Gaming like we haven't seen in a long time... At the Classic Tetris World Championship (CTWC), a 13-year-old teenager achieved what was once considered impossible: finishing the original Tetris game on NES! Willis Gibson, known as Blue Scuti, not only beat the reigning champion, but also reached level 157 and the final screen of destruction, a feat previously achieved only by artificial intelligence.
This performance, unveiled to the general public via a YouTube video on January 2, 2024, sent shockwaves through the gaming community. Facing Justin Yu, alias"Fractal", the world champion of the game released in 1990, Blue Scuti brilliantly won, marking a turning point in the 34-year history of Tetris. In the video, the young player's excitement and surprise are palpable, testifying to the scale of his success."Oh my God... My hands are tingling, I can't feel my hands," he exclaims, perfectly illustrating the intensity of this historic moment.
But how did one teenager manage to break through the barriers of Tetris, where so many others have failed? The key to his success lies in a playing technique called"rolling". Introduced in 2021, this method, which involves tapping the fingers of one hand under the controller while holding a finger of the other hand on the directional keys, has enabled Willis Gibson to optimize brick positioning and achieve impressive scores.
The success of Blue Scuti has paved the way for new ambitions for Tetris enthusiasts. As IGN reports, the next major goal for the community is to reach level 255, a challenge which, if met, could revolutionize the understanding of the game. Theoretically, if players manage to avoid crashing the game at this level, they could find themselves propelled back to their starting point, offering a whole new dimension to the Tetris experience.
So, shall we get our Tetris out of the drawer, folks?
