Well, the Russians aren't going to like this one... for the first time EVER, Tetris was finally conquered... by an American boy.

BEATING THE 'UNBEATABLE'

Do you remember going to the arcade in the 1980s? Then you remember losing money. There's a reason those games took the rattle out of your pockets. Because some of those early video games were literally meant to be unbeatable... as in, an ending wasn't even programmed. So in order to say you truly mastered the game, you had to "kill" it.

Photo by Aedrian on Unsplash
Photo by Aedrian on Unsplash
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That's exactly what 13-year-old Willis Gibson did when he reached a "kill screen" in Tetris... the first time a human being has ever achieved such a feat.

Before we talk about a kill screen, a quick history lesson:

HISTORY OF TETRIS

Tetris, a tile-matching puzzle video game, was created by Alexey Pajitnov, a Soviet computer programmer, in 1984. Originally developed on an Electronika 60 computer, the game's objective is to manipulate falling geometric shapes to complete horizontal lines, thereby erasing them and adding to your overall score.

Photo by Ben Griffiths on Unsplash
Photo by Ben Griffiths on Unsplash
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It seems simple, but it's not. When was the last time you threw down with a game of Tetris? I guarantee you, it's harder than you remember. The moment things start speeding up, you need to pop a Xanax.

Anyway, let's talk about Willis Gibson's monumental "kill screen" achievement:

"WE'VE GOT A 'KILL SCREEN' COMING UP!"

A "kill screen" refers to a situation where the game reaches a point where it becomes impossible to progress further due to a programming limitation or bug.

On Dec. 21st, Willie Gibson of Oklahoma is believed to be the first person ever to reach one in Tetris. He documented his efforts through a live stream, and upon reaching level 157 with a maximum score of 999,999, the game froze. In a moment of amazement, Gibson placed his head in his hands and exclaimed:

Blue Scuti via YouTube
Blue Scuti via YouTube
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Oh my god! I can't feel my fingers.

Before this, gamers could only "beat" Tetris by hacking the software. Gibson is believed to be the first to do it on the game's original software.

Check out video below:

Congratulations to Willie Gibson and his incredible achievement!

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