Blockout
MANUFACTURER: Atari PLAYERS: 1 STEREO: No RATING: 8 (6.3)
TYPE: Tetris 3-D COMLYNX: No BLINK: No

WHAT: Drop various block shapes into a 3-d pit, attempting to create a
filled level at the bottom of the pit, much like Tetris but in 3-D.

HOW :Various difficulties,in terms of speed,complexity of block shapes, and
the size of the pit can be selected. The 3-D effect is well done, both with
receding lines to show depth and darker colors for far away blocks. A new
block enters the screen at the top of the well. New blocks are transparent,
with white outlines to show you their shape. The trick is to get the block
rotated in such a way that it will fit optimally into what already exists
in the well. When an x-y plane is complete, that level disappears,your
score goes up,and the game speeds up. Holding down the B button and moving
the C-pad left or right gives a Y-axis rotation, up or down is an X-axis
rotation. Z axis rotation is performed by pressing the A and B buttons
simultaneously. The A button drops a block into the well. Blocks will
proceed down themselves at various speeds depending on difficulty. An
indicator on the left will show how high up in levels the highest block in
the well is.

SOAPBOX: Z-axis rotation is difficult, which detracts slightly from the
game. But it is certainly playable, and fast paced, with great graphics and
good sound. This is not a game that suffers much from the lower resolution
of a handheld,but some players simply won't like the concept.