Willis Gibson, a 13-year-old teenager from Stillwater, Oklahoma, has achieved a milestone never seen before in the history of video games: reaching the end of Tetris, something that until now was only thought possible through artificial intelligence.
An achievement documented in a YouTube video, in which you can see how while Gibson was playing the original version of Tetris on Nintendo, he advanced to such a point that the game froze, showing a score of 999999.
Tetris, created by Alexey Pajitnov and released in 1989, is known for its incessantly falling blocks, challenging the player to prevent them from piling up. A seemingly simple game but whose human limit was thought to be level 29. Willis has proven us wrong by reaching level 157 and reaching the game’s “death” screen, a point where it becomes unplayable due to the limitations of its programming.
Until now, beating the game has only been achieved by manipulating its software. Willis, however, has done it on the original hardware, something that no one had ever done before, thus surpassing the limit that its developers imposed on the programming code.
This not only challenges what was thought possible but opens new frontiers for Tetris players. David Macdonald, content creator and competitive player, has noted in the New York Times that innovative techniques such as rolling have changed what is feasible in the game, making it possible to surpass it.
Under the pseudonym “Blue Scuti”, Willis has been competing in Tetris since 2021. His interest began when he discovered videos of the game on YouTube and he soon gathered the equipment needed to play an old version. Attracted by the “simplicity” of it, Gibson dedicates approximately 20 hours a week to the game.
At only 13 years old, the young man has already won several regional tournaments and aspires to win the Classic Tetris World Championship. But not only that, thanks to his recent achievement he has raised the bar and unlocked new challenges for the Tetris community, encouraging other players to explore how far they can push the limits of the game.
