Highlights
- 7-Eleven surprises fans with Tetris merch collab, offering $30 handheld gaming device in iconic Slurpee cup design.
- Tetris, a classic video game released in 1985, continues to evolve with new versions like Tetris 99.
- Merchandise from 7-Eleven collaboration includes shirts, bags, caps, and stickers.
Major convenience store chain 7-Eleven has announced a surprising merch collaboration with Tetris, which includes the brand’s very own handheld gaming device featuring the iconic ’80s video game. Fashion and video game collaborations, like the many Pokemon merch partnerships with known brands, are no longer anything new in 2024, but Tetris may have been one of the last titles anyone expected to have merch of.
Tetris was 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 being Tetris 99, a free-to-play online multiplayer battle royale version that dropped back in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch.
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Tetris is a classic among puzzle games, and the following titles have a charm that’s similar to its timeless formula.
7-Eleven announced that the handheld gaming device goes for $30. The Tetris portable 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
- Trademark Slurpee cup-inspired design
- Glowing top
- 1.8-inch color screen
- Built-in speaker
- Powered by three AAA batteries or USB-C cable (not included)
- Release date: TBA
For Tetris fans, 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 the Tetris and 7-Eleven branding. The designs look pretty good, and can give other fashion collaborations like Japanese brand Uniqlo has with franchises like Tekken a run for its money.
The last time the game made the news, it was because a 13-year-old superfan managed to get to the end of Tetris earlier 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 forced Tetris to 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 to Apple TV releasing a Tetris movie starring Kingsman actor Taron Egerton as Pajitnov. The intense thriller biopic, which was a dramatized version of Pajitnov’s life and work as the creator of Tetris, received rave reviews, scoring 81% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and even getting a few awards nominations.
