American Boy Achieves Tetris Highest Level 'Kill Screen'
A 13-year-old boy in the United States has become a sensation for beating the final stage of the block-stacking game 'Tetris,' which only artificial intelligence (AI) had been able to conquer.
On the 3rd (local time), The New York Times (NYT) and others reported that Willis Gibson from Oklahoma reached level 157 in Tetris, at which point the game suddenly stopped. According to a YouTube video Gibson himself uploaded, on the 21st of last month, he was playing Tetris in his room. Gibson continued playing for over 35 minutes, with blocks falling at a fast speed, yet he remained calm throughout. The score display continuously showed '999999,' which is presumed to be because higher numbers cannot be displayed.
However, during the game, the Tetris screen suddenly froze. Seeing the frozen screen, Gibson exclaimed, "Oh my God!" He covered his mouth with both hands, unable to hide his astonishment. NYT explained, "Gibson is the first boy to have beaten Tetris," adding, "Gibson reached level 157 and encountered the 'kill screen,' where the video game can no longer be played due to coding limitations." The kill screen refers to a state where the player's screen freezes after exceeding the functional limits of the game.
Vince Clemente, president of the Classic Tetris World Championship, commented, "This is a record no human had ever achieved before, something everyone thought was impossible until a few years ago." Gibson shared in the description of his YouTube video, "When I started playing Tetris, I never expected that I would either quit or win the game."
Tetris is a classic masterpiece game celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and has been adapted into various versions so far. It is especially popular because its simple controls allow people of all ages to enjoy it easily. The Tetris Gibson played is reported to be the original version. His victory is regarded as the first achievement by humanity in the gaming industry. Until now, only Tetris AIs like 'StackRabbit' had reached the 'kill screen.'
Gibson, who started playing Tetris in 2021, said, "I was attracted to the game because of its simplicity." He added, "It's easy to start but hard to master." He placed third in the Classic Tetris World Championship last October and stated that his goal is to win the next tournament. So far, he has earned about $3,000 (3.9 million KRW) in prize money from Tetris competitions.
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