A strange little side quest
Put Wonder Princess Vivid 80s next to the history of puzzles and a few unexpected connections appear. Alexey Pajitnov created Tetris in 1984 after drawing inspiration from pentomino puzzles, then simplified the idea around shapes made from four squares. The broader history adds one more wrinkle. Barbie Fashion Designer became a major software hit in 1996, selling more than 500,000 copies in two months and proving there was a large audience for fashion-focused computer play. The details change, but the appeal of learning a system and trying again is remarkably persistent.
