I have just recently got hold of a Japanese copy of the original GameBoy Tetris. To my great disappointment, it didn't have the Korobeiniki-music as Type A bgm so I did some googling. Can't be that I'm buying a copy of 1989 Tetris only to play it with this particular BGM and even the Tetris of all Tetrisses doesn't have it. Turns out Korobeiniki was featured on later versions in Japan and apparently the song that's Type A in my version of Tetris is commonly being referred to as "Menuett" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minuet). So, is there a way to tell those two cartridges/boxes apart? Now that I've found out, I'm of course looking for a Korobeiniki-copy of the game while appreciating the obscurity status of my (apparently) super-early NON-Korobeiniki Tetris. I guess it didn't get a different serial or cover since all of those on Yahoo look the same, although there's one advertised as "different music version". What's rarer and/or more valuable, the version with or the one without Korobeiniki?
Well, I just popped my Japanese GB Tetris into my Gameboy Light and it's got the normal Tetris music... don't know what to say. I doubt there's a higher demand for the non-"normal" version. Part of what drives demand is nostalgia, so people will want what they're familiar with. But that's just my opinion.
There might be if more people were made aware of the fact that there is a different version. I mean Tetris is Tetris, everyone has Tetris, nobody probably really noticed the difference in early Japanese versions.
In No-Intro the first rev of the ROM is labelled "world", I wonder if it saw release elsewhere? Anyway I just checked it in an emulator, indeed it does not have the korobeiniki, which is very strange given how strongly that music is associated with the game. The other two tracks are the same (they sound a little different but that's probably just the contrast between real hardware and the emulator).
I agree, that's why I was so disappointed when I first turned it on. Although "puzzled" would describe it better. Tetris without the classic tune? That's what the game is known for in the first place. Then again I've learned an almost forgotten info about Tetris that other day, so it's was well worth the purchase The American version of the game was launched only a month after the Japanese release, but I think it would be a little ambitious to assume that non-Korobeiniki versions circulated only for less than a month in Japan. They probably changed it in Japan once they realized how iconic the music became in abroad countries.
This is very interesting, I currently own three japanese Tetris carts and all of them have the "classic" Tetris tune on them. I have looked on the PCB´s and they are all different releases, one got ´90 and another got ´91 printed on the boards and the last one doesnt have any year at all but the strange about this one is that the rom is covered with black epoxy. I would love to have the Tetris you have.
Forgot to mention this in the topic. In my recent lot buy of GB games from japan. I ended up with both versions of tetris. I notice the one which has the song I originally remember from the USA version is noted at serial-001, and the one with the other tune does not have the 001 on it. I'll try to take a picture of this in the next few days. Sadly I only got one 001 cart. =/
Please also see this thread DMG-TRA-1 is a sure fire way to get Korobeiniki, but it's also pretty rare It's down to luck what music the regular DMG-TRA has
I remember getting the GB music for tetris off somewhere, probably zophar's domain, and there were a few versions, of which all were the same bar one with had a different music track for one of the slots, can't remember why but I remember seeing that it was apparently the french version? Guess it wasn't but was wrongly labelled or something.
Just got one of your Tetris carts: it's true, it doesn't have korobeiniki: howewer, here in europe it's a rare cart, so, I got lucky
@Pikkon Yeah, I believe you: as someone said, Tetris had 2 releases: one without Korobeininki and one that has it. You have the second release, i believe.
After I did research about this and found a copy myself I'm sure it is japan only. Was corrected some time ago.
