It’s been a little while since we last took a look a rather different looking version of a game that was released. Today we take a look at Mirrorsoft’s Tetris, which was reviewed in an issue of Happy Computer magazine.
Reviewed in March 1988, the screenshot shown was of a rather different looking game to the one we eventually got. Basically the same layout and tile design as the Atari ST and Commodore Amiga versions, but with very different background graphics.
We think that Denis Harris did the initial work that you can see here, but was asked to add a bit more background or detail – or simply this was just a starting point to later build on. The font oddly looks like something which could have been designed by Andrew Braybrook.
Or are we completely wrong and was this a PC version that never got released? The PC release was a Spectrum Hollobyte developed game it seems. Perhaps John Jones-Steele had also done a PC edition?
It’s suspected there isn’t much else different with the game, but a nice curiosity which would be great to see. It’s clear that Happy Computer were sent a pre-release version, perhaps someone still has it?
With thanks to Michael Handt for highlighting and Archive.org for the scan.
Gallery
Interesting! It was displayed in Power Play (3/1988, p32) too, and it’s an Amiga game. In ASM (4/1988, p60), there’s no Amiga screenshot, and the ST screenshot shows the final version. Maybe it was sent to German magazines only? I don’t see it in French reviews.