Tumble (1983)
Controls
- left and right arrow: Move left and right
- up arrow: Rotate
- down arrow: Drop faster
Description
Stack falling blocks to form complete rows and clear space. A game of strategy, precision, and planning.
Restoration challenges...
Recovered from a nearly unreadable cassette tape. Early versions suggest gameplay tweaks that never made it into the final release.
Notes
Gameplay
Tumble is a block-stacking puzzle game where players must carefully position falling pieces to form complete rows. Tumble allows blocks to rotate mid-air, introducing a new level of strategic play. Players must keep the board clear by efficiently placing pieces before they run out of space.
Despite being released in 1983, Tumble’s mechanics were years ahead of their time. Some have even speculated that it might have influenced later, more widely known puzzle games.
Restoration Story
I found Tumble on an old cassette labeled “Macrosoft Puzzle – Prototype.” The tape was heavily degraded, and much of the original game code was unreadable. However, by cross-referencing fragments from a second, corrupted copy, I managed to reconstruct what I believe to be the intended final version.
Curiously, some of the early code suggests that Tumble originally had a competitive two-player mode, though I couldn’t get it working. Mostly because I only found one console, but maybe there is another prototype hidden somewhere. There are also traces of unused sound effects, possibly intended for a mechanic that was scrapped before release.