In a groundbreaking achievement, 13-year-old Willis Gibson, also known as "blue scuti" in the gaming world, has become the first player to officially “beat” the original Nintendo version of the iconic falling-block video game Tetris. Willis accomplished this feat by reaching what gamers refer to as a "kill screen," a point in the game where the Tetris code glitches and crashes. While some may question the significance of this accomplishment, it is highly coveted in the world of video games, where pushing hardware and software to their limits is a common pursuit.

For many years, players of Tetris believed the game to be unbeatable due to its lack of a scripted ending. The four-block shapes continue to fall endlessly, challenging players to stack them into disappearing rows. Top players had found ways to extend their winning streaks by reaching higher levels, but ultimately, the game always emerged victorious. That is, until Willis triggered a kill screen on Level 157 on December 21st, marking a monumental victory over the game.

The makers of Tetris, including CEO Maya Rogers, congratulated Willis on his extraordinary accomplishment, acknowledging that it defied the preconceived limits of the legendary game. Tetris, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year, considers Willis' victory to be a significant milestone. However, reaching this point was no easy task.

In the early days of the Tetris scene, players struggled to progress beyond the 20s and 30s due to a lack of knowledge regarding advanced techniques. Level 29 posed a particularly difficult roadblock as the blocks fell faster than the in-game controller could respond. Over time, players discovered techniques such as "hypertapping," a rhythmic finger vibration method, which allowed them to surpass Level 30 by 2011. By 2018, players had reached Level 35 using this technique but hit another wall.

In 2020, a gamer combined a multifinger technique from arcade video games with a finger positioned on the bottom of the controller, pushing it against another finger on the top. This new method, known as "rolling," increased speed and helped a player reach Level 95 in 2022. However, as players pushed the game's limits, they encountered new obstacles.

The original developers of Tetris had not anticipated players pushing the game so aggressively, resulting in peculiar quirks at higher levels. Starting at Level 138, random color combinations appeared, making it challenging to distinguish the blocks from the black background. Two particularly difficult patterns, “Dusk” and "Charcoal," proved taxing for players. Combined with the strain of longer games lasting over 40 minutes, progress slowed once again.

A breakthrough came with the Tetris-playing AI program called StackRabbit, which managed to reach Level 237 before crashing the game. Although StackRabbit's achievements were not directly comparable to human players, it demonstrated that specific events, such as the blocks in play or the number of lines cleared at once, could trigger game-ending glitches. This revelation prompted human players to map out scenarios that could cause crashes in the original game.

After extensive effort, a large spreadsheet detailed which game levels and specific conditions were most likely to lead to a crash. Armed with this knowledge, Willis embarked on his record-breaking attempt. Even he appeared shocked when he crashed the game at Level 157, as seen in his livestream video. Hyperventilating and clutching his temples, Willis worried he might pass out before exclaiming, "Oh my God" repeatedly. Cupping his hands over his mouth, he struggled to regulate his breathing and exclaimed, "I can't feel my fingers."

Willis Gibson's achievement in beating the original Nintendo version of Tetris has not only made history but also pushed the boundaries of what was thought possible in the gaming world. His victory serves as a testament to the dedication, skill, and perseverance of gamers worldwide.