Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Get a cool Fire Emblem theme for Tetris 99 in this weekend’s Maximus Cup event

By
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re a fan of strategy, then the Nintendo Switch exclusive Tetris 99 has likely been a staple of your gaming rotation for the last several months. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is another excellent strategy game you can only play on Switch, and fans of both games can get rewarded during the Tetris 99 Maximus Cup event this weekend.

Free to all Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, the Maximus Cup event runs from 3 a.m. ET on August 23 to 2:59 a.m. ET on August 27. The gameplay during this event will be the same as in normal Tetris 99 battle royale, with your goal being to survive longer than all 98 other players. Depending on your final placement, you get points for the match, and racking up 100 total points will unlock a special Fire Emblem: Three Houses theme for the game. This theme includes a background for your normal Tetris 99 game, of course, but also new music and even block designs. The breakdown for points earned is as follows:

  • 1st place: 100 points
  • 2nd place: 50 points
  • 3rd place: 30 points
  • 4th-10th place: 20 points
  • 11th-30th place: 15 points
  • 31st-50th place: 10 points
  • 51st-90th place: 5 points
  • 91st-99th place: 1 point
Recommended Videos

Because of the severe dropoff as you get lower in the standings, it will take quite a bit of time for unskilled players to get the Fire Emblem: Three Houses theme. However, matches in Tetris 99 are short enough that you can still easily acquire it by the end of the weekend, even if you get knocked out early in most of your games.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses - The Battle Within - Nintendo Switch

This isn’t the first special event that Tetris 99 has held, but few games fit the white-knuckled strategy of the game as well as Fire Emblem: Three Houses. The good news for newcomers to the Fire Emblem series is that Three Houses is less difficult than past games, and it still features the “casual” mode that removes permanent death from the equation. With three completely separate story paths you can take, it’s also one of the best values on the Nintendo Switch.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Tetris 99 is available to download for free from the Nintendo Switch eShop. Paid Big Block DLC, which adds two modes to the game, including standard marathon mode, is also available.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a boilerplate port, and that’s OK
Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong in Donkey Kong Country Returns HD key art.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a perfectly good game, but it will be Nintendo’s most underwhelming release in 2025. Those who've already played this platformer from Retro Studios on Wii or 3DS don't have much reason to buy the game on Switch unless they're itching to replay a great platformer. Like Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD and some other straightforward remasters that Nintendo launched recently, this feels like filler so that Nintendo can bide time until the launch of the Switch’s successor.

When it comes to filler, you could do much worse. Donkey Kong Country Returns is one of the Wii's best games. Anyone checking it out for the first time through the re-release is in for an excellent platforming adventure. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is the definitive version of the Wii classic, but let's hope it's one of the last releases of its kind for a bit rather than one that sets the stage for Nintendo’s 2025.

Read more
Think Path of Exile 2 is too hard? Its devs want you to get good
A character blasting fire in Path of Exile 2.

Path of Exile 2 launched to much fanfare as fans of the first -- and players hungry for another Diablo-style experience -- flocked to the game. But players quickly discovered that it did not hold your hand. If you die, you're kicked from the game and lose some experience, plus any loot you haven't picked up yet. The RPG's latest patch will address a few pain points, but the developers say "the whole death actually mattering thing is important."

Director Jonathan Rogers says the game is high risk, high reward. He gave an interview with streamers Darth Microtransaction and GhazzyTV to discuss the patch. Give it a watch, if you'd like -- but be aware the video is four hours long.

Read more
Our final Nintendo Switch 2 reveal predictions
An image of the Nintendo Switch - OLED Model Mario Red Edition.

The day is almost upon us. After years of speculation, we're very close to an official reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2. Thank goodness for that, as we've been locked in a tidepool of fake leaks and rumors for far too long. The new console hype cycle can be fun in moderation, but the long road to Nintendo's next console has only become more exhausting over time. We had AI companies faking its release date for clout, hardware manufacturers sharing 3D printed mock-ups, and every so-called insider on the planet flinging out conflicting information.

It'll all come to an end soon when Nintendo reveals its new console. While that's a relief, there is something bittersweet about it. The mystery of a new gaming device is part of the fun. What will it look like? What games will launch with it? Will it be backward compatible? These are the kinds of questions make for fun social fodder; I've had plenty of speculative conversations with friends over the past two years. In some twisted way, I'll miss that once reality sets in.

Read more