Summary
Major convenience store chain 7-Eleven has announced a surprising merch collaboration withTetris, which includes the brand’s very own handheld gaming device featuring the iconic ’80s video game. Fashion and video game collaborations, like the manyPokemonmerch partnerships with known brands, are no longer anything new in 2024, butTetrismay have been one of the last titles anyone expected to have merch of.
Tetriswas released nearly 40 years ago in 1985 by Russian engineer and game designer Alexey Pajitnov, and it’s one of the most recognizable video games in the whole world with thousands of knockoffs and variants. It still finds a way to adapt to the times, with one of the game’s most notable evolutions beingTetris 99, a free-to-play online multiplayer battle royale version that dropped back in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch.
7-Eleven announced that the handheld gaming device goes for $30. TheTetrisportable is housed in a case designed after the brand’s iconic Slurpee cup that glows with a colored backlight, packing a full-color 1.8-inch screen and built-in speaker. The device is powered by three AAA batteries, but can also be played in a wired mode using a USB-C cable. However, it’s not actually available yet as the 7-Eleven website says it’s still coming soon with no clear release date.
7-Eleven Slurpee + Tetris Handheld Game Device Specs
ForTetrisfans, there are also other kinds of merch available as part of the collaboration. There are a number of shirts, a tote bag, two cap designs, sweatshirts, and stickers that bear both theTetrisand 7-Eleven branding. The designs look pretty good, and can give other fashion collaborations like Japanese brandUniqlo has with franchises likeTekkena run for its money.
The last time the gamemade the news, it was because a 13-year-old superfanmanaged to get to the end ofTetrisearlier this year. The game technically has no ending as the objective is to rack up the score, but gamer Blue Scuti played so much that he forcedTetristo get to its “kill screen” on level 157, a glitch that happens when specific color combinations render blocks invisible.
The game also enjoyed renewed relevance in 2023 thanks toApple TV releasing aTetrismoviestarringKingsmanactor Taron Egerton as Pajitnov. The intense thriller biopic, which was a dramatized version of Pajitnov’s life and work as the creator ofTetris, received rave reviews, scoring 81% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and even getting a few awards nominations.
