I'd rather see a Neo Geo cabinet with Strikers 1945, Sumurai Showdown 3, Bust-a-Move, and Metal Slug. That'd be rad.

I think it would be unfortunate if I posted a wall of text when it was unnecessary to, so I'll just link you to a most likely better written wall of text. This is an essay some guy wrote about why TGM is so great.

Tetris The Grand Master - A gameplay essay

If you want to experience the fun of TGM, I'd play other modes than easy. Try out Sakura and Master; they don't really start any harder than Easy mode so you won't be intimidated by ridiculous fast speeds. Also to gain the benefit of the thing that really makes TGM unique, play with Classic rule instead of World rule because Classic rule uses the Arika Rotation System, which is the key foundation for the TGM series.

Great game.

I too thank you for bringing TGM3 to the states. It was a lot of fun playing it on Thursday, and I'll be back for sure. I have to agree about the sticks, though; all the TGM3 setups I've seen use the ball style sticks. It's what the good players need in order to be good. If you have a spare one, or could swap it out with the sticks in the Tekken 5 machine, it would be a good thing.

Some pictures I took:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ezzelin/3010133912/

A short video showing the machine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWU_3rDtMDQ&fmt=18

For those who are asking about what the big deal is, this Tetris game is the latest in a line of Japanese Tetris games that feature much better play mechanics than normal Tetris games. These mechanics make the game a lot more streamlined and fun to play than normal Tetris, but don't change the game too much to make it something it isn't. Some highlights that aren't in other Tetris games:

1. You can hold down either rotate button before the piece comes into play to start the new piece rotated in that direction.
2. Each piece has its own unique sound! If you remember them all, you don't have to look at the next box, as the sound for the next piece coming plays every time a new piece comes into play.
3. If you press up on the arcade stick (using the TGM exclusive Classic rules) the piece will instantly drop, but won't lock. You can then slide the piece around and lock by pressing down on the arcade stick. A smooth half circle motion of up, slide and then down is called a zanga move (named after Zangief's piledriver). This allows for accurate sliding under ledges without the usual delay.
4. The game is set up more for quick play. In Master mode (the mode that most approximates normal Tetris) the game gets going faster than, say, the Game Boy version. Also, at the end of the game, the game will give you a grade, starting from 9 (worst) up to 1, then from s1 to s9, then M, and then GM (the best). Needless to say it's quite difficult to get to GM. Make sure to enter your initials at the beginning, as the game will keep track of your grades and occasionally give you promotional exams at your current level. The grade system is set up much like the ranking system in Go.
5. Also, there's a really fun Vs. mode. I still have to try that...

For more information, check out http://www.tetrisconcept.com. Or for more information on TGM3 specifically, here's the wiki page on it: http://www.tetrisconcept.com/wiki/index.php/TGM3.

I ordered more joysticks today, but get the feeling you guys would not like them any better than what is on there now.  If any of you sees the stick you think would be best for sale online somewhere, please link me to it.  Seems like all the Happ sticks are bat style now.  We can always order from Japan, but I doubt you guys would want to wait the weeks that can take to get them here.
Thanks as always for the great input!  this is a fun experiment, and we are hoping it all works out.

You should all send props to Kevin.  This is his brainchild.  Thanks kevin, for your input in getting things together with this project.

If this whole thing works out, that will open up even more willingness on our part to roll the dice with interesting import games. 

Ah! Bill! Thanks!

I was going to link you earlier, but was afraid I'd be asking for too much. The Sanwa JLW-TM-8 stick is the only Sanwa stick that will work in a wooden control panel like what the TGM cabinet currently has. I haven't found any places other than Akihabarashop.jp that will ship quickly, but Arcadeshop.de has the same part and claims to be able to ship immediately and deliver within 2-5 days. I haven't ordered anything from them (yes, I am that addicted that I have ordered arcade parts for modding console arcade sticks), but I have heard a few good things about them. Price seems not too bad for a Sanwa stick.

Here's a link:
http://www.arcadeshop.de/Joysticks-JLW-TM-8-Sanwa_723.html

Although I wouldn't necessarily be totally off-put by a bat stick, the sticks are too stiff from what I hear.

I find the piece previews probably have more use subconciously. The color of the piece in preview in your peripheral vision is a more useful cue in most cases, although I can usually remember the sound of the I-block. It is also useful for recognizing when a block has been dealt multiple in a row.

TGM3 actually uses a slightly modified grading scale. After S9 comes m1-m9, followed by Master, MK, MV, MO, MM, and Grand Master.

One of the neat things that TGM3 brings to the table is promotional exams. If you're logged in, the machine keeps track of your average ranking in Master. If your average goes up, you will receive promotional exams. Earn the grade indicated by the exam, and you become "qualified" at that skill level. In fact, in order to earn the Grand Master rank in TGM3, you must be qualified Master M playing with consistent play above that level. Once you are consistent enough, you'll have "proved yourself to the machine" and earn the opportunity to take the Grand Master exam. Once you have passed that exam, you unlock the Grand Master grade in normal play. Until then, all potential GM games are displayed as MM. There is no "lucky" one-shot GM; you have to prove you are truly worthy of the grade. I believe there are only 3 players to date that have proved earned the title on TGM3.

Another reason I'd say TGM is the expert's choice is its Sega Tetris heritage. 1988's Sega Tetris was the most refined experience of the early Tetris games, despite it's flaws.. It is the first game to feature lock delay, which makes 1 row per frame gravity -- considered the maximum speed for early Tetris -- a fair challenge rather than a near impossibility. It features the best rotation tables of the early games by far, featuring consistent S/Z table design (Nintendo's old-school tables are purely right- or left- handed depending on the game and have inconsistencies in moves that can be done with S vs. Z.) as well as tables designed to allow most of the pieces to rotate when touching the stack. With the improvements added throughout the TGM series, I'd say Sega-derived rotations have become the most intuitive of the two modernly used rotation rules.

tl;dr: I can talk on and on about this, but really you have to play Classic Master for a little while to gain an appreciation for how refined the game really is. All of these elegantly designed mechanics lend to a much improved experience over your typical guideline schlock.

I've heard of http://akihabarashop.jp for sticks, not sure though.

very very excited for grandmaster 3! i should be able to make it up there soon--it's looking like the first portland tetris-obsessed-group field trip is going to be on the 21st of this month, providing everyone's schedules line up. japanese components are, as previously mentioned, infinitely more desirable for this game. especially the joystick. if it's in anyway possible, i second (or third?) the sanwa request. i'd say a stiff or unresponsive stick is really going to end up frustrating a lot of people, and it would be awful for people to get discouraged by the controls.

i've never played on an actual Ti cabinet, can't wait to try and beat KAN's old scores.

thank you guys so much for making this happen!
-mat

Kevin,
thanks for the legwork.  Sanwa's are now on order. 

Would you like to run a tournament on this game?  If so, you have the green light.  Acme was wondering if there would be a tournament on this game, as they thought that would be cool.  We already dropped your name as a possible tournament admin.

looking foward to blazblue =)

Oh man a TGM3 tournament would be great, especially now that the cab's being improved with sanwa sticks and some additional decals.

People might even carpool up from Cali to attend something like this!

Nothing from Kevin, maybe we scared him off with thought of running a tournament?  Or he is sleeping at Acme under the TGM3!

Sorry for not replying with haste! I was on a band trip in Bellingham, and didn't have any usable internet that I could make a post with. Anyway, I'd love to organize a TGM tournament! I think we should try and shoot for the casual angle as well with this; is there any way we can get Acme to advertise the event in their "event list" thing? Tetris is pretty much the most casual arcade game ever created, so I thought it'd be a neat showcase for the game and the community if a lot of people came regardless of skill level. The tournament would be probably a little easier to run than a DDR tournament, but might take just as long if not longer since Tetris matches tend to take a while. I'm going to consult with the TetrisConcept people to see what they think would be a good format for the tournament; they're basically the best players in the Western world so they might be able to give some useful insight.

Hopefully this machine does well...I don't want this to fail and prevent the spread of TGM in the USA. Coincidentally, here's an interesting fact: the game doesn't say anything about it being illegal to operate outside of Japan! The previous games in the series did, but TGM3 does not. Strange? Maybe.

And yes, I think people from California and maybe even further would come out to a tournament, since it's probably the first of its kind in the USA.

All this hubub for a Tetris game is completely baffling me (and I'm a guy who still owns his first NES and has the Konami Code memorized since 5th grade). I honestly don't understand why this is so completely awesome to some of you.  Is it because the machine and game are a staple in Japanese culture, and so wannabe otaku in the US get into it for that reason? This is NOT a flame post, please enlighten me as to why you're so overjoyed about a Tetris game?

I would get excited over a Neo-Geo with 4 great classics in it, but tetris? I just don't get it.

thank you so much for getting sanwa sticks! i can't wait to play!

tournament would be absolutely awesome. will help in whatever way i can.



watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5n7cD3VkEc

if that doesn't get you excited then i don't know how to explain why it should.

Yeah, I saw that vid last year...still doesn't do much for me. I mean, I've watched guys ace Mario Bros, Ikaruga, Gradius, and just about any game ever made. If I got weak kneed over every game that someone has "uber pwned", that would make me obsessed with every game ever made. There will always be super pros for almost every game, even crappy ones.

What I'm wanting to know is, what is it that makes you guys want it so bad? I mean, this looks like something you can get for the GBA. With something like Street Fighter IV, I see the difference and the changes. But with this Tetris game it just seems so...retro (which I like), but it's nothing I haven't seen before.

I just don't understand the obsession. If anyone here cares to take a crack at explaining this to me, please do so.

Again, as a disclaimer. Don't take offense to any of this. It is not an attack, just a curiosity.

Hey Kevin,
Remind me as we get nearer a tournament to asl Acme if they will list the event.  Something tells me they will be down with that. 

Haha, our shop crew would also like to know what is special about Tetris.  I guess you just have to be in to that sort of game?

Ah, that's cool that you think Acme might publicize it. I think a lot more people would show up if that were the case.

To address Suko, Bill, and all the people asking about why the game is so special, I'd probably say in a nutshell that it is the best competitive Tetris game released in the last 20 years. Sure, the core concept of the game has remained the same, but the way in which TGM is played is quite different than that of other Tetris games. It really goes back to Sega Tetris, which was very popular when it came out in Japanese arcades. It had a different rotation system than other games at the time and allowed for some neat tricks to be done. It also introduced lock delay, in which the piece does not lock into place immediately when it hits another piece or the bottom of the well. This allows for a much faster level of play than other Tetris games, and also completely opens up the ability for play where the pieces drop instantly (also known as 20G, because the pieces move 20 lines in one frame). In other older Tetris games, this would be impossible because the pieces would just lock instantly. However, in TGM, the only side effect of 20G is that your move palette is reduced. That is, you cannot place pieces willy-nilly, and must focus more on stacking in a way that allows you to keep a neat stack and avoid making holes.

In later games by The Tetris Company, they instilled a set of rules called the Guideline, which mandates the new Super Rotation System, or SRS (referred to as World in TGM3). This rotation system is somewhat broken, as it nullifies the difficulty of 20G by basically allowing you to "climb" pieces over one another one the pieces have hit the ground. These "floorkicks" are so extreme that absolutely ridiculous things can happen such as clearing three lines with one T piece, also known as a T-Spin Triple. Some Guideline games also have infinity, which allows you to keep a piece from locking by simply spinning or sliding it forever since the delay resets every time you do this. As you can see, that's clearly broken. TGM does not allow you to do this, bringing the challenge back into the game. Also, the Arika Rotation System (ARS, referred to as Classic in TGM3) which is based on the aforementioned old Sega Tetris rotation system only resets lock delay when a piece moves downwards (this is known as Step Reset, as opposed to Move Reset where the delay resets on any movement). Thanks to The Tetris Company's ridiculous Guideline, the challenge and main gameplay mechanics in most modern Tetris games are destroyed and the game seems incredibly easy. Time attack is often irrelevant, and most games cannot even reach 20G or, if they do, only feature an endless mode with no real goal.

TGM, however, does not adhere strictly to this Guideline. In TGM, the grading system rewards quality play (i.e. lots of Tetrises) in tandem with fast play. This grading system is found in Master mode, where the game reaches 20G at anywhere from level (pieces dropped+lines cleared) 300 to 500. From then on, the lock delay and delay between piece drops decrease and at level 999 the game goes into a credit roll where depending on how well you played you have to survive for 60 seconds with either disappearing or fully invisible pieces. As you can see from the video linked to by Mat, it's just not easy to do well in this mode. The gameplay is more satisfying than any other Tetris game, and the replay value is insane. For the ridiculously good players, Shirase mode also offers even more of a speed increase and new challenge based entirely on survival at insane speeds. Sakura mode is a bit like the "Puzzle" mode of the game, in which you have to clear lines in preset patterns to advance to trickier and more confusing levels. Another few neat additions were added to the game in order to facilitate better/high level play. Initial Hold System allows you to hold a piece before it even drops. Initial Rotation System allows you to prerotate pieces before they drop, avoiding some sticky situations and also allowing for even more optimized play.

Now, you might be thinking that this game is just impossible and not even reasonably fun or approachable by casual players. However, this isn't the case. Being the smart people they are (and partially forced to do so by The Tetris Company), Arika decided to include SRS under the title of World. They also added a fairly standard mode called Easy in which the game only goes to level 300 and the speed increase is not as difficult. This mode doesn't feature a ranking system, but it lets anyone who's touched any form of Tetris enjoy the refined and well-balanced game that is TGM3. World rotation can also be used in the other modes as well, for intermediate players or those who do not have experience with the Arika Rotation System. VS mode is also very exciting, as it is truly a battle of speed and arcade game skill. There is little to no luck involved with the randomizer used in TGM, and the optional addition of items adds a little spice and strategy to the game.

TL;DR I know, but you asked and I delivered. Suko, if all you've done so far is try World Easy mode, I suggest you check it out again and maybe use classic, play some other modes, feel around a little. It might be more enjoyable and I think you'll see that this is no ordinary Tetris game. I can without a doubt say that no other game has such a great ruleset, and that TGM3 is one of the purest "arcade classics" revitalized and brought back to its original competitive roots in a way that has certainly worked out well.

I visited the TGM3 machine earlier today with my wife while we were out couch shopping. I played the Vs. mode for the first time with her. The timer was set to 2:00 minutes per round! We weren't able to complete either round, and it just gave the victory to me since I play faster and reached a higher level (pieces dropped + lines cleared) than my wife. Needless to say, my wife felt a little ripped off. The whole game was over far too quick. At the current settings, I'm pretty sure most customers will run into the same problem. Luckily, this limit can be set in the machine options. There is a setting called VS Level; this setting determines a level goal that if either player reaches that player wins. Also, as the VS Level setting is set higher, the time limit per round goes up as well proportionately. Most players aren't going to be able to reach the level goal within the time limit unless they play very quickly, but at the current setting they will certainly run into the time limit before the average game ends. Bill, if the VS Level setting could be set to at least 500, which I think corresponds to around 6 minutes max per round (haven't had confirmation yet), this would give players time to finish rounds without always running into the time limit. Most players won't get to 6 minutes anyways, as the game will start going much faster before that point.

P.S.: The photo machine right next the TGM3 is really annoying and very loud. It plays the same few cheesy songs all day long. Is there any way to turn it down or make it play less frequently? Thanks.

Ahhhh man, I knew I must have been forgetting something. Yeah, it would definitely be good if the level/time limits could be bumped up. I'm not really sure how far, but I think at least level 500 would be reasonable.

The only comparable situation I can think of is Puzzle Fighter, which has no limits of any kind during versus play. I think 999/12min would be the preferred setting for TGM, just so you can limit their interference in your match. I doubt any matches would be getting into the high gravity sections of the game given how TGM garbage patterns and items are set up, but I think it's best just to avoid getting in the way of a match in case it does. The most satisfying victory condition garbaging your opponent into top out anyhow, hehe.

I'm not near Acme unfortunately. But I'm crazy enough to have bought my own personal TGM3 arcade machine so I thought I'd add an answer to this question. Also, I'm definitely not a japanophile and don't even watch anime so lets rule that out first.

Most Tetris games are easy. Players get decent at them, and can pretty much survive until they get bored. TGM turns the difficulty way up, and it turns out that when you do this a whole bunch of depth that was previously optional becomes mandatory. It starts out just as easy as other Tetris games of course, but the long road to becoming a grandmaster really does require you to innovate and refine your play.

There's so much more to it than "tetris, but faster". You never stop learning new strategies and fancy moves that open up more placement options. And unlike, say, fighting games where you waggle the stick in an arbitrary way to make your character do something, all advanced moves in TGM emerge directly from simple movement and rotation combinations. There are no movelists. You naturally evolve from someone timidly tapping the controls to someone smoothly doing circle motions and hitting well timed rotations, gliding pieces into place gracefully at top speed.

Unlike stage based games, there is no risk of the music/level design getting boring... The randomness ensures every game is fresh. And unlike versus games, the game is not limited to being as interesting as the human opponents you have available. The game just never stops pushing you harder than you can push back. There are no explosions or violence, but this game defines intense. It's always fresh, has a deep learning curve, and is thrilling every step of the way (ok maybe not when you're a complete beginner).

Could this game work on GBA? I guess. But it's arcade exclusive, and really isn't the same without an arcade stick and the slick presentation. You're comparing TGM3 to classic Neo-Geo games but it's in a completely different class. This is a game that can capture your interest for years... It's the sort of game addicts will go out of their way to play, the sort that people will visit an arcade for, and currently Acme is the only stop.

Saw two people at Acme tonight of note.  One guy was playing high level doubles via the 'hold both bars' method.  Seemed like it was working for him.  The other guy kept trying to pass Max 300 Heavy.

Stealth.

Facing away from the screen.

I saw him make it to the pause with a full combo, but it looked like he picked it back up slightly off the beat, and ended up failing out.  Seems like he'll be able to do it before long, if he didn't do it after I left.

Yeah stealthing 10's is pretty popular around Tukwila isn't it? I heard about a lot of people trying to do MU backwards stealth a few years ago...

Also that "hold both bars" method is just bar-raping on doubles. It's about the same as bar-raping on single except, since you're using both pads, you use both bars. I think most people use it these days...

sounds like darryl. darryl can AA max 300 stealth