's Famicom version of Tetris and has been arranged in numerous BPS Tetris titles since. Just type in the track title and you'll come across the Famicom original as well as a few remixes. It's a pretty memorable tune. The SNES version has some Russian flair and a sick bass line among other awesomeness. Technotris is a combination of the words techno and tetris. But you probably already knew that.

Exercise Mode - Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (GEN)

Back in the 1990s there were two drastically different animated versions of Sonic on American TV. The darker and edgier Sonic the Hedgehog, lovingly refered to as Sat AM Sonic, and the slapstick comedic Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog that aired on weekdays. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine used characters from the weekday morning Sonic cartoon and was a re-skin of the now defunct company Compile's Puyo Puyo franchise. The character's may be different from that of the Puyo Puyo games, but Mean Bean Machine does use the same music, or rather Mean Bean Machine versions of Puyo Puyo music.

Satan's Theme - Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary (DS, PS2, PSP, Wii)

Well, speak of the devil. Telling someone that you love Satan's Theme will probably get you some strange looks, but anyone that knows a lot about this series or has played any of 2 player matches in Mean Bean Machine will instantly know what you're talking about. One of Puyo Puyo's most popular pieces of music, the 15th anniversary game gave Satan quite the intense remix. Compile may be no more but the Puyo Puyo franchise continues to live on. Seldom does a Puyo Puyo game release outside of Japan, but at least the Japanese fanbase and import junkies can still get their fix.

Mayan - The New Tetris (N64)

What was new about The New Tetris? Instead of seeing just the next upcoming block, this game showed three, although if you wanted to be surprised, you could turn this off. You could also save one block in store and switch that block with a more desireable block. Being an N64 title, it also supported four player multiplayer. Add in a slick soundtrack and you've got yourself a pretty spiffy Tetris experience.

Hallucid - Tetrisphere (N64)

The standard Tetris formula is usually the way most Tetris players tend to go, but that doesn't mean you should dismiss a Tetris game that mixes things up. Playing Tetris or a rotating sphere changes the Tetris formula quite considerably but it's still a fun, addictive experience. Tetrisphere also boasts a fantastic techno-inspired soundtrack.

The Path You Travel - Meteos (DS)

One of the earliest games for DS, Meteos is still one of the handheld's best titles. Designed by Kirby and Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai, Meteos has you launching, well, Meteos by matching three or more vertically or horizontally before both screens get too cramped and it's game over. This is actually the menu music of all things and it sounds quite uplifting and inspiring, rather than the simple, catchy looping themes you get from most puzzle game menus.

Favorite Tunes Database