Another Nintendo game launch, another Tetris 99 themed event. With the impending release of Pokémon Sword And Shield next week, Nintendo will be hosting a themed Tetris Maximus Cup to promote the title. Just like in the past, a new theme featuring everyone's favorite pocket monsters will be up for grabs. It even sees players capturing other contestants when they get KO's.
Running from November 8 until November 12, players that participate in Tetris 99 online battles will be able to nab a special Pokémon Sword And Shield theme. In a short trailer released by Nintendo of Japan, we get a glimpse of how the theme looks and plays out. It features music from the upcoming game with sound effects inspired by the Game Boy originals. Opponents will be featured as various critters in the background that the player captures for successful KO's. It's very neat and full of color.
As with previous events, you'll need to earn 100 Maximus points during the timeframe to obtain the theme. Points are earned by simply playing online battles in Tetris 99. The closer you get to number one, the more points you'll obtain. It, essentially, requires roughly 10 battles if you're placing below 50th, so it doesn't take all that long to acquire.
What's funny is how Nintendo has used Tetris 99 in such clever ways. Originally an out of nowhere promotion for the Nintendo Switch Online service, the free-to-play battle royale has almost become an advertisement. With basically every upcoming Nintendo release, a new contest is held with a theme as the prize. This happened for Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Super Kirby Clash, and Luigi's Mansion 3.
More importantly, it's an excellent way to get people returning to Tetris 99. While placing first is a pipedream for many, earning a theme just for participating is a great way to reward yourself for putting in time. It also helps that competition is fierce during these contests, meaning you'll likely hone your skill for an eventual win.
With no other major Nintendo releases planned before the end of 2019, there's no telling what Tetris 99 will host next. Maybe an end of year refresh of past themes? That would be nice!
Source: Twitter