Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Tetris is widely considered one of the best and most universal games of all time, but as Brown-s (Andre the Giant: Life and Legend) smart, well-paced history relates, there-s more to the story than just falling blocks. In 1984, Tetris is invented by Alexey Pajitnov, a Russian computer scientist, who shares the game with his friends and eventually sneaks it out from behind the Iron Curtain. When the head of a U.K.-based software company glimpses it at a Hungarian technology institute, he immediately recognizes its money-making potential. A series of misunderstandings and outright lies lead to the illegal licensing of the rights, and soon every major game company in the world wants a piece of it. The backroom deals, last-minute contract changes, and hectic trips to Moscow make for a quick and addictive tale that captures all the international drama. Brown-s drawings are simple but highly effective, using a black, white, and yellow color scheme to evoke the limited or nonexistent graphics available to Alexey. (Oct.)

Voice of Youth Advocates (Tue Feb 28 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Brown, author of the fictionalized graphic biography, Andre the Giant: Life and Legend (Macmillan, 2014/VOYA June 2014), here provides a book-length graphical treatment of the development of the classic video game, Tetris. The main character is Alexey Pajitnov, the Russian programmer who created the game in 1984 during his spare time while working for the Soviet government. The licensing and marketing of Tetris became a real-life international espionage thriller, with Japanese, British, and American businessmen and officials frantically competing to secure rights to arcade and home entertainment versions of the game from Alexey's dour Soviet employers, who, during that Cold War era, were unaccustomed to the spectacle of frenzied competition for commercial rights to recreational software. The story provides a fascinating glimpse into the state of personal computing in the 1980s, before the World Wide Web and tools such as email, texting, and smart phones revolutionized modern communications. Tetris was one of the first programs to "go viral" and become a worldwide phenomenon, and its dispersal was closely tied to the early history of the Atari, Nintendo, and Sega play systems.Drawn with strong, simple lines and illustrated in two colors, Brown's graphical account of the Tetris phenomenon will appeal to teens with an interest in the history of computer gaming and to those hoping to become video game developers. The bits of dialogue and other text within each panel are brief; nevertheless, the story becomes a bit dense in places due to the author's earnest thoroughness in conveying the complexity of the legal battles fought over rights to the famous game.Walter Hogan.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

A graphic narrative that clarifies a complicated series of international negotiations, making the story interesting even for those who don't care about video games.An ambitious and accomplished illustrator, Brown (Andre the Giant, 2014, etc.) streamlines a story that encompasses Japanese technology, Russian software development, American licensing, international business practices, and a worldwide obsession sparked by a simple game. He also provides context that traces the creative impulse for designing games back to cave paintings and suggests that, from earliest recorded history, "the player isn't just having an imaginative experience. They're practicing analytical and strategic skills." But most of all, "fun is the motivator for all of this!" Brown's book is much more fun than most accounts of business deals, as the narrative shows how a puzzle gaming craze began in Russia, a country where copyrights and royalties were foreign concepts and where early Tetris passed from hand to hand. "The idea of selling the game as a product never crossed his mind," writes the author of Soviet software developer Alexey Pajitnov. Though the game lacked the rich visuals or propensity for violence that would mark other video game sensations, it became globally contagious. "People played so much and so often that they experienced visual hallucinations," writes the author. "People would continue to see Tetris pieces falling after they'd stopped playing. It became known as the Tetris Effect." It also became a gold mine and sparked plenty of disputes as foreign rights and emerging technologies led to contentious legal battles. When the "Tetris merry-go-round" stopped, Pajitnov was initially left with "no compensation. Any money that might have gone to him went to the Soviet government….They couldn't even pay him a bonus." Ultimately, it ended well for Tetris' creator, who moved to the United States, where "he was pursuing his true passion in life" and was belatedly rewarded for his efforts. A clean and engaging visual style supports a story that sustains narrative drive, humanizing the characters and making readers care about every development.

School Library Journal Starred Review (Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Gr 9 Up-Brown immerses readers in the complicated origins of one of the world's most popular video games, Tetris. Its creator, Alexey Pajitnov, was a computer scientist who became obsessed with how games and puzzles affected human psychology. Before long, Pajitnov became caught up in a prototype he'd designed based on a childhood game and shared it with his friends. Soon all of Moscow was consumed by what would eventually be called "the game that escaped the USSR." The art style is reminiscent of the Cyanide and Happiness comic but whimsical in tone. It also cleverly mimics the structure of Tetris itself: straightforward and engaging, without any extra bells and whistles. With the recent Nintendo release of the hit cell phone game Pok&3;mon Go , this title is a timely explanation of the origins of the gaming world, particularly when it comes to the rivalries among various gaming companies. The story resonates and will appeal to fans of Jim Ottaviani's Feynman and Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birut &3; Galdikas . VERDICT This quick, thoughtful read will find an audience among teens interested in pursuing a career in video game design or those who wonder just how video games like Tetris have spread like wildfire.— Chantalle Uzan, New York Public Library

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A graphic narrative that clarifies a complicated series of international negotiations, making the story interesting even for those who don't care about video games.An ambitious and accomplished illustrator, Brown (Andre the Giant, 2014, etc.) streamlines a story that encompasses Japanese technology, Russian software development, American licensing, international business practices, and a worldwide obsession sparked by a simple game. He also provides context that traces the creative impulse for designing games back to cave paintings and suggests that, from earliest recorded history, "the player isn't just having an imaginative experience. They're practicing analytical and strategic skills." But most of all, "fun is the motivator for all of this!" Brown's book is much more fun than most accounts of business deals, as the narrative shows how a puzzle gaming craze began in Russia, a country where copyrights and royalties were foreign concepts and where early Tetris passed from hand to hand. "The idea of selling the game as a product never crossed his mind," writes the author of Soviet software developer Alexey Pajitnov. Though the game lacked the rich visuals or propensity for violence that would mark other video game sensations, it became globally contagious. "People played so much and so often that they experienced visual hallucinations," writes the author. "People would continue to see Tetris pieces falling after they'd stopped playing. It became known as the Tetris Effect." It also became a gold mine and sparked plenty of disputes as foreign rights and emerging technologies led to contentious legal battles. When the "Tetris merry-go-round" stopped, Pajitnov was initially left with "no compensation. Any money that might have gone to him went to the Soviet government….They couldn't even pay him a bonus." Ultimately, it ended well for Tetris' creator, who moved to the United States, where "he was pursuing his true passion in life" and was belatedly rewarded for his efforts. A clean and engaging visual style supports a story that sustains narrative drive, humanizing the characters and making readers care about every development.