Wetrix

by SPIG

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00002STGJ
• Media: Game Cartridge
• Release Date: July 20, 1999
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,412 in Video Games (See Bestsellers in Video Games)

Product Description

Editorial Review

The Nintendo 64 doesn't have a lot of puzzle games, so we really take notice when something in that category is released. At first glance it looked like Wetrix's unique elements and great graphics would make for one of the best puzzle games of all time, but this title has some unfortunate problems that keep it from the top of the heap.

Gameplay consists of arranging various descending pieces of land in an attempt to raise or lower the terrain that covers the main game board. This creates areas where lakes can form once the water finally starts falling from the sky. Sound strange? It is, but it's also a lot of fun at first. The water graphics are good, and things get hectic as water begins spilling over your carefully created pools and you have to scramble to mend the breaches. To add to the action, the game includes power-ups that let you get rid of some of the water. However, you'll have to act quickly to catch the power-ups as they fall from above.

Unfortunately, Wetrix gets old after a few days of play, and it doesn't have the instant yet long-term addictive qualities of a classic puzzle game like Tetris. But it's still a good time and a good buy if you are a big fan of games in this genre. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Nice water graphics
• Hectic gameplay

Cons:

• Doesn't have the staying power of a classic like Tetris

GameSpot Review

The Nintendo 64 seems to be giving puzzle games a second wind - in spite of the fact that only a couple of them have been released. Yet judging from Tetrisphere and now Wetrix, the system may, in fact, be reinventing the genre all together. And while it's somewhat cheap to use the "if/then" formula when reviewing a game ("if you loved XX, then you'll really love XX"), it's notable to mention that those who loved Tetrisphere will probably like Wetrix, and that those who hated Tetrisphere will probably like Wetrix as well. It's more immediately accessible than Tetrisphere, as an intensive tutorial is not necessary to figure out what's going on.

The Wetrix objective is not far removed from the standard modus operandi of space vs. time puzzles. You start with a 3D surface that resembles a bloated checkerboard or rendered cutting board and place your objects as they appear on the screen. You're given rectangular boxes, hollow squares, and T-shaped pieces to rotate (much like in Tetris, Puzzle Fighter, or any moveable-object puzzle game) and drop on the board before the few seconds of airtime run out and the objects place themselves. You're doing this to form walls and enclosures to capture the water droplets, of all shapes and sizes, that begin dropping on your playing field a few moves in. A water pipe meter along the side of the screen alerts you to a dangerously close amount of uncontrolled or uncontained water on your field.

While it sounds easy enough in theory, it's actually quite difficult in practice. The pieces, even in beginner mode, drop fairly quickly, considering the degree of calculation your mind must render to build successful water receptacles. And not only are you building with randomly shaped objects, you're tearing down walls and reconstructing at the same time. Green rectangles and squares drop alternately with your red building blocks, allowing you to destroy walls and change the layout of your wells. Of course, if you're not quick enough on the draw, the destruction blocks just park themselves on top of your finely placed structures, leaving gaping holes and disjointed crevices for the water to seep out. The point is, you want to contain these pools of water, without spillage, configuring as many lakes as possible without leakage. So naturally, using these destruction blocks correctly can help you fix errors you've previously made with permanent walls and change your structure as more water and walls become available.

But there are a couple more caveats as well. First of all, the board is slanted, so that has to be taken into consideration as the rain comes down. You may think your walls are tall enough to withstand overflow, but since the board is angled, your south walls have to be taller than your north walls. That's just simple logic. Also, your building/destroying blocks are not the only objects falling from the sky either. You'll have bombs to contend with - which tear up anything in their path unless you guide them to a far corner of your board that you're not currently building on - and fire bombs that work in your favor, if guided toward your lakes as they sizzle the pools of water away, making room for more water to fall. But you can't miss the water with these bombs, or they act just like the other bombs, destroying your walls and your board. As if that's not enough, just wait until you get to the point in which you've built a well-planned, solid aqueduct, and an earthquake rolls through devastating everything on the board. If you're fast, you can rebuild and actually get points for repairing the damage and leaks. Likewise, you'll earn extra points for repairing bomb blasts throughout gameplay, and on the flip side, you'll die very quickly if you send a bomb down a previous bomb's path ("rebomb... rebomb...").

Where do the other points come from? Maintaining separate lakes of course. Upon starting the game, you may find yourself constructing a large pool, able to contain a huge, singular body of water. Wrong. You get points for creating individual lakes. And as many as possible. You'll know you're on the right track if a duck appears. You can also expect rainbows, ice cubes, and assorted distractions that seemingly appear once you get the hang of the game and start doing relatively well.

There are several modes of play in Wetrix. The classic mode is the single-player game, which begins on the easiest level and progressively becomes more difficult; multiplay mode allows for two players (unfortunately, not four); challenge mode includes a one-minute or five-minute race to build the best board, a 100-piece or 500-piece fast-paced contest, and two preset levels of varying difficulty; there's a practice mode, which believe me, you should use; a pro mode, which you may never, ever master because it's quite difficult; and a handicap mode in which you can play on raised land, ice levels, random levels, levels with holes, or start with a half-full drain meter.

So what's the gameplay like once you get the logistics down? In a word, irresistible. Not only is the pace challenging from the get-go, Wetrix has taken the hidden constituent that makes most good puzzle games addictive, and has upped the dosage.

The graphics are a lot like Tetrisphere, in the sense that thinking through a spatially oriented puzzle with actual 3D "spaces" to consider is a whole new adventure. Fortunately, Wetrix offers players a variety of camera angles, close up and far away as controlled by the right shoulder button, and various tilts as controlled by the C buttons, in which to analyze your terrain. This is pretty important, too, as the difference between winning and losing the game can be measured in a small sliver of open space hidden behind a wall you cannot adequately see over or around.

The controls are relatively simple. The default is basic puzzle configuration, one button (in this case, A) to rotate and one button (in this case, B) to drop. The analog control, although a bit difficult to get used to, is recommended for long-term success.

Wetrix offers hours of engaging play, with a frustration level that falls just short of being annoying and more in the range of inspiring you to continue until you've accomplished what you want to. The title offers an amazing amount of competitive challenge, but a four-player mode would potentially add hours of group play in either co-op mode, team battles, tournaments, or two on two. The only things it's perhaps lacking when compared to its N64 puzzle brother Tetrisphere are some graphical sheen and overall depth, though it's still of course a great game that really stands on its own. Perhaps we'll see all of this should there eventually be a Wetrix 2. --Lauren Fielder
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strategy and Timing Skills with a Good Variety of Options, December 4, 1999

By A Customer

Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

I love this game, my wife hates it because I play it too much. It requires strategy and good hand eye coordination. It is not violent.

It is much like a 3-D tetris with earthquakes, rain, ice and other hazards thrown in to test you.

I must admit that my kids don't play it much.

There is a two-player mode which we enjoyed a lot more while I was learning the game. None of the rest of the family kept up with me and were not able to stay competitive.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best puzzle games of all time!, August 11, 2000

By A Customer

Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Wetrix is one of the best. It combines the idea of Tetris with an original goal: To build as many lakes as you can without overflowing. And with so many powerups and powerdowns such as bomb attacks, fireballs, rubber duckies, earthquakes and ice, this game is far from boring. And like Tetris, as you proceed through the levels the pieces fall faster, making the game chaotic, yet entertaining. And with 2-player action, challenges, and special secrets, Wetrix is the perfect game for any puzzle loving gamer.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Water tetris, anyone?, September 19, 2008

By	monsieurb54 - See all my reviews

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Simply one of the funnest games I have for the N64, it's basically a lot like Tetris. You have five types of falling objects: up-arrows that raise land, down-arrows that lower land, water drops, fire, and bombs. You have to play a hectic balancing act of using all these to effectively make a system of lakes on the game map without spilling over the sides (easier said than done). Once you spill a certain amount, you lose. Again, very simple to learn but hard to master. Lots of fun, highly recommended!