Tetris The Grand Master 4 Absolute Eye

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Tetris The Grand Master 4 Absolute Eye
Absolute Eye Steam banner
Developer(s)Arika
Publisher(s)Arika
Producer(s)Ichiro Mihara
Composer(s)Shinji Hosoe, Ayako Saso
SeriesTGM series
Platform(s)PC (Steam)
Release
  • WW: April 4, 2025
PredecessorTetris The Grand Master 3 Terror-Instinct
Gameplay info
Next pieces6 (Adjustable from 0 to 6)
Playfield size10 × 22
Hold pieceYes (Toggleable)

Tetris The Grand Master 4 Absolute Eye is a game by Arika in the TGM series. It was released on Steam on April 4, 2025.[1] It's the first TGM game to be released on PC.

Gameplay

Buffer zone

Pieces spawn in rows 20-21 in most cases (with I-pieces in 20), except in Shiranui where they spawn one row higher. Cyclone rotates pieces from 20-21, which can cause I-pieces to reach as low as row 18.

New gimmicks

TGM4 features some new gimmicks that are not seen in TGM, TAP and Ti:

  • Initial rotation system (IRS) now allows 180 spins. You can perform 180 degree IRS by pressing two same rotation buttons.
  • An EXTRA button has been added for TGM Rule (ARS). When holding down, Sonic drop becomes Hard drop, and Soft Lock becomes Soft Drop (does not lock on land).
  • Diagonals are now an option. When toggled, diagonal directions will also be recognized as either up or down and preserving DAS of that direction.

Rotation system

Much like its predecessor TGM3, Absolute Eye features two different gameplay styles, Standard akin to TGM3's World rule, and TGM, TGM3's Classic rule.

Rule difference
Aspects Standard Rule TGM Rule
Rotation system Standard Tetris Guideline controls and Super Rotation System The original Arika Rotation System, modified with extended wall kicks
Drop Method Hard drop and Soft drop. Sonic drop and Soft Lock.
Hard drop possible by holding down EXTRA when Sonic dropping, Soft drop possible by holding down EXTRA when Lock dropping.
Piece movement limitation 16 move reset, 4 rotation reset.
A total of 128 lock delay resets are permitted per piece.
No limitation in Asuka.
16 move reset, 4 rotation reset, quota resets if the piece moves down.
A total of 128 lock delay resets are permitted per piece.
No limitation in Asuka.
Randomizer 7BS with no S, Z or O as the first piece
IRM (Konoha only)
IRM
7BS with no S, Z or O as the first piece (Shiranui only)
Mode specific differences
  • No Marathon mode.
  • Konoha: Longer time limit (4:10)
  • Shiranui: Stronger attack on Tetrises, longer Line Clear delay

Master titles

Some of the modes will award you the corresponding title once a level or a conditions is met, which is shown on the top right when in mode select. Meeting the condition in Standard Rules gives you the Silver titles, while doing it in TGM rule will give you the Bronze titles. Meeting the condition in both modes will finally award you the Gold titles.

Masters Title conditions (SPOILERS WARNING!)
Modes Title Name Conditions
Asuka Asuka Master (Am) Complete the mode (1300 Levels).
Konoha Konoha Master (Km) Get 150 or more all-clears in hard mode.
Shiranui Shiranui Master (Sm) Beat rank 101.
Master
Master (m)
Grand master (Gm)
Grand master Rounds (Gm ROUNDS)
Complete 1100 Levels.
Complete 2600 levels.
Complete the credit roll.

Level advance

In TGM4, the level increase of each line clear depends on the mode:

Line clear level advance
Line clear Normal, Asuka Shiranui Konoha Master
Single 1 1 2 1 Default Values
Varies by medals
Double 2 2 4 2
Triple 4 3 6 4
Tetris 6 4 12 6

Game modes

Absolute Eye features a variety of game modes designed to accommodate different skill levels and playstyles.

Marathon

Marathon is a mode found in most Guideline games. This mode is only available in Standard Rule.

TGM4 Marathon mode screenshot

Normal

TGM4 Normal mode screenshot

Normal is a 999-level mode that resembles the Master mode from previous entries. This mode is only available in TGM Rule. At the end of a run, the player is given a grade in the form a of b (for example Five of Eight). Each number ranges from Zero to Ten, with the minimum grade being Zero of Zero and the maximum grade being Ten of Ten.

B can be incremented in two ways:

  • It is incremented by one for every 111 levels cleared. (111, 222, 333, 444, 555, 666, 777, 888, 999.)
  • It is incremented by one if the credits roll is cleared.


A requirements SPOILERS WARNING!

A has two separately tracked requirements:

  • It is incremented by one if 999 is reached within less than 5:57.
  • It is incremented by one for each of the 100 level sections (except 1-199, which is counted as one section) in which you have earned 1000 points. Points are reset each section.

Ways to get points:

  • You get 175 points per tetris in a section.
  • You get 350 points once per section if you performed an all-clear during that section.
  • You get 125 points if you beat the section within the section time.

Because the requirements for a lag behind the requirements of b, a is usually required to be equal to or less than b. The sole exception is humorously clearing the game perfectly, then topping out during the credits roll, which awards "Ten of Nine."

In practice this means that there are limited permutations of earning 1000 points:

  • 6 tetrises.
  • 5 tetrises and beating the time requirement or getting an all-clear.
  • 4 tetrises and getting an all-clear.
  • 3 tetrises and getting an all-clear and beating the time requirement.
YOU ARE (SPOILERS WARNING!)
Level b Section Time requirement
0-110 Zero 0-199 76s
111-221 One 200-299 39s
222-332 Two 300-399 40s
333-443 Three 400-499 40s
444-554 Four 500-599 39s
555-665 Five 600-699 35s
666-776 Six 700-799 30s
777-887 Seven 800-899 29s
888-998 Eight 900-999 28s
999 Nine Sum 356s
Completing credits Ten Full game 357s

On the leaderboards, this mode is presented as a time-attack mode without displaying grades.

Asuka

TGM4 Asuka mode screenshot

Designed for intermediate players, Asuka features 20G drop speeds, demanding quick and precise placements to level up within a set time limit. It also introduces a rewind mechanic, allowing players to retry piece placements. The unfinished Kamui mode from TGM3 is thought to be an early version of Asuka.


Speed timings

Gravity is fixed at 20G.

Delays
Level ARE
(frames)
Line ARE
(frames)
DAS
(frames)
Lock
(frames)
Line clear
(frames)
000 - 099 18 14 30 12
100 - 199 14 8 26 6
200 - 399 12 8 18 6
300 - 399 12 7 18 5
400 - 499 12 6 17 4
500 - 699 8 6 15 4
700 - 799 6 5 15 3
800 - 1099 6 5 12 3
1100 - 1300 5 5 12 3

Kita (Foxes)

Clearing a Tetris gives you a Fox, while doing an All Clear gives a bigger Fox, which is displayed above the level. To advance to the next section, you need to have at least 1 Kita (that is, either clear a Tetris or get an All Clear in the section).

Rewind

During any time in the game, one can use the Rewind button to undo a previously placed piece, or a currently held piece. This can be done infinitely many times for a piece, and you can rewind multiple pieces at once. Rewind animation takes 61 frames to finish.

You cannot rewind to previous section.

Infinity

Unlike other modes in TGM4, Asuka has infinity, no limit on how you can stall the piece before you locked the piece.

Fading / Invisible Tetris

Starting from level 1000, the game enters the fading phase, where pieces fade out from the stack briefly after being placed. Any piece that are place before Level 1000 stays unaffected.

Starting from level 1200, all pieces placed become invisible after being placed.

Completing all 1300 levels of this mode awards the player with the ASUKA-MASTER (Am) grade.

(In the release candidate/trailer, starting from level 1000 the blocks went straight to the invisible phase.)

Fading speed
Level Frames taken to disappear
1000 - 1099 180
1100 - 1199 60
1200 - 1300 3

Master

TGM4 Master mode screenshot

Master mode is the ultimate test of Tetris skill, following in the footsteps of T.A. Death and Shirase modes from previous TGM titles. Master mode has a red field border.

The unfinished Rounds mode from the location test of TGM4:MoR is thought to be an early version of Master.

Speed timings

Gravity is fixed at 20G.

Delays
Level ARE
(frames)
Line ARE
(frames)
DAS
(frames)
Lock
(frames)
Line clear
(frames)
0000-0099 12 8 12 20 6
0100-0199 12 7 20 5
0200-0299 12 6 20 4
0300-0399 10 6 20 4
0400-0499 9 6 20 4
0500-0599 8 5 20 3
0600-0699 7 5 16 3
0700-0799 7 5 14 3
0800-0899 7 5 12 3
0900-0999 6 5 10 3
Clears in Pikii still counts as clearing lines.
Line ARE and Line clear delay applies as usual.
1000-? 12 10 16 3
Piece movement limitations
Level Limits (Standard) Limits (TGM)
0000-? ? ?
1200-? Step reset, counting from last move height Step reset

Medals

You earn medals by completing corresponding tasks. Medals does various effects on your playthoughs.

Medals
Medals Conditions Effects on Level advancing Effects on extending Master Pikii Freeze Time
ALL CLEAR! Perform an All Clear. +1 LEVEL for all types of line clears per 6 medals owned. 2.5 frames per medal, total rounded down.
TETRIS Perform a Tetris. +1 LEVEL for all types of line clears per 10 medals owned. 1 frame per medal.
TSPIN Perform a T-spin Double or T-spin Triple (Standard rule). +1 LEVEL for all types of line clears per 16 medals owned. 1 frame per medal.
PIKII Clear a line in the frozen area starting from Level 300. +1 LEVEL for all types of line clears by owning more than 28 medals (inclusive). 3 frames per medal.

Pikii (300-399, 500-599) and Pikii-2 (700-999)

In levels 300-399, 500-599, and 700-999, the game will enter the Pikii section, where the bottom half of the playfield is frozen; any line clears in the frozen area will not clear until the section is passed, but they do count for levels as if they had cleared. The background of these "frozen" sections have their colors inverted.

When a frozen section is passed, all finished line in the frozen area will be cleared, leaving only the unfinished lines.

Cyclone (1000+)

Starting at level 1000 the game will enter the Cyclone section, which stays until the end of the game. The piece spawned will have its rotation randomized, as shown in the next box. Only the very next piece will show its rotation.

When a pre-rotated piece is held, it will retain its rotation.

Reaching level 1100 awards the player Master grade (m) if the game does not reach the end.

Master Pikii (1300+)

Starting at level 1300, game enters the Master Pikii section, which stays until the end of the game. Each placed minos starting at Level 1300 will freeze after a certain time, which its length depends on the medals earned up to that point. Mino placed before Level 1300 stays unaffected.

The frozen minos do not clear when a line clear is made, but non-frozen minos in the line with them will clear as usual.

As a special gimmick, clearing a Tetris in these sections deletes the bottom row of the playfield. This is the only way to remove frozen blocks.

Credits roll

SPOILERS WARNING!

To clear the 2599 level stop, a line clear using no frozen blocks must be made.

Reaching level 2600 will cause the "END GAME" credits roll to begin. The game will reverse back the last 150 pieces placed, putting you back at that point in time, with the goal being to reach level 2600 within a 65 second time limit. The piece sequence will be the same. The cyclone and mino freeze handicaps are still active during this. Failing to reach level 2600 within the time limit or topping out will result in the Grand-Master grade. Successfully reaching level 2600 will award the Grand-Master! Rounds grade.

Konoha

Main article: Tetris The Grand Master 4 Absolute Eye/Konoha Characters
TGM4 Konoha mode screenshot

Konoha is a mode centered around big tetrominos, with an emphasis on achieving All Clears. Successfully completing All Clears rewards players with unlockable illustrations, which can be viewed in the Konoha Character Gallery.

Gameplay

The goal of this mode is to get as much All Clears (Bravos) as possible in Big mode under a time limit: 2 minutes for Standard Rule and 4 minutes and 10 seconds for TGM Rule.

Extra time is obtained by performing certain clears.

Time Bonuses
Clear Type Time Awarded
(frames)
Time Awarded after Level 1000
(frames)
Single Line Clear 1 0
Double Line Clear 2 0
Triple Line Clear 5
Tetris Line Clear 11
Single All Clear 300 (5 seconds)
Double All Clear 480 (8 seconds)
Triple All Clear 660 (11 seconds)
Tetris All Clear 900 (15 seconds)

Kita Kitsune (Foxes)

In the game, Kita Kitsune will appear beside the playfield if the CPU detects an All Clear sequence is possible, and celebrates when it's achieved or falls over when the opportunity is missed. It should be noted that it is not error-free and may miss some of the All Clears.

An icon of Kita Kitsune in a flower appears below the playfield if the current character illustration is one that has not yet been unlocked.

Assists

There is an optional assist which shows outlines of where to place pieces to achieve the All Clears. The assist defaults to being turned on, and there's no penalty for using it. It goes away after the 25th All Clear in a run.

Easy and Hard difficulties

One can select between EASY and HARD mode by using Left or Right when KONOHA mode is hovered on the mode select.

Easy features only L, J, I, T and O pieces. Gravity and timings does not change over the whole course, and Easy mode ends when 110 all-clears are achieved.

Hard mode features all 7 pieces and continues indefinitely until the time runs out.

Internal Gravity
Level Internal Gravity
(1/256 G)
Level Internal Gravity
(1/256 G)
0 4 101 16
8 5 112 48
19 6 121 80
35 8 132 128
40 10 144 112
50 12 156 144
60 16 167 176
70 32 177 192
80 48 200 5120 (20G)
90 64
Speed timings
Level ARE
(frames)
Line ARE
(frames)
DAS
(frames)
Lock
(frames)
Line clear
(frames)
0-? 27 27 25

Shiranui

TGM4 Shiranui mode screenshot

Shiranui is a newly introduced mode in TGM4. It is a standard guideline versus mode where players face off against CPU-controlled opponents of varying difficulty. Higher tiers present more challenging adversaries, and under specific conditions, a hidden difficulty level may become available.

Gameplay

Each game will be played on a Best-of-3, with a 2 minute limit on each round. You win the round by either Top out your opponent, having more levels than the opponent when time is up, or reaching the Level limit (999) first. The game ends in a draw if both players have the same level count when times is up.

Upon defeating a CPU, new tiers will unlock, and a star will appear on the right of the tier where you defeated the CPU, which usually mark how well a player has beaten a tier.

Ruleset

The gameplay is the same as in standard versus mode found in most multiplayer Tetris game.

Depending on the rule one uses, certain attacks' damage and timings will change:

Ruleset difference
Rules Standard Rule TGM Rule
Attacks sent Single 0 0
Double 1 1
Triple 2 2
Tetris 4 5
Back to Back Tetris 5 6
Mini T-Spin Single 1 ?
T-Spin Single 3 2
T-Spin Double 5 4
T-Spin Triple 7 N/A
All Clear 10 not counting last line clear type
T-spins do not receive Back to Back bonus, nor do they maintain Back to Back (despite the text shown).
Only Consecutive Tetrises counts as Back to Backs.
DAS (frames)
ARE (frames)
Line ARE (frames)
Line clear (frames)
Combo/REN Both Rules
0 0
1 0
2 1
3 1
4 2
5 2
6 3
7 3
8 4
9 4
10 4
11+ 5

Special Difficulties

There are several unlockable Tiers.

  • Tier 0 unlocks when one has played SHIRANUI 50 times.

Defeating tier 0 does not award stars.

  • Tier 101 unlocks when Tier 100 CPU has been beaten.

Defeating Tier 101 CPU awards the player the title SHIRANUI-MASTER (Sm).

Versus

Compared to previous entries in the TGM series, Versus in TGM4 follows a more modern path with how Guideline Versus works.

As of version 1.0.4, notable differences between TGM4's Versus and older titles are:

  • There is only versus rules and no clear rule/Cement Mode.
  • There are no items.

To start a versus match, either player picks a mode, and starts as if playing alone. When the second player press their buttons, they will be asked if they want to challenge the other player. If they choose 'yes', then the other player will lose their game, "Here comes a new challenger" will scroll across the screen, and versus mode will start in whatever mode the first player was playing in. Alternatively, you can choose Local multiplayer on the menu to directly access to the regular versus mode.

Regular Versus

Other types of versus

If a mode is picked in prior, the versus will use their respective speed curves and settings for each player.

  • Konoha Versus: The versus will proceed using big blocks. Selecting Easy or Hard mode will also affect the versus randomizer.
  • Master Versus:


Optional Settings

Other Modes

Practice

Practice modes allows players to practice and learn game mechanics.

Textbook practice
TGM4 Practice mode screenshot
Main article: Tetris The Grand Master 4 Absolute Eye/List of practices

This submode teaches you common block placements as well as techniques. under TGM rule game will also show the frames taken to complete the task.

Gamemode practice

This submode allows you to play all the main modes with custom starting level, as well with several guide options. Runs completed under this mode will not count towards the leaderboards. The guide options are:

  • Prioritizing Tetris;
  • Prioritizing T-spins;
  • Prioritizing All Clears;
  • Prioritizing survival;
  • Prioritizing battle modes.
Replay practice

Development

Originally announced as TGM4: The Masters of Round, the game made its debut at the 47th Amusement Machine Show on September 17, 2009.[2] Arika showcased the game installed in arcade cabinets, running on Sega's RingWide hardware. Attendees could rank the games by enjoyment, and the results of each day were posted. TGM4 failed to rank in the first two days but managed to secure tenth place on the third day. Also unveiled during the event was Sega's Tetris Dekaris, which consistently ranked in the top three across all three days.[3]

TGM4 2009 promotional title screen image
TGM4 2009 first promotional ingame image, showing Classic Master mode on the left
TGM4 2009 second promotional ingame image, showing World Master on the left and Classic Rounds on the right

On September 18, 2010, Mihara announced on his blog that TGM4: The Masters of Round had been canceled. According to him, a significant factor was the inability to address the proliferation of unofficial clones overseas.[4]

"We can't release TGM4 because we don't have the capacity to clean up the clones overseas (that's one of the reasons). So I've given up. To put it arrogantly, good money lost to bad money. I'm sorry, but it annoys me when people bring up TGM. Of course, I want to say something sarcastic. So please forget about TGM. I'm the one who's saddest."

The Grand Master 2015

In July of 2015, Arika ran two location tests, one at Round1 in Los Angeles, and one at Taito Hey in Akihabara, Tokyo. The game did not feature Tetris branding.

TGM2015 title screen
TGM2015 ingame

Revival and the Road to Absolute Eye

In the years that followed, Mihara hinted at a possible future for TGM4. On Twitter, he discussed the potential for home console ports of earlier TGM titles, suggesting that their success could pave the way for TGM4 to be published.[5]

In 2022, a home port of TGM1 was announced, followed by TGM2 the following year. These games sold well enough that in November 2024, Arika began teasing a new entry in the series and eventually released a press release confirming the project.[6]

A month later, the game was officially revealed as Tetris The Grand Master 4: Absolute Eye.[1]

Post announcement

Due to licensing restrictions and wanting to get the game out as quickly as possible, Mihara stated that there would be no online connectivity in the game at launch.[7][8] He then later mentioned the lack of online leaderboards, but there would be a replay feature.[9]

On December 5, 2024, Mihara announced a play test for the versus mode, but did not reveal the location, challenging dedicated players to find it.[10]

Reception

This section needs expansion. You can help TetrisWiki by expanding it.

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 @tgm_series (December 3, 2024). "Henk Rogers from The Tetris Company visited our office and discussed the future of Tetris with Mihara and Hirashima. We are thrilled to have had such a wonderful time together! ARIKA is excited to announce the title officially: TETRIS THE GRANDMASTER 4 - ABSOLUTE EYE - This is the latest in the TGM series. The game is planned to be released on Steam by the end of March 2025. Note: Offline-game only. Note: Screenshots are from a work-in-progress build" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-12-05 – via Twitter. TETRIS THE GRANDMASTER 4 - ABSOLUTE EYE - This is the latest in the TGM series. The game is planned to be released on Steam by the end of March 2025.
  2. "Tetris THE GRAND MASTER4 THE MASTERS OF ROUND.". Sega 47th Amusement Machine Show. 2009-09-01. Archived from the original on 2013-12-08. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  3. "Ninki kishu rankingu dai 3-nichi-me" [Popular model ranking third day]. Amusement Journal. 2009-09-19. Archived from the original on 2024-06-25. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  4. "Naze imasara iidashita no ka?" [Why did you mention it now?]. Mihara's sub Layer. 2010-09-18. Archived from the original on 2024-09-28. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  5. Ichiro Mihara [@miharasan] (November 1, 2021). 本日予定していたTGMシリーズ家庭用に関するアナウンスですが、アリカさん以外の都合でまだ公開することができなくなりました。
    また、別途検討中のTGM新作ですが、この件の「成功」を条件にして欲しいというライセンササイドのリクエストがあり、凄く真っ当なのでソレで。
    [We had planned to make an announcement today regarding the home version of the TGM series, but due to circumstances other than Arika's, we are unable to make it public yet.
    Also, regarding the new TGM work that we are currently considering, there has been a request from the licensor side to make the "success" of this project a condition, and since this is perfectly reasonable, we will go ahead with it.] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-12-09 – via Twitter. ...regarding the new TGM work that we are currently considering, there has been a request from the licensor side to make the "success" of this project a condition...
  6. "New Tetris is Coming". Arika. 2024-09-27. Archived from the original on 2024-09-27. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  7. Ichiro Mihara [@miharasan] (December 3, 2024). このご時世に「オフライン」とは如何なものか?ってのは、俺が一番言いたいwけど、先ずリリースする事を最優先しました。 オンラインに俺が対応できない訳ないのは、実績から理解してもらえると思いますが。 あ、そう言えばテトリス99で今週末からイベント始まりますのでよろしく。 作った。 [I'd really like to say the most about "offline" in this day and age lol, but I made releasing it my top priority. I think you can understand from my track record that there's no way I can't handle online situations. Oh, by the way, there's a Tetris 99 event starting this weekend, so please look forward to it. I made it.] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-12-05 – via Twitter. I'd really like to say the most about "offline" in this day and age lol, but I made releasing it my top priority.
  8. Ichiro Mihara [@miharasan] (December 4, 2024). "Thank you for all the positive comments regarding the offline feature in yesterday's TGM4 announcement. These days, "online-only" seems to be the norm, but obtaining a license that includes online functionality is extremely challenging due to conflicts with other content. As a result, we decided to move forward with an offline-focused release for Steam, where we could secure a license. While it's true that having online support for TGM4's versus mode would be ideal, we want to start by releasing it as a content-rich offline experience. We appreciate your continued support!" (Tweet). Retrieved 2024-12-05 – via Twitter. ...obtaining a license that includes online functionality is extremely challenging due to conflicts with other content. As a result, we decided to move forward with an offline-focused release for Steam, where we could secure a license.
  9. Ichiro Mihara [@miharasan] (December 4, 2024). はい、残念ながらオンラインで成績を競えるリーダーボードはありません。我々にはオンラインを使う許可がないのです、ごめんなさいね。でも「リプレイ」がローカルで保存できるので、それを後で録画してYouTubeで公開したりもできるのでお楽しみに。※新情報:リプレイ機能あり [Yes, unfortunately there are no online leaderboards to compare your performance. We don't have permission to use online, sorry. However, you can save the "replay" locally, so you can record it later and post it on YouTube, so look forward to it. ※ New information: Replay function available] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-12-05 – via Twitter. ...you can save the "replay" locally, so you can record it later and post it on YouTube...
  10. Ichiro Mihara [@miharasan] (December 5, 2024). TGM4の調整。 TGMシリーズとはいえ、対戦部分をおざなりにするつもりはないので対戦用の調整をしたいな~とは考えてるので、対戦なら負ける要素がないです!という兵(つわもの)は、テストプレイに御参加下さい。 参加方法は見つけて下さい。 兵なら見つけられるところに置いといたんで。 [Adjusting TGM4. Even though this is a TGM series, we don't intend to neglect the battle aspect, so we're thinking about making some adjustments for battles, so if you're a warrior who thinks like that, please join us in the test play. Find out how to participate. I left it where the soldiers could find it.] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-12-05 – via Twitter.

External links