'Tetris Blitz' arrives on iOS and Android

Compulsive classic "Tetris" is soon to arrive on smartphones in the form of the free-to-play "Tetris Blitz," compressing the block-dropping puzzler into bite-size 60-second chunks.

Tetris-Blitz-a-classic-reworked-for-the-free-to-play-social-network-age-Photo-AFP

Compulsive classic 'Tetris' is soon to arrive on smartphones in the form of the free-to-play 'Tetris Blitz,' compressing the block-dropping puzzler into bite-size 60-second chunks.

The base game is free and, much like Electronic Arts' 2011 mobile version of 'Tetris,' various power-ups are offered in exchange for in-app purchases.

The Russian-developed original was a huge hit in the 1980s, the 'Angry Birds' of its day, and best known in its portable, monochrome incarnation on the Nintendo Game Boy.

EA's modern version swaps button bashing for touch controls, with 'Drag and Place' and 'Swipe' available and Facebook Connect integration installed.