Game History: First person to complete a game of Tetris

A New York teen became the first person to play the video game Tetris completely, then returned to the starting level. However, it uses a modified version that offers the same gameplay experience, but crashes less and therefore has less bugs or work around.

The 16-year-old, who operates under the alias 'dogplayingtetris', needed a good 80 minutes to clear the final level of 255 on a live stream on Twitch. To do this, he uses the classic version of the game, that is, the version of the Nintendo NES game console released in the mid-eighties.

Then the counter jumped to level 0. In the second round, he again reached level 91. An important limitation compared to many previous recording attempts: he played with a modified version that prevents the crashes that Tetris is known for at higher levels.

“Tetris” with its differently shaped blocks falling from the top is a classic game. The game also became popular because it was included with the first widespread portable gaming console, the Gameboy. The goal is to push the blocks left or right until there are no gaps. Complete rows disappear, incomplete rows remain, and finally the screen clogs: game over.

For decades, it was nearly impossible to get past level 29, with blocks falling so quickly that normal button movements were no longer fast enough. But in recent years, gamers have developed techniques with names like “hyper-tapping” and “rolling,” in which experts press controller buttons or move their fingers very quickly.

This made it possible to go far beyond level 29 – but then it turned out that bigger problems lurked later. For example, in levels after 138, where blocks sometimes have unusual color patterns, sometimes making them difficult to recognize. From level 155 onwards, the game is more likely to crash when disbanding entire classes. This stopped previous records from being broken, such as that of the 13-year-old player with the nickname “BlueScuti,” who smashed the game “Tetris” to level 157 in January.

For the 16-year-old “dogplayingtetris”, the “Tetris” program code has now been modified so that he no longer has to worry about the risk of crashing. However, the game still offers challenges for him: at level 235, you have to complete 810 rows in order to progress. Additionally, the dark green blocks are harder to see than in other levels.