POINTS GIVEN

In Time Trial and Endless Mode, you get points instead of dropping garbage. Here I will describe EXACTLY how many points you get by doing different moves in these modes.

First and foremost, by raising the stack (holding the L or R button), you get 1 point. 

When pieces themselves disappear after being matched, you get 10 points per block. (You get 0 points for the match itself!)

The only way to get points for when you actually MATCH the pieces is by getting a:

• Combo
• Chain
• Bonus

COMBOS

As soon as the pieces that create a Combo are matched, you get the points corresponding to that combo. Tetris Attack and Pokémon Puzzle League are alike in their point system in every way except for Combos. Here I will list the amount of points given for each combo. I will list them for both games.

• Tetris Attack Combos

• Pokémon Puzzle League Combos

The above list is NOT complete. In fact, anybody willing to contribute the rest of the points earned for combos, drop me a line here.

CHAINS

The way chains work is that as SOON as the hit connects, you get the amount of points that correspond to that hit number. Please be aware that the below analysis is NOT counting the 10 points you get for clearing pieces, nor is it a cumulative total of your chain. This is only a PER HIT analysis.

In Tetris Attack, when the 14th hit connects (and beyond), you get 0 points. This is a bug and was later corrected in Pokémon Puzzle League. In Pokémon Puzzle League, every hit that connects after 13 Hits gives you 1800 points.

After getting your 13th hit in Time Trial or Endless Mode (In Tetris Attack), it is wise to stop your chain intentionally, since it will earn you 0 additional points.

In Pokémon Puzzle League, keep that chain going for as long as you can!!!

BONUSES

This is the big secret in Tetris Attack. As explained above, matching 3 blocks gives you 0 points.

HOWEVER, if you are in the middle of a chain, and you simply MATCH 3 or more blocks, you get the SAME amount of points as the last Chain hit you performed! This is called a "BONUS".

Let me give you an example:

Let's say you are on the 12th Hit of your Chain. Judging by the chart above, we see that the 12th Hit gives you 1500 points. So anyway, let's say that you have the 13th Hit already set up and so now you're just waiting for it to connect.  While you are waiting, you are doing nothing and earning 0 points. Now here is the trick. Instead of doing nothing, go find 3 blocks (it can be any amount, but 3 is the easiest) and simply just match them before your current chain is over (the last piece clears)! 

It will give you 1500 points just for matching them!! 

So what does this mean? It means that your Chain score is NOT limited to just how big your Chains are, rather, they also depend on how many bonuses you can get in a Chain. 

Tip: NEVER go for a bonus if it means the end of your chain!

One important thing to remember is that getting a bigger chain will ALWAYS give you more points than getting a Bonus, because a BONUS simply gives you what the last hit is supposed to give you, whereas getting another hit increases the AMOUNT of points you get. Also, remember, there is NO limit to how many bonuses one can get, and getting a bonus does NOT mean you have to end your chain.

It is simply an EXTRA way for you to earn points. 

A good strategy is that as soon as you feel you cannot find any more hits for your chain, just go find as many Bonuses as possible. Your score will DRAMATICALLY increase, almost the same amount as if you'd continued your chain!