Oklahoma Teenager Conquers the Unbeatable Tetris Game
A remarkable achievement by a 13-year-old prodigy from Oklahoma as he accomplishes the seemingly insurmountable task of conquering the legendary game of Tetris
Thirteen-year-old Willis Gibson from Oklahoma has achieved the seemingly impossible feat of beating Tetris. He is believed to be the first person to reach level 157 of the classic video game, almost four decades after its release.
"I'm about to faint, I can't even feel my fingers," Gibson exclaimed, as his accomplishment caused the game to crash in a video posted on YouTube Tuesday.
"I never imagined I would crash the game or even complete it when I started playing," Gibson wrote in the video's description.
Gibson's 38-minute game video, posted under the screen name "Blue Scuti," has reignited interest in the classic Tetris game, originally created by a Soviet engineer in 1984 and made popular on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Over 200 official versions of Tetris have been released on at least 70 systems, setting a world record recognized by Guinness World Records. The mobile version developed by Electronic Arts in 2006 has sold over 100 million copies, ranking as the third best-selling video game of all time, as reported by Hewlett Packard last year.
A screenshot of Willis Gibson's record-breaking Tetris game livestream
From aGameScout/Youtube
The creator himself has said he was instantly hooked after creating the game.
"I couldn't resist playing the prototype version, the challenge of fitting the shapes together was incredibly addictive," Alexey Pajitnov shared with CNN in 2019.
Tetris gained quick popularity and has proven to have long-lasting appeal. Its Cold War-era origin story was even adapted into a movie for Apple TV+ in March.
"Victor Lucas, the gaming expert from the television series Electric Playground, described the game as being captivating in a primitive way. He believes that it goes beyond video games, similar to checkers or chess. It is a juggernaut of a play experience that anyone can immediately understand and become consumed by forever.
The game itself is straightforward: manipulate and fit falling blocks of different shapes to create solid rows. As the levels progress, the blocks fall at a faster rate."
Despite the advancements in video games with complex plot lines, numerous characters, and stunning visuals, Tetris has remained popular for its simplicity. While the game itself has not changed much over the years, the way it is played has evolved. Prior to 2011, players thought that level 29 was the highest possible due to its rapid speed.
"Its impressive design continues to captivate generations of gamers, leading to the discovery of new feats, high scores, and challenges," said video game expert and consultant Scott Steinberg to CNN. "Even experienced players are finding it difficult to tackle the constant influx of new challenges."
Tetris' lasting appeal comes from its combination of simplicity and difficulty.
After surpassing the level 29 barrier, players began to achieve even higher levels in competitions such as the Classic Tetris World Championship using advanced techniques like "hypertapping" and "rolling."
Gibson secured third place in the 2023 world championships. Despite Gibson's impressive achievements as a human gamer, a Tetris-playing AI reached level 236 in 2021 through manipulation of the game parameters.
Scott Steinberg told CNN that even though some video games are as expensive and visually stunning as Hollywood movies, there is still value in a game that is simple, elegant, and enjoyable for players of any age or background. He emphasized that sometimes simplicity is better, and the best games can withstand the test of time.
