A strange little side quest
Before the next round of Tick-Tack-What?, here is a piece of the bigger picture. The name Tetris combines a reference to four-square pieces with Pajitnov's interest in tennis. The broader history adds one more wrinkle. In 1958, Tennis for Two used an analog computer and an oscilloscope to turn simple physics into a playable tennis-like demonstration. It is a good reminder that simple game mechanics can carry a surprising amount of history.