Party Jousting

Not only is the most difficult achievement in the game (which isn't saying too much with this title), but it is actually a surprisingly difficult achievement in general.

Match3 is a somewhat generic block matching game that feels more like Dr. Mario than anything else. Since this game cannot be played with only one player, you will have to face one to three opponents (or just yourself using up to 4 buttons).

You will notice a clock in the upper left corner notated with '15'. This is telling you that you have 15 minutes before the game timer ends (and you earn an elusive achievement).

At 10 minutes remaining, the game will begin to speed up. At 5 minutes remaining, the game speeds up even more. Once you hit the one minute mark, the timer will then change from minutes to seconds.

This mode is very difficult because any cascade matches will prompt a line of blocks to fall on the opponent's side (puzzle fighter style). Even though this is a competitive game mode, you will have to work together to earn the achievement. I say 'together' because this achievement is much, much easier (still quite a challenge) with two actual players.

If you want to attempt this solo, which I attempted (and failed) then I will provide some tips for that as well.

On to the tips!

2 or more actual players:

BUY TIME- once you press your respective button to initiate a block drop, you can continue pressing the button to change the orientation of the piece. However, if you continuously tap the button, the piece will spin and drastically slow the rate the piece is falling. This will save you precious seconds at a time and ultimately has a huge impact on running out the clock. Be careful though, if you don't stop spinning and orient your piece correctly in time, you may have it land in an undesired location. Also, make sure you know how you plan on laying the piece before the initial release.

AVOID CASCADES- When you make a cascade (or combo) match, it will cause a line of blocks to potentially come down on the other player on his or her next piece. Depending on the extent of the combo, multiple lines may fall on your opponent. There will be an indicator above the other player's screen that will warn him or her how many lines to expect. That player can eliminate some of the lines by making a match during the current piece.
Anyway, by carefully selecting your matches, you should be able to avoid unnecessary cascading combos. Making a match of 5 or more or making two matches at the same time do not have any effect, only cascading combos.

TRIM BLOCKS- If you drop your piece on the farthermost sides of the screen, one of the blocks will be trimmed off. This is an excellent way of getting rid of extra blocks while strategically clearing off your board.

2 IN A ROW - If you get a piece that has two of any color in a row, you can usually use this to your advantage. Just scan your board for an exposed block of that color and drop the new piece over it in such a way that you can rotate it so the 2 blocks on your new piece will match. This sounds like common sense, but it makes strategy a lot simpler when you see a block with 2 same colors in a row.

3 IN A ROW- If you get a piece with 3 in a row, you can either place it by itself (vertical is a safer choice) or with another block of its color for some instant clearing. I will sometimes find the lowest point of the board, aim for it, and tap as long as I can to maximize air time.

PAUSE- You can press during the match to get a breather. Furthermore, you can still see the game board and plan for your next move. This is great for determining if you are in danger of making any cascades on your next drop.

single player tips:

SYNCRONISATION- I would recommend playing with 4 players and use the triggers and bumpers as your action buttons. Now, just concentrate on one screen and always press all four buttons down at the same time when ready to make a move.
If done correctly, all 4 screens will execute the exact same move. Be warned, the faster the game mode gets, the harder it will be for you to perfectly time each drop. Once the game becomes unsynchronized, it is nearly impossible to control two separate screens.

Avoiding cascades in this manner is paramount as it will pretty much ruin your run.

The reason you should try for 4 characters is so that if you mess up, there is a good chance that at least two screens are still synchronized.

Unfortunately, the spinning trick for saving time is pretty much impossible to do using 4 buttons at a time. The slightest mis-timing will unsynchronized your game.

Best of luck to anyone giving this a go. I honestly felt like I put way too much time and effort into getting this achievement.