Fact: I have spent more time playing Tetris than any other video game.

OK, I don't actually know that for certain. But I don't doubt it. I started with the neon-colored NES version (first played at the recommendation of a childhood friend's Russian stepfather) and haven't looked back. I played the pack-in Game Boy variety every night before I went to sleep for years. I put a bootleg Tetris clone on my TI-85 graphing calculator (don't tell my high school algebra teacher). No matter the electronic device, I have found a way to play Tetris on it.

So call me a sucker, but when the latest iteration of Tetris came out on PSN on Tuesday, I had to have it. And I'm glad I did. Because it reminded me of why I love the game so much -- not because of what this version changed but because of what it didn't.

Tetris' biggest selling point is its simplicity -- it's something everyone can understand instantly and succeed at playing.  Problem is, every new release seems to tack on an extra mode or two that fails to live up to the original. (Tetris DS springs to mind -- its Mission and Catch modes just didn't have the same staying power.)

The PSN version of Tetris is no different. Gameplay variants like Gravity (pieces fall as lines are completed, creating chain combos) or Treadmill (the matrix scrolls from left to right, making some piece placements impossible) are interesting novelties, but the core mode is the star, either in its marathon or multiplayer formats.

Speaking of multiplayer, it was a joy to leap right into a four-player online game and compete against opponents from around the world. You can choose from a couple of different options, like using various abilities to afflict your enemies (freezing their grids, making pieces invisible, etc.), but I again tended toward the simpler gameplay elements. Seeing all four players' grids on one screen allows you to know when they're about to send lines your way…or hold off on a big move yourself until an opponent is in trouble.

Single-player becomes a competition, too, thanks to PSN's leaderboards, which track points, speed, total tetrises completed, and other variables. I especially appreciate that the game tracks my TPMs, or tetrominoes per minute, so I can see how fast I'm placing my pieces. (Like many Tetris variants, this game contains a "hard drop" option that allows you to send a piece to the bottom of your grid instantly.) You can also view replays from top players so you can study their performances (or just feel miserable about your own). While they don't make things as hardcore as Tetris: The Grand Master and its ilk, the leaderboards do add another layer to the core game experience.

No matter how hard each new release of Tetris tries to reinvent the game, it always boils down to the same thing: Tetris is perfect just as it is. And even as other unfinished games continue to pile up around my consoles, I'm overjoyed to spend even more time playing it.