Apple had designed a Tetris clone game called "Stacker," which was present on a prototype of the third-generation iPod. AppleDemoYT is known for collecting rare prototype devices and has shared images and videos of the unreleased iPod.
This iPod was a "DVT" device, indicating it was a mid-stage prototype still undergoing "design verification testing." Its model number was A1023, not a known model of any iPod Classic version, and its serial interface was designed by an engineer at Apple.
The third-generation iPod, produced in the 14th week of 2003 (over a month before its release), was purchased from an electronic waste recycler in China. The device was non-functional at the time of purchase but could be made operational by replacing the hard drive ribbon cable.
This iPod is running a prototype version of iPodOS 2.0, featuring a game called "Stacker." Stacker plays similarly to Tetris, where pieces move from left to right using a scroll wheel. Pressing the center button drops the piece, with the goal of clearing more lines at once to score higher.
There are other games on the iPod with unreleased placeholder names like Block0, Chopper, and Klondike. The device also includes a battery test playlist with classic songs on loop, indicating Apple used this iPod to test battery life before the release of the third-generation iPod.
AppleDemoYT said that he once asked the "iPod Father" Tony Fadell why Stacker game was not released, to which Fadell responded that the game was added "in later software versions."
Over time, Apple did indeed add several games to the third-generation iPod, including Brick, Solitaire, Parachute, and Music Quiz. In 2006, Apple released some games through the iTunes Store, where people could purchase these games for later versions of the iPod, including the official version of Tetris.
Other games offered through the iTunes Store included Bejeweled, Mini Golf, Mahjong, Zuma, Cubis 2, and Pac-Man, all predating the App Store.
