Another video game will receive its own live-action adaptation, but not in the way that you think. Tetris is an Apple TV film based on the popular video game of the same name. But it’s also the story of the legal battle to secure the IP rights of Tetris, since the game originated in Russia.
For those who haven’t played the game, Tetris is a puzzle game where you’re tasked with clearing rows of blocks using “tetrominoes” that descend from the top of the screen. The longer you play the game, the faster it gets. When you play the game Tetris, regardless of which version you play it — whether it’s for the Game Boy, Nintendo Switch, or the official web browser game — you’re going to hear some variation of the Tetris theme song. Little did you know, this iconic tune has some historical significance to it.
What is the Tetris theme song? And is it Russian?
As mentioned earlier, Tetris was invented in Russia. So it would make sense if the music for the game had some Russian influence behind it. Fortunately, the song has a name. It’s called the “Korobeiniki,” translated to “The Peddlers.” This song was composed back in the 19th century, before it became an iconic video game theme song.
According to the Tetris official website, the song was originally an 1860s poem by Nikolay Nekrasov that told the story of a peddler and a girl haggling over goods and was seen as a metaphor for courtship. Copies of the original poem still exist in a Russian museum and — just like the video game theme — the song progressively gets faster.
In 1989, when Nintendo was developing the game for the Game Boy, Hirokazu Tanaka remade the song, which was eventually called “Type A.” The song would later appear in other Nintendo titles, such as the Super Smash Bros series, Tetris & Dr. Mario, and future Tetris incarnations. Who knew that a Russian folk song would end up becoming one of the most iconic video game theme songs of all time?
Tetris will be released on Apple TV Plus on March 31, 2023.
Published: Feb 17, 2023 06:26 am