A New World Record in NES Tetris Game: It Was Just Beaten By A 13-Year-Old

This young player managed to trigger a “True Killscreen” in NES Tetris.

In various previous stories, I have spoken about different bits of interesting gaming news. These will be linked at the end of this post. In this post, I will speak about an insane feat that was just achieved by a 13-year-old Tetris player. I closely followed him on social media as he has extraordinary gaming skills.

Meet Willis, aka “Blue Scuti.” He just nailed a new world record in NES Tetris, hitting level 157 for the first time ever. But wait, there’s a twist coming. He crashed the game, hitting what’s called the “True Killscreen.” This is a massive deal in the 34-year-old history of pro classic Tetris.

Why’s this such a big deal, and can anyone top it?

To get that, we’ve got to rewind to the game’s unbeatable barrier. In NES Tetris, your job is to fit falling blocks to clear lines. Every 10 lines, you level up and things get faster. At level 29, it’s game over. Well, it used to be, until someone cracked it using a trick called hypertapping in 2011. From there, records soared.

Thor hit level 30, Joseph went to level 31, and then EricICX blew our minds, reaching levels 37 and 38. Imagine, this was way beyond what anyone thought possible at the game’s start. Progress was sluggish, but a new technique, rolling, changed everything in 2020. Cheez discovered it and soared to level 40, setting a new bar. But EricICX, now rolling, rocked the scene in 2021, smashing the record at level 95.

But wait, there’s more! The glitched colors became the next frontier, causing visibility issues from level 138 onward. EricICX nailed it at level 146, even in a tournament, winning the 2022 championship. Then the endurance and visibility challenges hit hard. Eric’s game took nearly 40 minutes! Progress slowed until a breakthrough.

Enter stackrabbit, an AI by Greg Cannon, conquering glitched colors effortlessly. The AI explored bizarre glitches beyond, hitting level 235 before the game gave in. The final crash happened at level 237, scoring a whopping 102 million points. The game literally broke because it wasn’t designed to handle such high levels.

Human players took on the challenge, racing for the crash. Blue Scuti’s rise was meteoric, setting records and inches away from the crash trigger. The unexpected happened — Blue Scuti hit level 157, setting a new milestone by beating the game itself!

This was unheard of in the NES Tetris world. The game usually won, not the player. Blue Scuti’s triumph marks a turning point for the community, reviving interest and creating thrilling record races. Now, players are eyeing speedruns to the crash or attempting to surpass it.

But wait, there’s more: avoiding the crash!

Tool-assisted speedruns simulate strategies to bypass crash triggers, aiming for level 255 — the game’s absolute limit. It’s a joint effort between player and game, a unique challenge. This final achievement, if ever accomplished, would signify the game and player triumphing together.

So, what lies ahead after the game crash? The scene’s buzzing with potential. Blue Scuti represents the community’s best — hard work, determination, and a rise from being an underdog to a champion. The future promises more excitement, challenges, and maybe even an ultimate Tetris victory beyond our imagination.

The Tetris scene is on fire with innovation and excitement. Blue Scuti’s rise from underdog to champion embodies the spirit of the community: hard work and dedication paying off big time.

Now, the big question looms after the game crash: what next? The possibilities are endless. Some players are eyeing speedrunning strategies to hit the crash faster, while others are vying for higher scores before the inevitable crash.

What if instead of reaching the crash, players aim to dodge it? Imagine the challenge of avoiding triggers and pushing the game to its limits without triggering the fatal glitch. Enter tool-assisted speedruns — meticulously planning every move to outsmart the game.

Conclusions

The ultimate goal is Level 255, where the game reaches its memory limit. It’s a delicate dance between player and code, working together against the game’s ancient limitations. If successful, it would mark a triumph for both player and game, a rare synergy in gaming history.

So, the NES Tetris community isn’t just chasing records; they’re rewriting the game’s story. The competition is fiercer, the strategies are more innovative, and the future promises more thrilling milestones.

In the end, it’s a testament to the spirit of gaming: pushing boundaries, defying odds, and discovering new frontiers. And who knows? Maybe the next breakthrough is just around the corner, waiting for a player to write another chapter in the incredible Tetris saga.

Thank you for reading my story.

Here is my latest curated collection that you might some interesting stories. Look What Aiden Found Today — Episode #38

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