A strange little side quest
The mechanics around Niner have roots that stretch far beyond modern browsers. The name Tetris combines a reference to four-square pieces with Pajitnov's interest in tennis. Another piece of context lands nicely beside it: Street Fighter II, released in 1991, turned head-to-head arcade fighting into a worldwide phenomenon and helped define the modern fighting-game genre. That gives Niner a little more company than it first appears to have.