Video game systems and methods for providing software-based skill adjustment mechanisms for video game systems

A video game system for providing software-based skill adjustments to game-play, wherein game-play is conducted with digital blocks that move downward from a skyline of a digital matrix to a bottom of the digital matrix that is located opposite to the skyline of the digital matrix, wherein complete horizontal digital lines are formed one or more digital blocks during game-play and are removed from the digital matrix, the system comprising:

• a gaming device having a digital display that displays the digital blocks and the digital matrix during game-play, wherein game-play is conducted at a current difficulty level via the gaming device,
• software, for one or more primary and/or secondary skill adjustment mechanisms, programmed into the gaming device, wherein the gaming device identifies when current game-play approaches a game ending condition and executes software for one or more primary skill adjustment mechanisms based on the identified current game-play, wherein the executed software for the one or more primary skill adjustment mechanisms changes the current difficulty level to an adjusted difficulty level that is less difficult than the current difficulty level, wherein existing digital blocks within the digital matrix remain within the matrix after execution of the software for the one or more primary skill adjustment mechanisms,
• wherein the one or more primary skill adjustment mechanisms are selected from the group consisting of a matrix adjustment, a line adjustment, a level and fall speed adjustment and a piece adjustment, wherein the matrix adjustment changes dimensions of the digital matrix, wherein the line adjustment removes at least one incomplete horizontal line from the digital matrix, wherein the level and fall speed adjustment changes a fall speed of one or more digital blocks and further wherein the piece adjustment changes a size of one or more digital blocks.