Did you know there’s a new Tetris game out for the 3DS? Tetris Axis is the newest Tetris game available, and it brings 3D graphics to the block-dropping series. I know, when you think of 3D and Tetris, you think of those horrible 3D Tetris games that were hard to control on the PC. Well, don’t worry. The 3D isn’t a game-crippling change of perspective that shows why Tetris only works on a two-dimensional plane, it’s only an incredible unnecessary effect that shows why Tetris only works on a two-dimensional plane.

Tetris Axis is a decent compilation of Tetris game types developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo, but compared to the stellar (and actually Nintendo-themed) Tetris DS, it falls flat. The two best things I can say about Tetris Axis is that it has regular Tetris and that’s always fun, and it’s only $30.

The standard Tetris game mode is the main feature in the game, with endless and marathon modes to keep the bricks dropping. It works well enough, but at this point Tetris should be a downloadable game, or even included on the freaking system. The only reason to get a physical copy of Tetris is for any extra content, and at this Tetrix Axis doesn’t make the case. The two draws besides the standard Tetris game are extra modes and the 3D effect.

Unfortunately, the extra game modes are generally boring. The only one really worthwhile is CPU Battle, which puts you head to head against a series of 10 opponents, most of them Bomberman-themed. It’s the standard get-more-lines-and-send-them-to-the-opponent’s-screen mode found on every block-dropping puzzle game these days, and it’s unfortunately the only particularly entertaining one.

The other modes are a handful of “party” games with only minor novelty value, like dropping blocks into an outline to form a picture, racing a Tetris piece through a “track” of blocks (clever, but less fun than it sounds), and the thoroughly boring “Climber,” where you lay bricks to get a figure to climb a tower. There are also two AR games where you put the 3DS AR card on a table and play over the card. Unfortunately, one of the modes is Climber, and the other is a very, very small Tetris mode. Also unfortunately, it only serves to make the games nearly unplayable, forcing you to walk around the card to drop blocks in Climber and making it hard to keep the well in frame in the Tetris mode. Compare these to Tetris DS’ handful of other modes, which offered unique and entertaining spins on the Tetris formula. Fever and Climber modes in Tetris Axis don’t come close to being as entertaining as the Push and Touch modes in Tetris DS.

Another reason Tetris DS worked so well was its Nintendo-themed graphics. As you played through the main Tetris mode, the theme changed through the Mario games and then through the other classic Nintendo games. It was a great touch of nostalgia that didn’t get in the way of the game. Sadly, all Tetris Axis offers if your Mii dancing in the bottom of the screen and the occasional Bomberman reference. Yes, it has 3D graphics, but only in the sense that the Tetris wells stand out from the background. It’s Tetris. 3D doesn’t really help.

Tetris Axis isn’t bad, just incredibly unnecessary. The 3D doesn’t make the game any better, and the lack of the excellent content in Tetris DS seriously hurts it. It’s strange that a game published by Nintendo and outsourced to Hudson is inferior to… the same game Nintendo itself made a few years ago. If you really want Tetris on your DS (and it’s understandable if you do), track down a copy of Tetris DS. Tetris Axis, even at its $30 price, isn’t worth it.