Tetris defeated! Teenager becomes the first person in history to complete the iconic game

Tetris quickly bores many people. After all, how long can one arrange falling blocks? It turns out that even the iconic game has its limits, and a teenager from the USA has reached them. What level did he reach?

Tetris is one of the oldest and most popular computer games. Almost every PC or smartphone user has played it. It is, of course, a logical puzzle where the player arranges falling blocks to create lines. Tetris hit the market almost 40 years ago, with its official release date on June 6, 1984. Since then, the iconic game has seen many different versions and adaptations for consoles and smartphones.

Tetris vs. programmers and a teenage player

Until recently, no one had managed to “complete” Tetris. How could they? However, 13-year-old Willis Gibson from Oklahoma in the United States proved that it is possible. He completed the entire game during a live stream. The screen froze at level 157 during the gameplay. Although the recording of this historic event shows that Willis reached level 18, it is because the game code was not designed to reach the highest possible levels.

It is worth noting that the young American did not play the computer version of Tetris but rather the one created for the Nintendo console. This version premiered 34 years ago, slightly later than the original.

For a long time, it was believed that the 29th level of Tetris was the last stage of the game. Even on this level, players had to be smarter than the blocks falling at maximum (?) speed. While some had managed to go further after years of experimenting with various methods, no human had reached the end screen.

Artificial intelligence was the first

Well, a human didn’t, but artificial intelligence did a few years ago. In 2021, programmer Greg Cannon created a program, StackRabbit, which used AI to play Tetris. The AI managed to reach level 237, at which point the game stopped working, completely freezing. There were no fanfares or congratulations for the winner, just a game that couldn’t continue, marking its end.

The creators of Tetris probably did not expect anyone to go that far. Therefore, the game code malfunctions at higher levels.

– Eventually, an error occurs, during which the game switches from reading instructions from the code to reading RAM memory as if it were code. If the distortion generates a stop command, it completely ruins the game — explains YouTuber aGameScout, quoted by Life Science.

Video games then and now

For decades, players “beat” Tetris by hacking the software. However, it is believed that Willis was the first to do it on the original hardware. His Tetris adventure began when he came across videos of the game on YouTube. He then started collecting the necessary equipment to play its old version. His mom helped him by buying a RetroN Nintendo console from a pawn shop, which used the same drive and code as the original Nintendo. Additionally, an old cathode-ray tube TV was used.

The simplicity of the gameplay intrigued the 13-year-old, but, as he admitted in the record-breaking video description, he never expected such an achievement. In the video, viewed over 1.7 million times (as of January 10, 2024), you can see the young player in disbelief at what was happening on the screen. He also admitted that he “can’t feel his fingers.”

Despite the enduring popularity of video games, they have many opponents, especially among the parents of minors. However, this perception is slowly changing. Gaming is not only considered a hobby but also a sport, or rather, an e-sport. Some titles organize international championships for both youth and adults, offering substantial prizes. Moreover, studies have shown that playing video games enhances intelligence in children. Does this mean that we are heading for another digital revolution?

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