Home /
Arcade

Tetris the Absolute: The Grand Master 2

Arcade

Arcade

Tetris: The Grand Master 2: The Absolute is the second game in Arika's Tetris: The Grand Master series of Arcade-only Tetris games intended for advanced players, released exclusively in Japan in 2000. It tests the player's "Tetris Grand Master" capability, pitting them against extremely high-spee...

Download

0/5 Votes: 0

Report

Developer
Arika

Released on
2000

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Puzzle

Publisher
Psikyo

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

Wikipedia
View article →

Report this app

Images

Tetris the Absolute: The Grand Master 2 1

Tetris the Absolute: The Grand Master 2 2

Tetris the Absolute: The Grand Master 2 3

Description

Tetris: The Grand Master 2: The Absolute is the second game in Arika’s Tetris: The Grand Master series of Arcade-only Tetris games intended for advanced players, released exclusively in Japan in 2000. It tests the player’s “Tetris Grand Master” capability, pitting them against extremely high-speed scenarios where they have to place pieces at the speed of thought. At later levels, pieces appear instantaneously at the bottom of the grid, forcing the player to shuffle them into the desired location in the small grace period before they “lock” into place.

The Grand Master 2 exacerbates the difficulty even further, making it near-impossible to reach Grand Master status – in fact, only a handful of people have ever managed to achieve this feat while being recorded. Among the new requirements to reach the vaunted GM (or Grand Master) rank, the player needs to complete a sequence that occurs during the credits where the pieces are invisible after they are placed.

Tetris the Absolute: The Grand Master 2

Overview & History

Developed by Arika and released in Japanese arcades in 2000 by Capcom, Tetris the Absolute: The Grand Master 2 (TAP) stands as the pinnacle of hardcore, masocore puzzle gaming. Following up on the cult success of the original 1998 Grand Master, TAP ramps up the speed, introduces terrifying new modes like "Death" (featuring instant placement and screen-darkening speeds), and refines the proprietary ARS (Arika Rotation System) that rewards split-second human reflexes over clumsy wall-kicks. It features selectable avatars—such as the ninja Shin, the wizard Killy, and the robotic Chi—who cheer or mock your stacking performance, alongside a haunting electronic soundtrack that accelerates your pulse as the matrix fills to the brim.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike casual puzzle titles, TAP operates on rigid, unforgiving internal logic known as the World Grade system, culminating in the elusive Grand Master rank. The game introduces the "Hold" queue (in Normal mode), but strips it away entirely in "Master" and "Death" modes, forcing players to adapt on the fly using a 4-rotation-frame lock delay. Scoring relies heavily on T-Spins, combo chains, and clearing tetrises while maintaining high speeds up to 20G—where pieces instantly spawn at the bottom of the 10x20 well. Players must master invisible credits, item-dropping "Shirase" variants, and the terrifying "GM Exam," where a single misdrop can permanently lock you out of the highest ending.

Keyboard Controls

Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move piece left/right, soft drop
Action Keys: Rotate counter-clockwise (Z), Rotate clockwise (X), Hard Drop (Up Arrow)
Enter: Start / Pause