Block Blast 64

Block Blast 64 is a homebrew game by Rubyboat1207, released on 09 May 2025. It’s a puzzle game where you have to fit poliomino blocks to complete rows or columns.

You can get the ROM from its download page using the password cantfitmybloxx, and get the source code here to compile it yourself. I had some problems with the EEPROM in my Everdrive 2.0, so I included a fix that bypasses any saving.

About Block Blast 64

This game is a N64 adaptation of a very prolific puzzle game from other platforms. It’s also known as Block Blast, Block Fit. Woodoku, etc. It’s a fairly popular game that has been ported to almost every platform imaginable.

The game consists of an 8×8 grid, and the player is presented with three polyomino blocks at a time. The player then has to place them on the grid, and completing a full row or column makes it disappear to make way for more blocks. The game ends when there is no space left for the blocks presented.

The scoring system is quite bizarre.

• You get some points every time you place a block (10 points per ‘sub-block’ in size).
• When you clear a row, you get 50 for one, 100 for two and 200 for three.
• And then, you get 15 points for each line cleared in this turn and the previous one, like a combo point.

Therefore, clearing a simple line will grant 65 points plus the size of the block you placed. Though it can be quite inconsistent if you’re not used to the formula. Generally it’s better to focus on clearing rows to keep the game going than it is to prepare the stage for an epic combo.

I got my first game, Block Blast 64, to a fully playable state, and good enough for me to want to put somewhere! The goal here was to combine modern aesthetics for mobile games and a retro feeling, which i think i achieved.

That’s all there is to it. You pretty much just need to keep your blocks with as few spaces as possible between them (like in Tetris). Also make sure to leave 3×3 gap somewhere, since those can end your game quickly if you’re not prepared.

Review and conclusion

There are some games that just need to have their representation on every platform. You have Tetris, Doom, even Sudoku. The original Block Blast does feel like one of those games, it’s so simple to learn and play that I’ve seen people play it during my commute on their phones.

The gameplay of Block Blast 64 is tried and true. To-the-point, it’s pretty much what you’d expect from a puzzle game like this. It works well, and it takes advantage of the joystick to give it a bit more of a “N64” feel.

There’s not much to complain about. If I really had to though, I had a bit of trouble with the compatibility with my flash cart. Also, there are sound effects but no music.

It’s a first project and I think it’s good to first wrap your head around Libdragon’s 2D library before going to some more complicated 3D stuff. I do look forward to any of Rubyboat1207’s projects brought forward in the future.