ModRetro is bringing a new multiplayer mode to the modernized version of Tetris that has been shipping with its recreated Game Boy, the Chromatic, since its 2024 release. The game already features multiple head-to-head modes when two Chromatic handhelds are connected using an optional Link Cable, but the new Battle Mode is the first time that players can interact with each other.
When one player clears lines and reduces their Tetris stack, their opponent’s stack grows even taller with “garbage lines” added to the bottom featuring random spaces that make them harder to clear. It was a gameplay mode included with the version of Tetris that shipped with the original Nintendo Game Boy, and some gamers have wondered why it wasn’t in ModRetro’s version already.
The free update is available today to every Chromatic owner, who will be able to upgrade their Tetris cartridges using the handheld’s Cart Clinic feature while it’s connected to a PC or Mac. Because it’s the cartridge itself being updated, and not the Chromatic, the new Battle Mode will also be available when using the game in other devices, like an original Game Boy Color.