16-Year-Old Tetris NES Player Becomes First Hit Incredible Milestone

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Key Takeaways

  • A 16-year-old Tetris player achieved the first-ever “rebirth” by clearing level 255 on a special NES rom version.
  • The gamer set multiple records by reaching level 255 and then looping back to level 0 in the classic game.
  • Despite playing on a special version, the achievement was still impressive, with an incredible final score of 29,486,16

As a gamer who’s been around the block a few times, I can confidently say that the recent achievement by Michael “dogplayingtetris” Artiaga is nothing short of mind-blowing. With his record-breaking run on Tetris, he’s not just shattering barriers; he’s redefining what’s possible in a game that’s been around for 35 years!

A player of Tetris has accomplished something unprecedented during the game’s 35-year span: they managed to clear level 255 and attain the legendary “rebirth,” a milestone that resets the game back to its starting point. This unparalleled accomplishment, demonstrated by a 16-year-old gamer streaming on Twitch, is generating excitement among the Tetris community as well as the broader gaming world.

The timeless puzzle game, Tetris, which challenges players to tactically rotate and arrange falling blocks of diverse shapes to clear horizontal lines, has consistently maintained a level of appeal. However, there’s been a noticeable surge in interest for the original version of this video game recently. Last year, at the end of 2021, a 13-year-old named Blue Scuti finally conquered the NES Tetris after a staggering 34-year wait. Although reaching the “kill screen” at level 157 is an incredible accomplishment, what Blue Scuti has done next might be even more remarkable – breaking several records along the way.

As per Ars Technica’s report, Michael “dogplayingtetris” Artiaga surpassed a significant achievement while streaming on Twitch, in full view of hundreds of spectators. He managed to clear approximately 3,300 lines within an hour and twenty minutes, which was previously considered unattainable before the development of advanced techniques like rolling and hypertapping. Although he has undeniably raised the standard for expert Tetris gameplay, it is important to mention that he played a special version of the game. This particular version was an NES Tetris ROM designed to prevent crashes, thus avoiding the infamous Tetris kill screen that Blue Scuti triggered during his record-breaking attempt.

Artiaga’s victory in the Roman version of Tetris doesn’t make his achievement any less remarkable. The NES version of Tetris has a glitch at level 235, requiring an exhausting 810 lines to be cleared at the game’s fastest speed. It is said that this level alone took Artiaga 20 minutes to clear. After conquering level 255 and activating the legendary “rebirth,” Artiaga continued playing all the way back to level 91 before eventually stopping. The final score of his record-breaking run was an astounding 29,486,164 points, significantly surpassing the highest score ever achieved in classic Tetris.

Tetris Today, Tetris Tomorrow, Tetris Forever

This year marks Tetris’ 40th anniversary, and the series is commemorating with the unveiling of the Tetris Forever Collection. The Tetris Forever Collection promises more than 15 games spanning the extensive history of this long-standing franchise, featuring titles such as Hatris, Super BomBliss, and Super Tetris 3. Additionally, a fresh game called Tetris Time Warp will be included. As of now, the release date for this game collection is tentatively set for 2024, but it’s clear that Tetris continues to hold significant popularity within the video game industry.

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2024-10-08 05:53