This post was originally published on Gaming on Nintendo on September 22nd, 2013: When gaming was still coming out of the ether and trying to figure out what it is really all about (this is after an initial failure in the mid 1980’s). Gaming was unique back then, we didn’t have billion dollar sellers, we had unique takes on genres that seems to be gone today as “me too-ism” has really kicked in hard. Back in the day is a long in the tooth comment but honestly, back then we had more variety, more original takes on genres.

Block Out was one such new take on a popular genre, the falling block puzzle game that Tetris popularized. Electronic Arts released it on the Sega Genesis early in their publishing career on consoles (they weren’t always the juggernaut they are today). American Technos was the planned publisher of Block on the Nintendo Entertainment System but it never materialized past a prototype showing at the 1990 Winter Consumer Electronics Show.

For those that don’t know what Block Out is all about it is a 3D take on Tetris. Just look at the pics, they are pretty self explanatory and easy to grasp while the game is a lot more complicated than the 2D version we all know so well.

Thanks to Lost Levels, we now have a download available for this game, along with a little more history on the title’s storied release.

Carl Williams

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