Nintendo's releases for the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Game Boy are the ones most responsible for popularizing Tetris in the United States. Interestingly, they are also the first commercially-released home versions that were completely legitimate from day one.
The NES effort, based on the Famicom game originally published by Bullet-Proof Software, makes its case with solid game play, slightly flashier graphics than what most versions had offered by that point, and catchy music based on Russian folk and classical tunes, jazzed up for the NES sound hardware. In addition to offering most everything the original Tetris did, this edition also features an alternate game mode, challenging the player to complete a set number of rows. If the challenge is met, the player is treated to a show featuring some of Nintendo's more popular characters. As an incentive, starting the game at a higher difficulty setting gives a better show.