An American teenager has become the first person – in a modified version – to completely complete the video game “Tetris” and go back to the beginning. The 16-year-old, who goes by the pseudonym ‘dogplayingtetris’, needed more than 80 minutes in a Twitch livestream to get past level 255 in the classic NES version.
The counter then jumped to level 0. In the second run it reached level 91 again.
Important caveat compared to many previous record attempts: he was playing with a modified version that avoids the crashes that Tetris is infamous for at higher levels.
Simple principle, very nice
‘Tetris’, which featured blocks of different shapes falling from above, appeared on the Nintendo NES console in the 1980s. The goal is to push the blocks to the left or right so that no gaps are created. Complete rows disappear, incomplete rows remain and eventually clog the screen: Game Over.
Here you can see how the teenager cracked level 255:
New techniques for higher levels
For decades, it was considered virtually impossible to get past level 29, where the blocks fall so quickly that normal button movements are no longer fast enough. But in recent years, players have developed techniques with names like “hypertapping” and “rolling,” which involves pressing or rolling your fingers on the controller’s buttons extremely quickly.
This made it possible to reach well above level 29, but later it turned out that even bigger problems were lurking. For example, in the levels after 138, where the blocks sometimes have unusual color patterns, making them sometimes difficult to recognize. From level 155 onwards, the chance of the game crashing when dismantling entire rows increases. That halted previous record runs, such as that of the 13-year-old player with the pseudonym “BlueScuti,” who crashed “Tetris” to level 157 in January.
The software code “Tetris” has now been adjusted for the 16-year-old “dogplaying Tetris” so that he did not have to worry about this risk of crashing. However, the game still presented him with challenges: at level 235, you must complete 810 rows to progress. And the dark green blocks are harder to see than in other levels.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
