Here we have two heavyweights battling it out - both console-defining titles. Tetris had been around for a few years before it earned a mass following when packaged with Nintendo's Gameboy back in 1989.

Patterned blocks drifting down from the top of your screen and being manipulated to form lines may not sound like anything special now, but back then it was revolutionary. It became an overnight sensation and even today is synonymous with the little grey handheld gadget.

I can still hear that Russian melody repeating itself over and over and over and over - perhaps one of the most famous (and irritating) tunes in gaming!

Sonic the Hedgehog, on the other hand, burst onto the scene in 1991 on the Sega Megadrive (or Genesis to our friends across the pond). The little blue hedgehog propelled Sega's 16-bit system into the stratosphere - combining brash colours and lightening-fast gameplay.

I was lucky enough to own both consoles and remember feeling the same sense of anticipation when I got my hands on them for the first time. There have been few times since that a game has sent a shiver down my spine and I've been blown away by its brilliance. These were pick-up-and-play games, simple controls with no complex manoeuvres to get your head around.

Compared with monochrome linearity of Tetris, Sonic was graphically miles ahead and was embraced by the game-buying public as Sega's answer to Mario.

Ultimately, they were both fantastic fun with huge amounts of replayability. Even now, all these years on, Sonic (and its various sequels) is still on our screens having been re-released on various formats. In fact - much to my shame - I was playing Sonic Unleashed on the Xbox last night... it just goes to show how the little fella is even now firmly embedded in our gaming culture. Its latest incarnation game was shocking, mind - but proved just how fantastic the original was.

Tetris, on the other hand, never really needed to be funadmentally changed - it was that good to start with!

  • Originality - Sonic added a few new elements to the platformer - speed and fantastic, colourful graphics. However, Tetris redefined puzzle games and is still probably the best example of its genre. Winner: Tetris
  • Longevity - You could wile away the hours with either game and both have stood the test of time admirably. Tetris though is 25 years old and still fantastic! Winner: Tetris
  • Graphics - Easy. A kaleidoscope of colour versus grey... Winner: Sonic
  • Sound FX - Tough one this. Tetris' soundtrack is really iconic but, irritatingly, lingers in your head and while the tunes make a mark, the sound effects themselves are few and far between. Sonic has plenty of bells, whistles and chimes that perfectly suit the gameplay. Winner: Sonic
  • Replayability - Even though I just can't help but go back to Sega's spiky icon and all its sequels, Tetris can still eat up the hours. Winner: Tetris

...Sonic runs out of steam at the final hurdle and is overtaken by Tetris.

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