I met an old friend for lunch the other day and told her about this blog and the Head2Head contest. She wasn't too interested, to be honest. Not that I was surprised by her indifference... afterall, she's no gamer and argued that she'd never really been into computers or consoles.

Over the course of lunch it transpired that she'd actually been scarred by video games many years earlier after a particularly embarrassing incident, and had lost her love for them.

So what better place to air it than on this blog, eh?

My friend - who shall remain nameless - was hooked on Texas Instruments' Munch Man... the poor man's Pac Man. The objective was simple: negotiate mazes, avoid the bad guys and form a continuous trail around the screen before advancing on to the next level.She became so addicted to the little yella fella that he often filled her dreams when she went to bed... a giant Munch Man chased her through the woods! So terrified was she, that occasional bedwetting occurred. Admittedly, nightmares can be terrifying so I wasn't going to ridicule her... that was until I realised that the game was released in 1982, which meant she was well in her teens when this was happening!

I admit that I've been through the same as her - not bedwetting (!) - but dreaming about video games. As I said on the blog only a few weeks ago, this happened most recently with GTA IV, but Tetris has also been culpable on many occasions.
So it makes this matchup for the quarter finals of the Head2Head contest even more difficult for me. Grand Theft Auto IV versus Tetris... two gaming greats, both of which have gotten under my skin.

On the face of it, they're like chalk and cheese... completely different genres, and both graphically and sonically they are at completely different ends of the spectrum.

Tetris - along perhaps with Nintendo's Italian plumber Mario - is responsible for attracting probably more people to gaming than any other title. It was a winning formula, simple and addictive.

According to Guinness World Records, Gamer's Edition - Tetris is the most ported video game ever, appearing on 55 different platforms.

Conversely, GTA has had many incarnations and after various levels of success, I maintain that the fourth version is the most complete and, in my humble opinion, the most engrossing of the lot. GTA IV achieved 98% - the highest ever score - from website Metacritic, which pulled together the average score of 86 critics' reviews of the game.

Their respective reputations precede them and neither title needs much more of an explanation... so here's my judgement. Sadly, one of them has got to go!

  • Originality - There's no two ways about it, Tetris has to win this one. It started the whole "blocks falling down the screen" puzzle genre while Grand Theft is simply a more polished version of its predecessors. Winner: Tetris
  • Longevity - It's pretty tough to gauge GTA's longevity seeing as it's a relatively new release but with DLC content adding an entirely new dimension to the gameplay and introducing new, colourful characters, it could be argued that GTA will still stay in our hearts for some time to come. Even after all these years, Tetris is still a classic - and will always remain so. Draw
  • Graphics - This doesn't really need much explanation, does it? Tetris was monochrome and basic. A few differently-shaded blocks tumble down a single screen... GTA on the other hand is so immensely lifelike and varied that it's a clear winner. From the character animations to the vehicles, explosions, sunsets and buildings - it's gorgeous and difficult to comprehend when you consider the original top-down Grand Theft Auto from 1997. Winner: GTA
  • Sound FX - Featuring hundreds of voice actors, a plethora of specially-recorded radio shows and all the sounds that make Liberty City as realistic as possible, GTA is streets ahead of the albeit catchy tunes featured in Tetris. Winner: GTA
  • Replayability - Again, pretty tough to call. On the one hand, you've got the timeless nature of Tetris, its simple addictive format and the ability to pick up and play decades later. Granted it will keep you coming back for more but a lack of variety may be its downfall. GTA, however, is vast with so much potential. Not only is there to main mission to get through and all the characters to meet and interact with, there's the challenge of obtaining all the achievements (blooming pigeons!), the online multiplayer missions and now the DLC add-ons that add a whole lot more to the game. Winner: Draw

...There's not denying that Nintendo's Tetris is a classic and truly deserves an honorable mention... but against Grand Theft Auto, it just can't compete. GTA is such a complete game, and quite unlike anything I've ever seen before. GTA IV charges through to the semi finals!.

Let us know your view, take part in the poll below...

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