| Cult of Mac

Apple’s Tetris film slots easily into top 10 list

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In Tetris, Nikita Efremov (left) plays the long, straight block while Taron Egerton stars as the square block. (Kidding!)
Photo: Apple TV+

The new Apple TV+ film about sneaking Tetris out of Communist Russia is pulling in plenty of viewers. It was actually more popular than Ted Lasso last week, according to one TV ratings company — though that Apple comedy is very popular, too.

And Shinking continues its long run in the top 10 most popular streaming shows, possibly because it’s now possible to binge the entire first season.

Tetris movie squanders a story to focus on deals [Apple TV+ review] ★★☆☆☆

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Togo Igawa, Nino Furuhata and Taron Egerton in ★★☆☆☆
The hunt for international rights fuels new Apple TV+ movie Tetris.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewNew Apple TV+ movie Tetris is part of a trend I hope goes away — making movies about advances in capitalist innovation. Perhaps the least-interesting subject possible, it’s been done justice precisely once in David Fincher’s The Social Network, because it understood that behind every “genius” is a shell game played by a feckless coward. And trust me, Tetris never reaches the highs of that particular example.

A movie too interested in the destination to enjoy the journey, Tetris tells the tale of the sale of the world’s most ubiquitous video game. The movie, which premieres today on Apple’s streaming service, possesses some small virtues but suffers from big problems.

Mobile Tetris players can stack up rewards like a free month of Apple TV+

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Mobile
Mobile Tetris players can earn rewards points and even watch the new Tetris movie for free on Apple TV+.
Image: PlayStudios

PlayStudios launched a Rewards Store Friday for the classic puzzle game Tetris. The program will let millions of mobile players earn rewards, including a free one-month subscription to Apple TV+.

Of course, this comes “just in time for the premiere of Apple Original Film Tetris, now streaming globally on Apple TV+.”

Because of course it does.

Tetris trailer portrays Cold War-era struggle to bring classic game to the world

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In Tetris, Nikita Efremov (left) plays the long, straight block while Taron Egerton stars as the square block. (Kidding!)
Photo: Apple TV+

The Tetris movie isn’t about falling blocks. Instead, the Apple TV+ film is a thriller about how the hugely popular game was brought out of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

The trailer clearly shows the struggle an entrepreneur goes through to convince a deeply suspicious communist regime to allow Tetris out of the country.

Apple TV+ movies sizzle reel shows a network at less than peak performance

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Apple TV+s Luck
Luck, which features a dragon voiced by Jane Fonda, is just one of the star-studded films coming to Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple

Apple kicked off Tuesday’s Peek Performance event with a look at the upcoming Apple TV+ slate of movies — and it’s not a very pretty picture.

You can look forward to the kind of forgettable, star-studded stuff that Netflix has become so adept at providing a rapacious public, most of whom seem just as eager to forget these types of movies exist. While promising Martin Scorsese film Killers of the Flower Moon remains free of both a release date and a trailer, the Apple TV+ sizzle real showcased several upcoming movies that don’t inspire confidence.

Puzzle to the rhythm of new Tetris Beat

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‘Tetris Beat’ is coming soon to Apple Arcade
Take “Tetris” and give it some rhythm and you get “Tetris Beat.”
Photo: Apple Arcade

This isn’t your parents’ Tetris. N3TNetwork updated the classic puzzle game to give it some rhythm — the result is Tetris Beat.

It launched today on the gaming service Apple Arcade.

Tetris Beat puts musical twist on a classic game

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‘Tetris Beat’ is coming soon to Apple Arcade
Tetris Beat isn’t your parents’ version of the game.
Photo: Apple Arcade

Take Tetris and give it some rhythm and you get Tetris Beat, a fresh version of the puzzle classic. It includes music from Alison Wonderland and many other artists.

The game is coming soon to Apple Arcade.

These are the best games for reducing stress during lockdown

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Sims-4
Sims, available on Mac and iOS, is rated the best stress reliever.
Photo: EA

A good video game is a great way to escape the COVID-19 pandemic and forget, just for a little while, about the nasty impact it’s having on the world. But which video games should you play? Which titles are proven to help?

A new study reveals the best games to play for reducing stress — and those that should be avoided if your primary goal is a positive, calming experience. We’ll highlight those you can enjoy on Mac and iOS.

A brand-new Tetris game is already out on iOS

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Tetris-iOS
That didn't take long.
Photo: The Tetris Company

A brand-new Tetris game today landed on iOS — just a day after EA confirmed it is retiring its own lineup of Tetris titles.

The game promises to deliver the traditional Tetris gameplay experience millions of fans around the world already know and love. But this is not the Tetris Royale title that was announced last year.