Tetris meets its match in Oklahoma teen

 

Tetris meets its match in Oklahoma teen

In this image taken from video, 13-year-old player named Willis Gibson reacts after playing a game of Tetris. Gibson, who in late December became the first player to officially “beat” the original Nintendo version of the game. By breaking it, of course. Technically, Gibson — aka “blue scuti” in the

How a 13-year-old gamer made history by beating Tetris

Tetris is one of the most iconic and popular video games of all time. Since its release in 1984, millions of people have played the game on various platforms, from arcade machines to smartphones. The game is simple but addictive: you have to arrange falling blocks of different shapes and colors to form complete rows that disappear from the screen. The game gets faster and harder as you progress, until you reach a point where the blocks fall too fast for you to keep up.

For decades, this point was considered the end of the game. No human player could go beyond level 29, where the blocks fall at a speed of one per frame. The game would eventually crash at level 157, due to a glitch in the code that prevents the game from displaying higher levels. This phenomenon is known as the “kill screen”, and it was only reached by artificial intelligence programs that could manipulate the game’s inputs faster than any human.

But on December 21, 2023, a 13-year-old boy from Oklahoma, USA, did the impossible. He became the first human to beat Tetris, by reaching the kill screen and scoring over 15 million points. His name is Willis Gibson, and he goes by the gaming name “Blue Scuti”, after the largest known star in the universe.

How did he do it? How did he master a game that has challenged generations of gamers? How did he overcome the limitations of the hardware and the software? And what does his achievement mean for the future of gaming and human potential?

The rise of Blue Scuti

Willis Gibson was born in 2010 or 2011, and grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma. His mother is a high school math teacher, and his father is a software engineer. He has a younger sister, who also plays video games. Gibson was always interested in puzzles and logic, and he excelled in math and science at school. He also enjoyed playing video games, especially retro games from the 80s and 90s.

He discovered Tetris in 2021, when he was 11 years old, through YouTube videos of competitive players. He was fascinated by the game, and asked his mother to buy him an old-style Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) console and a copy of the 1989 version of Tetris, which is considered the standard for competitive play. He started playing the game for fun, but soon realized that he had a natural talent for it. He learned the strategies and techniques of the game, such as how to rotate and place the blocks, how to create “tetrises” (four-line clears), how to deal with “droughts” (long periods without the straight line piece), and how to manage the randomizer (the algorithm that determines the sequence of the blocks).

He also learned about the two main styles of playing the game: delayed auto-shift (DAS) and hypertapping. DAS is the default mode of the game, where the player holds down the directional pad (D-pad) to move the blocks horizontally. Hypertapping is an alternative mode, where the player rapidly taps the D-pad to move the blocks faster than the game allows. Hypertapping requires more speed and stamina, but it gives the player more control and flexibility. Gibson decided to adopt the hypertapping style, and practiced it until he could move the blocks at the maximum speed possible.

He began to play the game online, against other players from around the world. He also started to livestream his games on YouTube, under the name “Blue Scuti”. He quickly gained a reputation as one of the best Tetris players in the world, and attracted thousands of fans and followers. He also participated in several tournaments, both online and offline, and won many prizes and accolades. He placed third in the Classic Tetris World Championship (CTWC) in October 2023, winning $1,500. He was one of the youngest competitors, at the age of 13.

Despite his success, he was not satisfied. He had a bigger goal in mind: to beat the game. He wanted to reach the kill screen, and to score as high as possible. He knew that it was theoretically possible, but no human had ever done it before. He was determined to be the first.

The quest for the kill screen

After the CTWC, Gibson focused on his quest for the kill screen. He studied the game’s code, and learned about the glitches and limitations that prevented the game from displaying higher levels. He also learned about the “Dusk” and “Charcoal” levels, which are the last two levels before the kill screen. These levels have a darker and distorted color palette, due to a glitch that affects the graphics. They are also the hardest levels in the game, as the blocks fall at the fastest speed possible, and the randomizer becomes more unpredictable.

He practiced playing these levels, and tried to improve his skills and endurance. He also watched the videos of other players who attempted to reach the kill screen, such as Justin Yu, who goes by the name “Fractal161”. Yu was the first player to announce his intention to reach the kill screen, after the CTWC. He was also one of Gibson’s inspirations and rivals.

Gibson tried to reach the kill screen several times, but he always failed. He either made a mistake, or ran out of luck, or ran out of time. He had to balance his gaming with his schoolwork and his household chores. He also had to deal with the pressure and the expectations of his fans and his peers. He faced many challenges and frustrations, but he never gave up. He kept trying, and kept improving.

On December 21, 2023, he finally did it. He reached the kill screen, and scored over 15 million points. He played for 38 minutes, and cleared 1,223 lines. He was calm and focused throughout the game, and he executed his moves with precision and grace. He was ecstatic and relieved when he saw the game crash, and he celebrated with his family and his fans. He had made history.

He uploaded his record-breaking game to his YouTube channel on January 2, 2024, under the title “The First Time Somebody Has Ever “Beat” Tetris”. The video went viral, and received millions of views and comments. He also received congratulations and praise from many people, including the game’s creators and celebrities. He was interviewed by several media outlets, and he became a sensation.

The impact of Blue Scuti

Willis Gibson’s achievement is more than just a personal triumph. It is also a milestone for the gaming community and the human potential. He has shown that nothing is impossible, and that with enough passion, dedication, and skill, anyone can overcome any challenge. He has inspired many people, especially young people, to pursue their dreams and to push their limits. He has also advanced the understanding and appreciation of Tetris, and of video games in general, as a form of art, culture, and science.

He has also opened new possibilities and questions for the future of gaming and human-computer interaction. He has demonstrated that humans can surpass the limitations of the hardware and the software, and that they can compete with artificial intelligence. He has also challenged the notion of what it means to “beat” a game, and what is the ultimate goal of playing a game. He has raised the bar for the next generation of gamers, who will try to emulate or surpass his feat.

Willis Gibson is not just a gamer. He is a pioneer, a visionary, and a legend. He is Blue Scuti, the first human to beat Tetris.