Tetris Artifacts at The Strong
Last year, The Strong initiated the World Video Game Hall of Fame and recognized Tetris® as one of six inductees of the inaugural class. With the announcement coming just days before the Tetris brand’s 31st anniversary, it was the perfect way to kick-start decade number four.
To build upon The Strong’s existing Tetris collection in the Hall of Fame, The Tetris Company recently sent a few artifacts to the museum on behalf of two video game industry trailblazers: Alexey Pajitnov, the creator of Tetris, and Henk Rogers, the entrepreneur who helped propel Pajitnov’s game into the limelight.
The artifacts include two of the earliest versions of the Tetris game, released by U.S. publisher Spectrum HoloByte and U.K. publisher Mirrorsoft. These veteran games can be seen in their original 1987 packaging alongside a 1988 certificate that recognizes Bullet-Proof Software (founded by Rogers) for its version of Tetris, which was considered one of Japan’s greatest games of the year.
The new arrivals at The Strong are a small but clear representation of the Tetris game’s far-reaching history, both in time and geography, and the brand broadens that reach with each passing year. So, while we love to celebrate the brand’s roots and look back on its history, we also continue to look ahead and push Tetris to new heights. After being played in outer space, on towering skyscrapers, and on nearly every console you can think of, the big question is…where will Tetris appear next?
