Tetris DS

The intro is decorated with 8-bit Nintendo characters interacting with Tetriminoes. In order of appearance:

• Link from The Legend of Zelda
• Mario & Donkey Kong from Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong Jr. may also appear as a secret appearance)
• Samus Aran from Metroid
• A Balloon Fighter from Balloon Fight
• Little Mario from Super Mario Bros.
• Yoshi from Yoshi's Cookie
• Mario & Luigi from Mario Bros.

Standard

Changes depending on the level (see Marathon Mode Cameos below).

Catch

Metroid themed mode. The background is a vertical tunnel, and if you hit a Metroid canister with the Tetrimino core, then it will destroy your blocks. You also have a Metroid-style energy meter that depletes as you drop blocks.

Mission

The Legend of Zelda themed mode. The background of the touch screen is a forest, and the top screen is the waterfall from the Zelda title screen. Missions appear on a scroll on the top screen, and you have to clear them before the heart meter depletes on the touch screen.

Puzzle

Yoshi's Cookie themed mode. On the top screen is a static puzzle that needs completing, set inside Mario and Yoshi's cookie machine. The blocks appear on the touch screen, with a colourful background based on official artwork from the original game.

Touch

Balloon Fight themed mode. The background has Balloon Fighters flying around the night sky. Your aim is to drag the caged balloons to the ground.

Push

Donkey Kong themed mode. The background is Stage 1 from the game.

In Marathon Mode, every 10 lines you clear changes the "theme" of the level. This alters the scene on the top screen, the music, the background of the Tetris tunnel and the rotating sprite on the left. The first 100 are all based on Mario games, but after that other NES games appear.

• Lines: 0-9 - Super Mario Bros. W1-1
• Lines: 10-19 - Super Mario Bros. W1-1
• Lines: 20-29 - Super Mario Bros. W2-1
• Lines: 30-39 - Super Mario Bros. 3 W1-1
• Lines: 40-49 - Super Mario Bros. 3 W1-1
• Lines: 50-59 - Super Mario Bros. 3 W1-1
• Lines: 60-69 - Super Mario Bros. W2-1
• Lines: 70-79 - Super Mario Bros. W4-3
• Lines: 80-89 - Super Mario Bros. W4-3
• Lines: 90-99 - Super Mario Bros. W1-4
• Lines: 100-109 - The Legend of Zelda
• Lines: 110-119 - Metroid
• Lines: 120-129 - Donkey Kong
• Lines: 130-139 - Balloon Fight
• Lines: 140-149 - Ice Climber
• Lines: 150-159 - Excitebike
• Lines: 160-169 - Devil World
• Lines: 170-179 - Urban Champion
• Lines: 180-189 - Duck Hunt
• Lines: 190-200 - Tetris (GB)

On most of the menus, including loading screens and Wi-Fi, you can see Professor Hector from the R.O.B. series walking around on the top screen.

The lower menu screen's background is the opening of the Famicom Disk System operating system. The background of the top screen is from Mario Bros.

When on the Records screen, the music in the background is the Hi-Score entry music from Tetris on the Game Boy.

During the multiplayer modes, you can use items from the Mario series, including the Super Mushroom, Boo, Banana Peel, Red Shell and Starman.

In multiplayer Marathon battles you can choose a icon for your team. The icons include:

• Mario from the Mario series
• Yoshi from the Mario series
• Link from The Legend of Zelda series
• Balloon Fighter from Balloon Fight
• Popo from Ice Climber

The music during the ending staff credits is an 8-Bit style tune that ends with the Super Mario Bros. Ground theme and Starman music.