>> IT IS ESTIMATED THAT TWO
OUT OF EVERY THREE AMERICANS
HAVE PLAYED TETRIS.
TETRIS IS A GAME OF SKILL.
SEVEN BLOCKS OF DIFFERENT SHAPES
DESCEND FROM THE TOP
OF THE SCREEN.
THE PLAYER MUST ARRANGE THEM TO
FORM AND CLEAR HORIZONTAL LINES.
SUCCESS IS MEASURED
BY THE NUMBER OF LINES CLEARED
AND THE TOTAL NUMBER
OF POINTS SCORED.
AS THE PLAYER CLEARS MORE LINES,
THE PIECES FALL FASTER.
THE FASTER THE PIECES FALL,
THE MORE POINTS ARE SCORED.
WHEN THE PIECES REACH THE TOP
OF THE SCREEN, THE GAME IS OVER.
RUSSIAN COMPUTER SCIENTIST,
ALEXEY PAJITNOV,
INVENTED TETRIS IN 1984
ON AN ELECTRONIKA 60.
IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED,
THE GAME EXPLODED IN POPULARITY
AND WAS PORTED TO VIRTUALLY
EVERY COMPUTER AND CONSOLE ON
THE MARKET.
IN 1989, NINTENDO
RELEASED TETRIS FOR THE GAME BOY
AND THE NINTENDO
ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM,
SELLING NEARLY 40 MILLION COPIES
AND BRINGING THE GAME
TO THE MASSES.
IN 1990, NINTENDO CHOSE TETRIS
AS THE CENTRAL GAME
IN THE LARGEST VIDEO-GAME
TOURNAMENT THE WORLD HAD EVER
SEEN: THE NINTENDO
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.
A 14-YEAR-OLD BOY
FROM TEXAS NAMED THOR WON.
NINTENDO'S TETRIS CAME TO BE
VIEWED AS THE DEFINITIVE VERSION
OF THE GAME...
ITS SECRETS AND MYSTERIES
FASCINATING THE BEST PLAYERS
IN THE DECADES TO COME.
EVERY SUCCESSFUL GAME ENDS WITH
THE SAME MESSAGE TO THE PLAYER.
THIS IS THE STORY OF THE PEOPLE
WHO TRULY MASTERED THE GAME.
>> I HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT PLAY
TETRIS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS,
AND NOW I'M HERE BECAUSE I HEARD
ABOUT A TETRIS COMPETITION,
AND I'M HERE, HOPEFULLY,
TO WIN IT.
I MEAN, I BEGAN TETRIS REALLY
WHEN I WAS A KID.
I USED TO TAKE STATISTICS
OF EVERY SINGLE GAME I PLAYED,
AND WRITE DOWN
WHETHER I HAD A CUP
OF COFFEE BEFOREHAND
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT,
TO KIND OF SEE WHAT WOULD MAKE
ME PLAY TETRIS THE BEST.
AND I FOUND OUT THAT, ACTUALLY,
EXACTLY ONE HALF-HOUR
BEFORE YOU HAVE --
AFTER YOU HAVE SOME COFFEE,
YOU PLAY THE BEST.
>> TOP PLAYERS, MOVING
TO THE SUPER NINTENDO VERSION,
WE ACTUALLY
PLAY AGAINST EACH OTHER
AND EVERY TIME YOU GET A TETRIS,
IT SENDS GARBAGE
TO THE OTHER PERSON.
OH, THE MOST PAINFUL MISDROP
IN ASHLEY'S LIFE.
LET'S SEE IF SHE CAN SURVIVE.
OH.
I'M SORRY.
TETRIS IS NOT FAIR, FOLKS.
>> I GOT TO GET IT TOGETHER.
I'M STILL IN A VIABLE PLACE.
I CAN HEAR HIS BREATH.
>> BEN WAS JUST INFORMED THAT
IN THE FINAL MATCH, THE PLAYERS
WON'T BE ALLOWED
TO ROTATE THE PIECES.
THIS IS CONSIDERED
A VERY UNUSUAL STYLE OF PLAYING.
>> CHK, CHK, CHK, CHK, CHK, CHK,
CHK, CHK.
[ TRILLS ]
THIS IS WHAT 15 YEARS OF PLAYING
ONE GAME AND ONE GAME ONLY WILL
GET YOU -- IN A TOURNAMENT
SOMEWHERE AND A DOCUMENTARY
THEREAFTER.
IT'S ALL ABOUT TETRIS.
CHK, CHK, CHK, CHK, CHK, CHK.
GOES A LOT FASTER THAN THAT
IF YOU'RE REALLY GOOD.
>> WE HAVE A NEW LOW...
53 POINTS.
SHE CAME IN AND ASKED
FOR A GLASS OF BLOOD.
MOLLIN CLEARS A LITTLE SPACE,
GETS READY FOR HER LONG BAR.
AND LOOK AT THIS COMEBACK.
>> OH, MOLLIN
TAKES IT BY A LANDSLIDE.
YOU'RE A CHAMPION.
MOLLIN NYLANDER.
AND THAT'S IT,
EVERYBODY PLEASE GO HOME.
>> SO THIS ONE IS $3.
>> YEAH.
YOU GOT THREE MORE FOR $5.
>> YEAH.
>> IF I BOUGHT ALL THREE OF 'EM,
WOULD YOU GO TO $4 FOR EACH?
>> SURE.
YOU'RE A GOOD TETRIS HAND?
>> YEAH, WE ARE FINDING THE BEST
TETRIS PLAYER IN THE WORLD.
WE ALWAYS HAD WONDERED WHY
THE BIGGEST GAME IN THE WORLD,
OR WHAT'S PROBABLY THE --
THE MOST PLAYED GAME EVER,
DIDN'T HAVE A CHAMPION.
AND GAMES LIKE PAC-MAN HAD
BILLY MITCHELL AND ASTEROIDS
NOW HAS JOHN McALLISTER,
AND TETRIS IS POSSIBLY EVEN
PLAYED MORE THAN THAT.
AND I DECIDED TO FIND
THE BEST TETRIS PLAYERS
IN THE WORLD
AND PLAY THEM IN A CONTEST.
>> IT'S THE ONLY VIDEO GAME
THAT CAN BE DESCRIBED
AS PERFECT, RIGHT?
BECAUSE HOW WOULD YOU
IMPROVE IT?
WHAT, ADD A SHAPE?
TAKE AWAY A SHAPE?
>> I BELIEVE THAT TETRIS MAY
WELL BE THE FIRST VIRTUAL SPORT.
IF WAS GOING TO PRACTICE, UH,
TO BE THE SMARTEST
OR THE FASTEST THINKER
IN THE WORLD, WOULD I
PLAY FOOTBALL?
I DON'T THINK SO.
I WOULD PLAY TETRIS.
>> FOR MONTHS, I'VE BEEN
SEARCHING FOR THESE, UH,
CRT TELEVISIONS.
THEY'RE KIND OF HARD TO FIND,
BUT, UH, WE'RE HERE
AT THIS THRIFT STORE
AND WE FOUND THE MOTHER LODE.
THERE'S ABOUT 10 IN THERE.
>> DESPITE BEING BASED
IN PORTLAND, OREGON,
ROBIN DECIDES TO HOLD
HIS TOURNAMENT IN LOS ANGELES
IN AN EFFORT
TO DRAW MORE PEOPLE.
HE HOPES THAT IF HE CAN GET
THE BEST PLAYERS INVOLVED
AND CROWN A CHAMPION,
HE WILL HAVE DONE HIS PART
TO LEGITIMIZE TETRIS
AS A PROFESSION SPORT.
>> WELL, I'M PRETTY HAPPY WITH
THIS.
>> NO MORE INTERNET SCOREBOARDS,
NO MORE SECOND CHANCES,
JUST A GOOD OLD-FASHIONED
FACE-TO-FACE TOURNAMENT
FOR THE AGES.
>> IT'S A TETRIS SHOWDOWN
OF THE CENTURY,
AND WE'RE JOINED
LIVE BY ROBIN MIHARA.
SO, THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.
WHAT KIND OF COMPETITION
WE TALKING ABOUT HERE?
>> UH, WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT THE CLASSIC NES TETRIS.
UH, TETRIS IS PROBABLY
THE MOST-PLAYED
VIDEO GAME OF ALL TIME.
IT'S A --
IT'S AN ADDICTING GAME, AND, UH,
IT'S STOLEN MILLIONS OF HOURS
FROM MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
THE CHAMPION HAS NEVER BEEN
CROWNED, AND I MADE IT MY GOAL
TO SEEK OUT
AND FIND A WORLD CHAMPION.
>> ARE YOU A BIG FAN,
'CAUSE I KNOW WHEN I PLAY,
I LIKE TO STACK 'EM UP
ALL ON ONE SIDE
AND THEN YOU GET
ONE OF THOSE LONG FOUR ONES,
'CAUSE IT'S SUCH A GOOD PAYOFF
WHEN YOU GET THE FOUR...
>> Y-YEAH,
I DO ENJOY THAT MANEUVER.
THE -- THE LONG BAR TO GET
THE TETRIS IS PRETTY SOLID.
>> YES.
>> TETRIS IS A GAME OF
DECISIONS, EACH ONE AFFECTING
THE NEXT.
AT SPEEDS OF UP TO TWO DECISIONS
PER SECOND, THE TETRIS MASTER
STRIVES TO MAKE THE RIGHT
DECISION EVERY SINGLE TIME
UP TO 700 TIMES PER GAME.
TO DO THIS, THE TETRIS MASTER
MUST MAINTAIN FOCUS.
THE FOUR-LINE CLEAR,
CALLED A TETRIS,
SCORES THE MOST POINTS.
THE MASTER
RELENTLESSLY PURSUES TETRISES.
THIS IS DONE BY BUILDING A WALL
AND LEAVING A WELL.
THE LONG BAR
COMPLETES THE TETRIS.
THE PROBABLY OF GETTING
A LONG BAR AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT
IS ABOUT ONE OUT OF SEVEN.
THE LONG BAR IS THE MOST
IMPORTANT PIECE IN THE GAME.
AN EXTENDED PERIOD WITHOUT IT
IS KNOWN AS A DROUGHT.
A LONG BAR DROUGHT
IS THE MOST DREADED OCCURRENCE
IN NES TETRIS.
ROBIN IS ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE
A DROUGHT.
>> YUCK.
>> TO SURVIVE THE DROUGHT, ROBIN
IS FORCED TO START BURNING LINES
OFF THE TOP OF HIS WALL.
>> THAT WAS A DROUGHT.
>> I THINK I'VE NARROWED DOWN
WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE THE TOP
TETRIS PLAYERS IN THE WORLD.
UH, THIS IS WHERE THEY LIVE.
AND I'VE DECIDED THAT I AM GOING
TO HOLD A MASSIVE CONTEST,
INVITE THEM ALL,
AND COME OUT OF THERE KNOWING
WHO THE BEST TETRIS PLAYER
IN THE WORLD IS.
ONCE I FOUND TWIN GALAXIES --
THEY KEEP THE WORLD RECORDS
FOR ALL VIDEO GAMES --
IT DAWNED ON ME
THAT NOT ONLY HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE
BEEN PLAYING THIS GAME
EVER SINCE IT CAME
OUT 22 YEARS AGO, UH,
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
TAKING IT VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY.
>> QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO,
IT ALL STARTED WITH JUST
A MYSTERIOUS TAPE POPPING UP.
HMM.
WELL, A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND
ON TETRIS.
WELL, THIS SHOULD DEFINITELY
BE INTERESTING,
AND I HAD NO IDEA
IT WAS GONNA SNOWBALL
SO EXPONENTIALLY AS IT HAS.
>> DANA WILCOX, UH, KIND
OF OUT OF NOWHERE,
JUST POSTED THIS SCORE
A MONTH AGO.
I DON'T KNOW VERY MUCH
ABOUT HER,
BUT SHE'S FROM THE OAKLAND AREA.
>> I MEAN, I HAD NO IDEA
THAT THAT WAS EVEN --
THAT TWIN GALAXIES EVEN
EXISTED UNTIL MY FRIEND WAS ALL,
"DUDE, CHECK OUT
'KING OF KONG'."
AND I SAW "KING OF KONG"
AND I WAS LIKE...
YOU KNOW, IT'S ON.
LIKE, "WHOA, THAT -- THAT
EXISTS?"
AND THEN I STARTED
CHECKING OUT TETRIS ON THERE,
AND ALL THE SCORES WERE CRAP.
WHEN I WAS A KID,
MY MOM GOT PRETTY GOOD.
WE HAD THIS, LIKE, DRY-ERASE
WHITE BOARD, AND IT WOULD SAY
WHAT CHORE YOU HAD TO DO THAT
WEEK.
AND IN THE TOP CORNER,
IT WOULD ALWAYS SAY THE REIGNING
HIGHEST TETRIS SCORE,
WHICH MY MOM
HELD FOR TWO MONTHS,
AND THEN I -- I WIPED HER
OFF THE BOARD AND THAT WAS IT.
>> DO YOU REMEMBER
WHAT THE SCORE WAS?
>> UH, I THINK IT WAS,
LIKE 151-ISH.
THE NEXT ONE I REMEMBER WAS,
UH, LIKE, A 624.
I TOOK A POLAROID
OF THE TV, LIKE, "624!
CHECK IT OUT, BITCHES."
YOU KNOW, I COULDN'T LEAVE
THE SCREEN ON FOR THAT LONG.
FREEZE.
IT'S LIKE AN ETCH A SKETCH
THAT YOU FREEZE IN TIME.
LIKE, NO ONE
EVER TOUCHES THE TV AGAIN,
WHICH MAYBE I WOULD DO
IF I GOT -- IF I MAXED IT OUT.
>> UH, JESSIE KELKAR AT ONE
POINT HELD THE WORLD RECORD FOR
LINES.
>> I WANNA SAY SOMEWHERE
BETWEEN 3 1/2 AND 4 FEET LONG
SO HE'S ALMOST DOUBLED IN SIZE
SINCE WE GOT HIM.
NO?
WELL, LET'S SEE.
MY MOM WOULD'VE BEEN THE ONE
TO BRING THE GAME
INTO THE HOUSE.
SHE BROUGHT IT HOME ONE NIGHT,
AND THE WHOLE FAMILY
SAT DOWN AND STARTED PLAYING.
AND SHE HAD A NATURAL KNACK
FOR IT, AND I TURNED OUT
TO HAVE A NATURAL KNACK FOR IT,
AND SO IT WOULD TURN
INTO COMPETITIONS
BETWEEN ME AND MY MOM A LOT.
AND I WAS -- WOULD DO MY
SCHOOLWORK BECAUSE SHE WOULDN'T
LET ME ON THE NINTENDO BEFORE MY
SCHOOL-- AND YES, SHE WOULD
CHECK IT, 'CAUSE SHE WAS NOT
GIVING UP THAT NINTENDO FOR
ANYTHING.
MY HUSBAND, YOU KNOW,
GOES ONTO GOOGLE, AND HE FINDS
TWIN GALAXIES' WEBSITE.
THIS IS, LIKE, A SERIOUS WEBSITE
AND THEY TRACK THIS STUFF
AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT
SINCE THE '80s, AND...
SO, I SAT AND I PLAYED
AND I GOT TO LEVEL 29.
FOR THE FIRST TIME,
I SAW LEVEL 29,
AND I WENT, "WHOA,"
AND I FINALLY GOT TO 291,
AND I WAS LIKE, "OKAY, YOU KNOW,
THIS IS ENOUGH TETRIS."
"I'LL -- I'LL STICK WITH 291.
LET'S SEE HOW IT GOES,"
AND I GOT THE CERTIFICATE
WHERE I HAVE, YOU KNOW,
I AM A WORLD RECORD HOLDER
AND WHATNOT.
AND THEN I THINK BEN
CAME IN ABOUT THREE MONTHS LATER
AND JUST WENT,
"NO, I'M NOT HAVING THIS 291."
"I'M GONNA GO WITH 294,"
AND I WENT, "OH."
>> UH, BEN MULLEN
IS THE WORLD RECORD HOLDER
FOR THE MOST NUMBER
OF LINES AT 296,
WHICH MEANS, UH, INCREDIBLY,
HE WAS ABLE TO SCORE
SIX LINES INTO WHAT EVERYONE
CONSIDERS THE DEATH SCREEN.
>> LINES IN TETRIS
HAVE A REAL ELEGANCE TO THEM
IF YOU GET REALLY GOOD
AT GETTING A LOT
OF LINES EVERY TIME.
IN HIGH SCHOOL,
I WAS TO THE POINT
WHERE I COULD AVERAGE
OVER 270 LINES PER GAME,
WHICH, WHEN YOU
AVERAGE IN SOME BAD GAMES,
I'M GETTING
TO LEVEL 29 NEARLY EVERY TIME.
SO, THIS IS JUST A QUICK GAME
I'M PLAYING TO SHOW
THAT I'M STILL CAPABLE
OF GETTING TO LEVEL 29,
AND I MAY OR MAY NOT GET THERE
BECAUSE I CAN'T REMEMBER
IF THE PIECE
I JUST DROPPED GETS ME THERE,
OR NOT.
AND I...WISH IT LUCK.
OH YEAH, IT DOES.
OKAY, THAT'S LEVEL 29.
THAT WAS REALLY QUICK,
BUT LEVEL 29 DOES TEND
TO KILL YOU.
SO, I'M DEAD.
IN HIGH SCHOOL,
I GOT AN 820,000,
AND THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD SCORE
EVEN TODAY.
SO, I STARTED WATCHING, AND --
AND PEOPLE LIKE HARRY HONG
AND WHATNOT WOULD COME ALONG,
AND THEY WERE SCORING,
BUT THEY WERE SCORING WAY
BENEATH WHAT I HAD DONE.
SO I GOT AN ARROGANT ATTITUDE,
LIKE, "I'M NUMBER 1.
NO ONE CAN TOUCH ME."
HARRY HONG'S NOTHING.
EVERYBODY'S NOTHING.
THAT'S THE ATTITUDE I HAD,
SO I WASN'T TRYING
TO MAKE MYSELF BETTER,
AND HARRY HONG WAS.
>> I MADE IT A GOAL
TO GET THE MAX.
LIKE, I HAD TO.
I WOULD SAY FOUR YEARS WAS --
WAS A PRETTY LONG TIME.
I JUST BELIEVED...
I JUST MADE MYSELF BELIEVE
THAT I WAS CAPABLE OF DOING IT.
>> FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS,
THERE'S BEEN
A -- A LEAPFROGGING SITUATION
WHERE EVERYONE WAS TRYING
TO BE THE FIRST PERSON
TO EVER MAX OUT THE GAME.
THERE ARE TWO PARAMOUNT
ACHIEVEMENTS WITHIN NES TETRIS,
LARGELY DISMISSED
AS UNATTAINABLE.
THE FIRST IS THE MAX OUT,
OR A PERFECT SCORE
OF 999,999 POINTS.
WITH ONLY A SIX-DIGIT SCORE
COUNTER, THIS
IS THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE SCORE.
THE MASTER STRIVES TO SCORE
THE MAX BEFORE REACHING
THE LEVEL 29 KILL SCREEN,
A LEVEL SO FAST IT IS BELIEVED
IMPOSSIBLE TO SURVIVE.
TO REACH THE MAX
BEFORE HITTING THE KILL SCREEN,
THE MASTER MUST PLAY PERFECTLY,
SCORING TETRISES
AT LEAST 60 PERCENT OF THE TIME.
>> BUT I DIDN'T REALLY REFLECT
ON THE FACT THAT THERE'S ONLY
SO MANY LINES TO WORK WITH,
SO I HAD TO FIT
MORE AND MORE PERFECTION
INTO THAT SAME SPACE.
>> NO ONE EVER THOUGHT
THAT THERE WOULD BE A MAX OUT.
THAT'S PUSHING THE REALMS
OF FEASIBILITY
AND, LO AND BEHOLD, LITTLE
WHILE LATER, SUDDENLY HARRY
PULLS OUT SOME MORE MAGIC
FROM HIS HAT, AND POOF.
>> THAT NIGHT WHEN I GOT THE
MAX, I CHECKED MY SCORE --
I JUST GLANCED AT IT REAL QUICK.
IT WAS AROUND, I BELIEVE, LIKE,
IN THE HIGH 960,000s,
AND I KNEW I HAD TO GET A
TETRIS, LIKE, WITHIN THE NEXT,
LIKE, FIVE LINES.
THE PIECES DIDN'T COME OUT TO --
I HAD TO REALLY THINK QUICKLY
ON WHERE TO PUT THE PIECES
AT THAT TIME.
I MADE, LIKE, TWO-SECOND, LIKE,
LAST, MAYBE LIKE,
LAST MILLISECOND DECISION,
SO I HAD TO, LIKE, MANEUVER,
LIKE, REALLY QUICKLY.
I-I JUST DROPPED THE CONTROLLER,
YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I WAS DONE.
YOU KNOW, I-I DROPPED THE
CONTROLLER, AND I JUST YELLED.
I JUST YELLED.
IT WAS, LIKE, 1:30 IN THE
MORNING.
I SAVED A BOTTLE OF
JOHNNY WALKER JUST FOR, YOU
KNOW, THAT OCCASION,
AND I'VE HAD THAT BOTTLE
FOR TWO YEARS.
AND THAT NIGHT,
WE ALL TOOK A SHOT OF THAT,
AND THAT WAS A GOOD NIGHT, YEAH.
>> THAT MADE ME,
LIKE, "ALL RIGHT, THAT'S IT.
I'M MAXING IT OUT."
HARRY HONG IS MY HERO.
'CAUSE BEFORE THAT, HONESTLY,
I HAD STARTED KIND OF, LIKE,
IN MY OWN SOLITARY TETRIS WORLD,
WONDERING IF IT WAS POSSIBLE.
>> HARRY DID IT FIRST.
UH, JONAS ACTUALLY CLAIMED THAT
HE HAD DONE IT BEFORE HARRY,
BUT HE DIDN'T HAVE
THE APPROPRIATE VIDEO.
>> I GOT TO SHOW YOU THE
TECHNIQUE THAT HAS REALLY KIND
OF PUT ME OVER THE EDGE,
AND IT IS, LIKE, THE EYES.
I GOT -- I GOT, LIKE, THE EYES.
I CAN SPLIT IT OUT
AND CHECK THE NEXT BUTTON,
RIGHT?
SOMETIMES YOU NEED AN ADVANTAGE.
THE FIRST TIME I MAXED IT OUT,
I JUST...
I-IT'S A REALLY WEIRD THING.
YOU -- YOU HAVE THIS GOAL,
AND YOU MAX IT OUT.
IT'S 1:00 A.M.
YOU HAVE NO CAMERA, YOU HAVE
NO WAY TO PUT THIS ON FILM.
SO, ON MY BIRTHDAY LAST --
LAST YEAR IN 2009, APRIL 19th,
I SAW THAT HARRY HAD, YOU KNOW,
GIVEN ME THE BIRTHDAY PRESENT
OF USURPING ME FIRST TO --
TO THE TITLE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I -- I DIDN'T
WANNA SEE THAT ON MY BIRTHDAY.
THAT KIND OF MOTIVATED ME.
I WAS LIKE,
"I NEED TO DO THIS."
THE FIRST VIDEO WAS, UH,
A LEVEL 18 MAX OUT WITH NO
SOUND, AND THE INITIAL REACTION
WAS, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SOUND,
IT SEEMED LIKE I HAD SOMETHING
TO HIDE.
BUT YEAH, THE SECOND ONE
WAS A LEVEL 19 MAX
OUT WITH MY AT&T TILT PHONE.
RIGHT OFF THE BAT, PEOPLE KIND
OF DISMISSED IT BECAUSE THEY
COULDN'T SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.
>> PEOPLE COMMENT ON MY VIDEO,
SAYING, "IT'S FAKE, IT'S A
GLITCH, HE'S CHEATING."
BUT, I MEAN -- I MEAN, IN A WAY,
I'LL TAKE THAT AS A COMPLIMENT,
YOU KNOW, LIKE,
I MEAN IF THEY THINK IT'S REALLY
THAT IMPOSSIBLE
TO PLAY LIKE THAT THEN.
YOU KNOW,
THAT -- THAT'S GOOD FOR ME.
>> DUDE, THE BEST ON THAT
YouTube WAS READING ALL THE
COMMENTS OF PEOPLE THAT SAID,
LIKE, "THIS IS A FAKE VIDEO.
THIS IS SLOWED DOWN.
OH, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT..."
>> YEAH.
>> "YOU KNOW,
ONE MINUTE AND 25 SECONDS
IN, THE CAMERA GLITCHES.
IT'S -- IT'S CLEARLY COMPUTER
GENERATED."
>> BUT THAT --
THAT'S THE WHOLE FOLKLORE THING.
THAT'S THE KIND
OF BIGFOOT PHOTO TYPE
OF SITUATION THAT I WAS --
THAT I WAS TRYING
TO DEVELOP ACTUALLY.
>> THE SECOND PARAMOUNT
ACHIEVEMENT WITHIN THE GAME
IS PASSING THE LEVEL 29 KILL
SCREEN AND REACHING LEVEL 30.
THIS IS WIDELY BELIEVED
TO BE IMPOSSIBLE
BECAUSE THE PIECES BEGIN FALLING
TOO QUICKLY TO REACH THE SIDES.
BEN MULLEN HAS COME
THE CLOSEST.
HIS RECORD OF 296 LINES,
FALLING JUST FOUR LINES
SHORT OF LEVEL 30.
>> GETTING THAT RECORD,
IT'S REALLY HELPFUL
IF YOU'RE GOOD AT GETTING
THE LEVEL 29 A LOT OF TIMES.
SO, I JUST GOT TO IT
OVER AND OVER,
BUILT UP AS HIGH AS I COULD.
GOT TETRISES
AND WHATEVER I COULD DO,
AND EVENTUALLY
I GOT SIX LINES ON THERE.
I MEAN, THAT'S NUTS
IN AND OF ITSELF.
YOU GOT TO REALLY BUILD UP
PRETTY DARN HIGH TO DO THAT.
TO GET REALLY FAR PAST THAT,
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET
PIECES AT THE EDGE ON 29,
WHICH IS, TO ME, JUST CRAZY.
>> THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT JUMP
BETWEEN LEVEL 28 AND 29.
IT BOGGLED ME, YOU KNOW?
I ABSOLUTELY HAD TO FIND OUT
WHO HAS SEEN LEVEL 30.
DOES LEVEL 30 EXIST?
DOES IT JUST KEEP GOING ON
FOREVER?
>> THERE ARE TWO KNOWN
STRATEGIES TO REACH LEVEL 30.
THE FIRST IS TO PREPARE A CENTER
WELL AT THE END OF LEVEL 28,
ELIMINATING THE NEED
FOR PIECES TO REACH THE SIDES.
>> THE BIG QUESTION
IS WHETHER OR NOT THOR
IS GOING TO PARTICIPATE.
HE HAS CLAIMED TO GET
PAST THE DEATH SCREEN
ON LEVEL 29 INTO 30, UH,
WHICH IS VERY HARD TO BELIEVE
ONCE YOU'VE SEEN THE SPEED
OF 29.
HE, I BELIEVE,
HAS MAXED THE GAME
OUT AT THE AGE OF 14.
UH, NEVER SAW IT --
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE DID --
BUT I HAVE NO REASON
NOT TO BELIEVE HIM.
HE WAS THE GREATEST TETRIS
PLAYER IN THE WORLD 20 YEARS
AGO.
HE BEAT OVER A MILLION KIDS, UM,
AND HE -- HE BEAT US HANDILY.
>> ROBIN MIHARA KNOWS NINTENDO.
HE RECENTLY RETURNED FROM
THE NINTENDO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
IN UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA.
THE KEY TO SUCCESS?
>> HAND-EYE COORDINATION.
>> YUP, AN EAGLE EYE,
A FINGER THAT FLIES AND HOURS
AND HOURS OF PRACTICE.
>> YOU KNOW, THREE MONTHS
OF TRAINING AND HUNDREDS
AND HUNDREDS OF LAWNS MOWED, UM,
ALL INVESTED
INTO THIS ONE CONTEST.
>> WELCOME TO UNIVERSAL STUDIOS,
HOLLYWOOD.
THIS IS THE PLAYING FIELD
OF THE FUTURE,
THE UNPRECEDENTED 1990 NINTENDO
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.
>> NINTENDO HAD 12 MASSIVE
TRAILER TRUCKS FULL OF
EQUIPMENT, AND IT WAS TOURING
AROUND THE -- THE COUNTRY,
TAKING ONE WINNER FROM EACH
CITY, AND THEN WAS GONNA PLAY
ALL OF THE WINNERS TOGETHER IN
HOLLYWOOD, UH, TO CROWN A
CHAMPION.
BUT AFTER WATCHING THOR PLAY,
UH, HE HAD THE ABILITY
TO VIBRATE THE DIRECTIONAL PAD
SO THAT THE PIECE ACTUALLY
MOVED FASTER THAN THE REST
OF US COULD MOVE IT.
IT SEEMED KIND OF UNFAIR.
I ENDED UP PLAYING TWO OF MY --
MY BETTER GAMES AND ENDED
UP TAKING THIRD BEHIND THOR,
WHO WON IT ALL.
WANT ME TO WRITE "DAMN YOU,
THOR," OR ANYTHING?
HE'S THE GUY THAT BEAT ME.
>> YEAH, DO IT, TOTALLY.
TOTALLY GOOD.
>> THAT'S MY QUOTE.
THE DAY THAT HE
WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS,
I WENT TO HIS ROOM AND TALKED
TO HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME.
AND HE SAID THAT,
UM, HE HAD GOTTEN TO LEVEL 30.
THIS IS A QUOTE OF HIS: "IF YOU
GET PAST LEVEL 30,
IT'S PRETTY EASY TO MAX IT OUT,"
AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME
I'D EVER HEARD SOMEONE
SAY THAT MAXING
OUT TETRIS WAS PRETTY EASY.
>> I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN --
IN 1990 I WAS REALLY
OBSESSED WITH WANTING
TO WIN THAT COMPETITION.
>> HEY, IS IT WEIRD
IF I KNOW THOR?
>> THOR WON IN HOUSTON,
WHICH WAS WHERE I WENT
THE VERY FIRST TIME, AND I
DON'T KNOW IF HE HAD DEVELOPED
THE MULTI-TAP TECHNIQUE BY THEN.
BY THE END OF THE TOUR,
HE HAD DONE IT.
HE WAS REALLY MOVING
THE PIECES LEFT
AND RIGHT FASTER THAN EVERYONE.
>> WHAT NONE
OF US PRACTICED DOING
WAS VIBRATE OUR LEFT THUMB --
AND THAT'S WHAT THOR WOULD DO --
AND HE COULD GET THE PIECE TO
MOVE LEFT TO RIGHT FASTER
THAN ALL OF US.
>> NOW, IF YOU WATCH,
THOR'S GOT A TECHNIQUE
FOR HIS 10-SECOND COUNTDOWN
TO GET THE LONG BAR.
HE'S PLAYING ALL THE WAY
UP THERE AND HE'S VIBRATING IT
SO FAST THAT IT CAN GET IT
OVER HIS GIANT STACK,
AND HE DOESN'T EVEN
GET THE LONG BAR.
HE -- HE COULD HAVE
DEMOLISHED THE SCORE.
THIS IS THE SEVEN CHAMPS
WITH HOWARD PHILLIPS,
THE FACE OF NINTENDO IN THE
'90s.
AND THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT EACH
OF US THAT WAS A LITTLE OFF,
LIKE, I HAVE A.D.D. AND A COUPLE
OTHER GUYS WERE AWKWARD.
AND NONE OF US WERE,
LIKE, YOUR EVERYDAY GUY,
WHICH IS PROBABLY WHY WE WERE
IN THE HOUSE PLAYING NINTENDO
FOR 10 HOURS A DAY.
>> THOR WAS KIND OF THE GUY
WHERE IT'S LIKE, YOU FEARED HIM,
BUT YOU DIDN'T WANT TO BE HIM.
>> THOR WOULD KIND OF COME UP
TO US AS SORT OF LIKE AN OUTCAST
AND HE'D WALK UP AND SAY,
"MY NAME IS THOR.
I'M GOOD AT GAMES."
THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'D GO
TO THE ARCADE AND, YOU KNOW,
THOR WOULD BE THERE
AND HE'D WALK UP TO US
AND HE'D SAY, "I'M THOR.
I'M GOOD AT GAMES."
YOU KNOW, IS IT AN OCD THING?
YOU KNOW, IT'S -- IT'S LIKE
SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW,
PRODIGIES SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW,
HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT
OF -- OF THING TO THAT.
>> KIND OF DEMONIZED HIM
AS A CHILD BECAUSE HE --
HE SQUASHED MY DREAMS,
BUT NOW THAT I'M PAST THAT, I
JUST WANNA KNOW WHO THIS GUY IS.
>> I FELT LIKE HE WAS
JUST LIKE ME, JUST A NERD.
WE HUNG OUT,
LIKE, IN THE MID-'90s AND,
LIKE, PLAYED GAMES TOGETHER.
>> AFTER THE NINTENDO
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS,
HE KIND OF BURNT
OUT ON, UH, THE FAME.
>> THERE WAS A VIDEO SOMEONE
MUST HAVE RECORDED OFF THE TV
IN EARLY '90s,
AND IT WAS, UM,
THE HOME SHOPPING NETWORK.
THE WOMAN WAS SELLING, UH,
MICRO MACHINES.
>> 32 DIFFERENT TRACKS TO PLAY
WITH.
THERE HE IS, THOR.
HE'S OUR NINTENDO WORLD CHAMP,
AND HE IS OVER THERE HAVING A
BALL.
>> I'M PLEADING WITH HIM.
I'M GOING TO SEND HIM A NINTENDO
TO PRACTICE IF HE NEEDS ONE.
BUT IF HE CAN TRULY
GET TO LEVEL 30,
THAT'S PROBABLY
THE MOST DIFFICULT ACHIEVEMENT
IN GAMING HISTORY, AND HE
NEEDS TO GET THAT ON TAPE.
>> THE SPECIFIC GAME, THAT'S
OVER.
THIS HAS TO DO MORE WITH MY
WIFE.
THE GAME THAT'S OVER BEING
THE DATING GAME, UH,
OF WHICH I WAS NEVER SUCCESSFUL
ANYWAYS.
SO I GUESS I NEVER PUSHED START
ON THAT.
>> I DIDN'T REALLY
SEEK A GEEKY GUY,
BUT I FOUND OUT THAT I REALLY
ENJOY THE THINGS THAT HE DID.
AND ONE OF MY LIFELONG GOALS
WAS TO BE ABLE TO SOLVE
A RUBIK'S CUBE,
EVER SEEN THE '80s, GROWING UP.
UM, AND BEN TAUGHT ME AND
SLOWLY BEGAN TO FALL IN LOVE,
AND NOW WE'RE MARRIED.
EVERY -- ANY WAY THAT YOU
CAN TURN IT HAS A NUMBER CODE
OR A SPACE OR A DASH.
FIVE, FIVE, TWO, FIVE...
ONE, NINE, EIGHT, TWO...
SOMETIMES YOU GET STUCK.
>> I LEARNED IT, UH,
FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE
OF IMPRESSING WOMEN.
SO...
>> REALLY?
>> OH, YEAH.
>> [ CHUCKLES ] OKAY.
>> REALLY.
I THINK WE'RE ALL OF ONE ACCORD,
THAT WE NEED TO SAVE
THE PRINCESS HERE.
AT THE END OF MARIO 3, I --
I REALLY
BELIEVE THAT THE APPROPRIATE WAY
TO BEAT THAT GAME --
OR TO NOT BEAT THAT GAME --
IS TO HAVE BOWSER
FALL DOWN HIS HOLE,
AND THEN FALL
RIGHT DOWN THAT HOLE BEHIND HIM.
JUST KILL YOURSELF.
WELL, THEY'VE JUST -- THEY'VE
HAD SUCH A STRUGGLE TOGETHER,
AND IT FEELS JUST RIGHT
FOR THEM TO GO DOWN TOGETHER.
CHEAPENS THE EXPERIENCE
TO JUST BEAT BOWSER
AND LISTEN TO A SHOW TUNE.
I LIKE ALL GAMES THAT END
LIKE TETRIS, JUST IN SADNESS
AND WALKING AWAY.
>> I'VE ONLY JUST WATCHED HER
PLAY AND BEEN LIKE,
"WILL YOU STOP PLAYING TETRIS?"
[ LAUGHS ]
>> WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
THIS, I WAS LIKE,
"HAVE YOU EVEN PLAYED TETRIS?"
AND SHE WAS LIKE,
"YES, LIKE, HELLO.
I HAD," AND, LIKE, LISTED OFF
HER -- THE GAMES OF HER
CHILDHOOD.
>> PEOPLE WHO KNOW DANA
VERY WELL ARE LIKE -- THEY'VE
KNOWN ABOUT HER SITUATION
FOR A LONG TIME.
THEY KNOW THAT SHE'S REALLY GOOD
AT --
>> MY SITUATION.
MY CONDITION.
>> HER CONDITION.
TO ME, IT KIND OF IS A
CONDITION.
>> WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST THING
IF -- WHEN I MAX OUT,
IF THE NINTENDO OR THE TV
WOULD JUST, LIKE, EXPLODE.
THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
>> WHAT WILL HAPPEN
IF YOU MAX IT OUT, DANA?
ARE YOU STILL GONNA PLAY TETRIS?
>> I THINK SO, YEAH.
>> AS -- AS MUCH
AS YOU PLAY TETRIS NOW?
>> UM, I MEAN...
I THINK I'LL ALWAYS PLAY TETRIS.
>> AND YOUR CONTROLLER
FELT A LITTLE WORN OUT TO ME.
>> YEAH.
>> THEY TEND TO GET -- IT'S SORT
OF A MUSHY FEELING.
>> THEY GET MUSHY.
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, THAT'S EVERYONE'S
FAVORITE PART OF THE HARRY
PREVIEW IS THAT HE'S TAKING
APART THE CONTROLLER, AND HIS
CONTROLLER WAS THE MOST MUSHY.
>> WELL, IT'S PROBABLY
BECAUSE HE PRESSES SO HARD.
>> YEAH.
>> DOESN'T HE LOOP SOMETHING?
I REMEMBER SEEING...
>> NO, HE, LIKE,
PLAYS THROUGH HIS T-SHIRT,
OR A T-SHIRT, LIKE THIS.
>> RIGHT.
>> I -- I USE A SHIRT
ON MY LEFT HAND 'CAUSE
THE D-PAD'S TOO STIFF,
I MEAN, TOO ROUGH.
>> HE LOOPS HIS THUMB THROUGH...
>> WHICH I TRIED, BY THE WAY,
AFTER I SAW THAT.
'CAUSE I WAS LIKE,
"WHAT IS HE DOING?"
AND I TRIED IT AND WAS LIKE,
"I CAN PLAY LIKE THAT,
BUT I DON'T NEED TO."
>> WHY DOES HE DO THAT?
>> 'CAUSE HIS -- SO HIS THUMB
DOESN'T HURT.
>> OH.
>> 'CAUSE HE PRESSES SO HARD.
>> YEAH.
ALL MY CONTROLLERS
ARE MESSED UP, YEAH.
>> HOW MUCH YOU -- HOW MANY YOU
WENT THROUGH WITH?
THREE OR FOUR?
>> THREE OR FOUR.
YEAH, LIKE, FOUR MAYBE.
>> WHEN HE WASN'T GETTING THE
RECORD, HE WOULD --
HE WOULD BLAME THE CONTROLLER.
>> NO, NO,
BUT THEN THAT WAS LEGIT.
>> I KNOW.
I KNOW IT'S LEGIT,
BUT I -- AT THE TIME, I WAS
LIKE, "THIS IS NOT LEGIT, ALL
RIGHT?
YOU'RE JUST BLAMING
THE CONTROLLER."
>> YEAH, NEVER -- NEVER WORDS
OF ENCOURAGEMENT.
IT'S ALWAYS DISCOURAGEMENT.
ALL THE TIME.
>> "HARRY, YOU'LL NEVER GET IT."
JUST...
>> THAT'S WHAT...
YES, BUT THEN TO HIM,
THAT'S -- THAT'S HIM TRYING TO
ENCOURAGE ME.
>> THAT'S -- THAT'S...
>> BUT...
>> I FELT LIKE THAT
WAS THE MOTIVATION.
I JUST REMEMBER THAT ONE TIME
WHERE HE HAD,
I THINK IT WAS LIKE 979,000
AND THEN HE TOTALLY CHOKED.
HE HAD IT. HE HAD IT.
IT WAS RIGHT THERE,
AND HE CHOKED
AND I JUST LAUGHED AT HIS FACE.
HE DID -- HE DID SAY THAT
ONCE -- ONCE HE GETS THE RECORD
HE WILL NEVER TOUCH TETRIS EVER
AGAIN.
HE DID SAY THAT.
DID YOU NOT SAY THAT?
>> YEAH, I DID.
>> YEAH.
HE TOLD ALL OF HIS --
ALL OF HIS FRIENDS.
>> BUT THEN,
THAT WAS MY MOTIVATION TO,
LIKE, BECAUSE I WANTED
TO END IT, YOU KNOW?
I WANTED TO JUST BE DONE
WITH IT.
>> BUT THEN -- NO,
SO FOR A WHILE HE DIDN'T PLAY.
>> OH, YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
>> AND THEN HE STARTED PLAYING
THIS INTERNET TETRIS.
IT'S NOT TETRIS.
NOT NINTENDO TETRIS.
>> IT WAS TETRIS FRIENDS.
>> IT WAS LIKE SOME TETRIS
ONLINE, AND I CALLED HIM OUT.
I WAS LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
I THOUGHT YOU WERE DONE
WITH TETRIS.
"THIS ISN'T NINTENDO TETRIS.
THIS IS TETRIS
WITH FRIENDS," OR SOMETHING.
>> TETRIS FRIENDS, MAN.
>> YEAH, TETRIS FRIENDS.
>> WOW. WOW.
>> AND IT SLOWLY,
IT STARTED PROGRESSING
AND THEN EVENTUALLY --
>> I WENT BACK.
>> HE WENT BACK TO PLAYING
TETRIS.
>> IF I START FEELING
LIKE PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT
FROM PLAYING TETRIS,
I USUALLY TRY TO STOP.
>> THAT'S PROBABLY
A GOOD POLICY.
>> WHAT IF YOUR GIRLFRIEND YELLS
AT YOU, LIKE, COME TO DINNER?
>> I STOP THEN, TOO.
>> LIAR.
>> UNLESS I'M, LIKE, UNLESS I
HAVE A REALLY GREAT GAME GOING,
I STOP.
>> WE HAVE A DIFFERENT VERSION
OF THAT.
[ CHUCKLES ]
>> WHAT'S YOUR VERSION?
>> THAT YOU DON'T STOP.
>> THAT I JUST --
>> YOU SAY, "ONE MORE GAME."
>> KEEP PLAYING
UNTIL THE CRACK OF DAWN.
>> IT'S ALWAYS ONE MORE GAME.
>> WE'RE ACTUALLY A MORTGAGE
BANKER, UM, WHICH MEANS THAT WE
FUND OUR OWN LOANS.
MY REAL TALENT
IS BUSINESS-CARD THROWING.
I HAVE ONE STUCK IN THE CEILING.
I DON'T KNOW WHY,
BUT I HAVE THESE KIND OF,
JUST RITUAL THINGS I DO.
AND SO I JUST KIND OF FLICKED IT
AND STUCK ONE UP THERE.
I LIKE TO THINK THAT TETRIS
HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT.
>> JONAS ALWAYS WANTED TO BE
SOME KIND OF PRODIGY.
I KNOW HE ALWAYS USED TO SCOLD
US.
"WELL, WHY DIDN'T YOU GET ME A
PIANO AND MAKE ME PRACTICE EVERY
DAY?
I COULD HAVE BEEN A PRODIGY."
>> I KNOW.
>> "I COULD HAVE BEEN
A BEETHOVEN, YOU KNOW?"
>> THIS IS FACTUALLY CORRECT.
MY MOM CAN'T WATCH ME PLAY
TETRIS.
SHE GETS TOO --
SHE GETS TOO STRESSED
OUT WITH THE SPEED.
AND IF IT REALLY
GETS, LIKE, CLOSE, SHE GETS
MORE STRESSED THAN I DO.
>> YEAH.
WELL, I WAS WORRIED IT'S GOING
TO BOTHER HIM AND MAKE
HIM MESS UP, YOU KNOW?
AND IF HE DOES, I'M LIKE, "OH,
IT'S ALL MY FAULT.
I SHOULDN'T HAVE LOOKED AT IT."
I CAN'T WATCH, BUT,
YEAH, I DON'T WANT TO BE
THE SMOTHER MOTHER, YOU KNOW,
WHICH IS TEMPTING WHEN YOU
GOT SOMEBODY LIKE JONAS.
>> THE REASON I THINK
THAT PERFECTIONISTS ACTUALLY
DON'T PLAY THE BEST TETRIS
IS THAT YOU HAVE TO KIND
OF BE SLOPPY.
IF I WAS HUNG UP ON HOW NICE AND
PRETTY THE BOARDS THE LOOKED,
I DON'T THINK I WOULD BE AS GOOD
AS I AM.
>> YEAH. THAT'S WHERE YOU TAKE
AFTER YOUR DAD, BECAUSE HE WAS A
REAL MESSY GUY.
>> WHEN IT WAS COMPETITIVE,
HE DIDN'T LIKE TO WATCH ME.
UM, HE -- HE SCORED PRETTY WELL.
I THINK HIS HIGHEST GAMES
WERE ABOUT 200,000.
AND WHEN I WAS LIKE 10 OR 11,
I WAS SCORING AROUND THEN.
AND THEN, I KIND OF LEFT HIM
IN THE DUST, UNFORTUNATELY.
AND SO, THERE'S A PERIOD
WHERE HE TOOK THAT PERSONALLY.
ONCE IT GOT RIDICULOUS,
HE STARTED COMING BACK
AND WATCHING IT,
AND WITH MY UNCLE, TOO, UH,
BOTH OF THEM.
HIS BROTHER LIKED TO WATCH
IT QUITE A BIT.
HE WAS ACTUALLY DIAGNOSED, UH,
WITH CANCER 16 MONTHS
BEFORE HE PASSED.
WE HAD A -- WE HAD A LONG WINDOW
TO JUST KIND OF WORK THINGS OUT.
AND WE SPENT A LOT OF DAYS JUST
TALKING, HAVING GREAT, YOU KNOW,
PHILOSOPHICAL, DEEP, UH,
WONDERFUL DISCUSSIONS
WHILE I WAS PLAYING TETRIS.
>> I -- I REMEMBER THE FIRST
TIME THAT I WATCHED JONAS PLAY.
I CAME HERE.
IT WAS, UH, WE WERE IN HIGH
SCHOOL.
AND I'M WATCHING, AND I WAS
LIKE, "DUDE, JONAS IS REALLY
GOOD AT TETRIS."
AND THEN JUST STARTED SEEING
MORE AND MORE LITTLE MOVES.
IF YOU PLAY ENOUGH TETRIS,
YOU GET TO SEE, LIKE,
THAT HE FLIPPED RIGHT AT
THE VERY LAST POSSIBLE SECOND,
THE ONLY MOMENT IT WORKED.
AND I ASKED HIM, I WAS LIKE,
"HOW DO YOU DO IT?"
YOU KNOW, HOW IS THIS, BECAUSE I
CAN'T THINK OF IT THAT FAST.
AND HE GOES, "YOU HAVE TO SEE
THE NEXT PIECE COMING
AND IMAGINE -- LIKE,
WHEN I'M PLACING THIS PIECE,
I'M ACTUALLY THINKING
ABOUT WHERE THE NEXT ONE
IS ALREADY GOING."
>> THE MASTER'S PRIMARY
CONSIDERATION IS THE NEXT PIECE,
WHICH, ALONG WITH THE PIECE IN
PLAY, ALLOWS FOR OVER 500
POSSIBLE COMBINATIONS OF MOVES
AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.
THERE ARE ALWAYS MANY BAD MOVES
AND VERY FEW GOOD ONES.
LIMITED TO A SINGLE PIECE
PREVIEW, THE PERFECT MOVES
ARE UNKNOWABLE.
>> THE ONE TRICK
TO TRAINING IN TETRIS
IS TO BE ALWAYS ALMOST DEAD.
IF YOU'RE ALMOST DEAD,
YOU'RE PROBABLY TRAINING.
>> ROBIN IS ABOUT TO HEAD SOUTH
TO LOS ANGELES,
WHERE HE'LL MAKE HIS FINAL
PREPARATIONS FOR THE TOURNAMENT.
>> TWO YEARS AGO,
IF YOU BROUGHT UP THE NINTENDO
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS,
IT WAS LIKE SORT OF A NOVELTY
PIECE OF TRIVIA ABOUT ME.
IF I WAS IN A BAR AND MY FRIEND
WOULD BE LIKE, YOU KNOW,
THIS GUY
IS A NINTENDO WORLD CHAMPION.
THE PERSON WHO HE WAS TALKING
TO WOULD ALWAYS SAY,
"OH, IS IT, LIKE 'THE WIZARD'?"
AND I'D BE LIKE, YEAH.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY --
"THE WIZARD" WAS MADE
TO SORT OF PROMOTE IT.
IT WENT FROM JUST, LIKE,
THIS FUNNY LITTLE TIDBIT
TO ME FINDING NintendoAge.
BUT THEIR EDITOR
FOR THEIR E-ZINE
ASKED ME TO WRITE SOME ARTICLES,
WHICH I DID.
AND IT WAS REALLY NICE TO,
LIKE, HAVE, YOU KNOW,
A COUPLE THOUSAND PEOPLE
READING MY STORY.
AND IT'S LIKE I WAS GETTING
A LITTLE TOUCH
OF FAME THAT I DIDN'T GET
WHEN IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
>> ROBIN STOPS IN SUNNYVALE,
CALIFORNIA
TO VISIT ONE OF HIS OLD
COMPETITIVE GAMING BUDDIES.
HE HOPES TO GET SOME HELP
RUNNING HIS TETRIS TOURNAMENT.
>> THESE ARE THUMBS
GENETICALLY DESIGNED
TO DOMINATE VIDEO GAMES.
THESE ARE MASSIVE.
AND THEY'RE BORN TO WIN.
ACTUALLY,
I FOUND THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
OF MY FIRST GAME CONTEST,
WHICH WAS THE HAWAII STATE
NINTENDO CHAMPIONSHIPS.
AND THE GAME
WAS SUPER MARIO BROS. 1.
I WAS THE ONLY ONE
WHO BEAT THE GAME.
250-SOMETHING-THOUSAND POINTS.
I HAD LIKE FOUR MINUTES LEFT.
I JUST SAT BACK, RELAXED,
WATCHED EVERYBODY ELSE
DYING ON WORLD 8-3.
BUT I WAS A KID AT THE TIME, AND
I WAS JUST LIKE, "WOW, I'M
ACTUALLY GOOD AT SOMETHING."
YOU KNOW, ALL THIS TIME I'D BEEN
SPENDING PLAYING VIDEO GAMES,
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT FOR NOTHING.
YOU KNOW, I'D PROVEN IT.
THAT PREPARED ME FOR ROCK
THE ROCK,
WHICH IS THE BIGGEST GAME
CONTEST, YOU KNOW,
THAT THEY HAD ON TV.
$25,000 CONTEST.
>> AND RIGHT NOW IT IS THE
BATTLEGROUND FOR ALL THE GAMERS
IS TO GET BUSY
ON SONIC AND KNUCKLES
FOR THE $25,000 BIG DAY PRIZE.
[ WHISTLE BLOWS ]
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
>> I DID THIS THING
WHERE I CLOSED MY EYES.
I PLAYED THE GAME IN MY MIND.
AND I GUESS I FREAKED OUT
A LOT OF PEOPLE,
WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
>> YES, HE GOT IT!
THE SEGA WORLD CHAMPION!
>> HERE YOU GO.
>> YOU KNOW, THIS IS IT.
THIS IS REALLY AWESOME.
UM, I'M BECOMING
THIS LARGER-THAN-LIFE
VIDEO-GAME STAR.
AND I'M BECOMING
LIKE ROBIN MIHARA,
WHICH WAS THE GUY I THOUGHT,
LIKE, THIS IS THE GUY
I WANT TO BE WHEN I GROW UP.
I WANT TO BE THAT COOL KID
WITH THE HAT AND THE FINGER,
AND HE'S GOT CONFIDENCE.
AND HE LOOKS GOOD.
HE PLAYS GOOD.
YOU KNOW, STONE COLD,
JUST DESTROYING EVERYTHING
IN HIS PATH.
AND I WAS FINE WITH LIVING
UP TO THAT EXAMPLE.
>> HEY, MAN.
YOU JUST GOT TO 30.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE
TO PASS OUT SOME OF THE PINS
BECAUSE WE'RE ALL GOING
TO BE COMPETING.
DON'T LET THAT SCARE YOU,
THOUGH.
PLEASE, PLEASE DO ANYWAY.
ALL RIGHT, I KNOW THAT
ALREADY PEOPLE ARE DOUBTING HIM
BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE
ANY VIDEOTAPES.
UH, HE REALLY --
I SINCERELY BELIEVE HE DOES NOT
WANT THE SPOTLIGHT EVER AGAIN
BECAUSE HE FEELS LIKE IT KIND
OF WAS THE, UH...
I FORGET HOW I PHRASED IT.
LIKE THE CORNERSTONE
OF A VERY DIFFICULT LIFE.
>> I HAD ALWAYS WONDERED,
YOU KNOW,
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU
AND THOR WENT FACE-TO-FACE.
>> YEAH.
>> WHO -- WHO WOULD, UH,
WOULD WIN BASICALLY?
THOR WAS SAYING
THAT HE WASN'T GOING TO COMPETE.
LIKE HE WAS GOING TO COME,
BUT HE WASN'T GOING TO COMPETE.
AND SO, I FOUND HIM ON FACEBOOK.
GOT INTO A LITTLE BIT OF WHY HE
DOESN'T WANT TO WIN AGAIN.
I THINK THERE WAS A SORT
OF A FAILED NEGOTIATION
WITH NINTENDO.
>> HE WAS KIND
OF GETTING PIMPED OUT.
LIKE, HIS DAD
WOULD DRIVE HIM TO TRADE SHOWS
AND CONSUMER ELECTRONIC SHOW.
AND I DON'T KNOW
IF HE WOULD SPEAK FOR MONEY,
OR WHAT HE WAS DOING EXACTLY.
BUT, UM, SOUNDED LIKE THOR
DIDN'T GET ANY OF IT.
>> I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE IT'S ALSO
JUST ANNOYING TO BE KNOWN
AS THE TETRIS CHAMPION.
>> BEING A PRETTY BIG STUDENT
OF THE GAME,
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT MEETING
ALL OF THESE PEOPLE
AND SEEING THEIR DIFFERENT
STYLES AND PERSONALITIES.
MOST OF THESE PEOPLE,
I'M GUESSING, JUST PLAY
BY THEMSELVES IN FRONT OF A TV
AND DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT OTHER
PEOPLE WERE DOING THE SAME THING
UNTIL THEY FOUND TWIN GALAXIES.
SO, I -- I WANT TO MEET
THEM ALL AND LEARN THEIR TRICKS
AND JUST TALK ABOUT TETRIS.
IT'S GOING TO BE EXCITING FOR
ALL OF US TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO
SOMEBODY WHO REALLY UNDERSTANDS
THE HIGH LEVEL OF THE GAME.
>> YEP.
BURN.
RIGHT. STRAIGHT DOWN.
>> [ LAUGHS ]
>> RIGHT.
CAN READ YOUR MIND.
>> TOTALLY CLOSED MY EYES
FOR THAT ONE.
>> CAN YOU TALK
WHEN YOU'RE ON 19?
>> OH, YEAH.
I LOVE TO TALK WHEN I'M ON 19.
>> THE STUFF THAT YOU DO IS
DIFFERENT.
IT'S LIKE -- IT'S LIKE YOU CAN
SEE -- THAT IS SO CRAZY
WHAT YOU JUST DID.
THAT IS INSANE.
>> I'M NUTS.
>> YOU PUT BOTH OF THEM
JUST WRONG.
AND THEN IT WAS FINE.
>> YEAH.
ISN'T IT GORGEOUS?
>> SO, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING
WHEN YOU DID THAT?
LIKE, YOU'RE SEEING THE LEVEL
ABOVE IT.
YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT --
>> YEAH, YOU KIND OF JUST SEE --
IT'S JUST LIKE IN CHESS,
SEEING A FEW MOVES AHEAD.
>> YEAH.
>> LIKE, YOU CREATE A HOLE,
AND IT'S GONE.
IT'S JUST A -- YOU THINK OF IT
AS A COMBINATION.
>> I NOTICED
FOR YOUR RECORD GAME,
YOU WERE STACKING ON THIS SIDE.
>> YEAH.
I DON'T KNOW FOR SOME REASON I
USUALLY SCORE HIGHER ON AVERAGE
WHEN I STACK TO THE RIGHT.
GET THERE. GET THERE. GET THERE.
GET THERE. OH, SHIT.
[ MUMBLING ]
[ VIDEO GAME BEEPING ]
>> NICE.
>> WHEW!
THAT'S IT.
>> YOU'RE A ONE-BUTTON PLAYER.
>> WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
>> YOU ONLY FLIP ONE DIRECTION.
>> I HAVE NEVER PLAYED
ANY OTHER WAY.
>> THAT IS CRAZY.
LIKE, SOME OF YOUR FLIPS ARE,
LIKE, RIGHT BEFORE IT LANDS.
>> I HAVE NEVER EVEN HEARD
OF NOT BEING A ONE-WAY FLIPPER.
THIS MIGHT BE ONE
OF THOSE BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS
WE SPOKE OF EARLIER.
"AND THEN THESE GUYS CAME OVER,
AND THEY SHOWED ME THAT YOU
COULD ACTUALLY FLIP THE PIECES
IN MORE THAN ONE DIRECTION."
>> JUST NEVER THOUGHT --
>> WHEN ALL THESE YEARS, I JUST
THOUGHT IT DID THE SAME THING.
>> YEAH, BECAUSE MOST -- I
THINK EVERY PIECE --
>> I WAS ALWAYS LIKE,
WHY WOULD YOU USE "B"
WHEN YOU COULD USE "A"?
>> NOW, I HAVE A HARD TIME
SETTING THIS UP.
OKAY, HERE WE GO.
>> SO, THIS IS A T-SPIN.
>> OH.
>> ROTATE IT,
IT JUST WENT RIGHT IN THERE.
>> DUDE, I HAVE NEVER DONE A
T-SPIN.
>> YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THAT?
>> NOT EVEN ACCIDENTALLY.
THIS IS PRETTY BIG.
LIKE, I DIDN'T KNOW
ABOUT A MILLION THINGS
THAT YOU JUST TOLD ME.
DO YOU GUYS THINK I'M STUPID?
>> NO, NOT WHATSOEVER.
I MEAN, I'VE SPENT --
THIS HAS BEEN LIKE A YEAR OF
MY LIFE FIGURING THIS STUFF OUT.
AND THEN --
>> YEAH, BUT THIS HAS BEEN,
LIKE, I'VE BEEN PLAYING TETRIS
FOR, LIKE, 20 YEARS.
>> I DON'T EVEN WANT TO KNOW HOW
MANY HOURS I'VE PLAYED TETRIS.
LIKE, THAT WOULD JUST DEPRESS
ME TO KNOW.
>> THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT,
UM, I'VE STUDIED YOUR GAMES,
OR A COUPLE THAT I'VE SEEN,
AND YOU HAVE A FEW THINGS
THAT NO ONE ELSE DOES.
>> WOW. DID YOU DO THAT ALL ON
PURPOSE?
>> UH, I SAW IT DEVELOP.
>> NICE.
>> THE "L" BLOCKS CAN BE FLIPPED
ALL OVER THE PLACE.
LITTLE L BLOCK FLIPS LIKE THAT.
JUST END AROUND.
UM, SO THAT RIGHT THERE,
HOLD ON.
THERE WE GO.
>> OH, DAMN.
[ BOTH LAUGH ]
>> I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYBODY DO
THAT.
>> BUT HE ACTUALLY DID IT CLEAN,
LIKE WITH A PURPOSE.
THAT WAS AWESOME.
>> I CAN STAMP IT,
AND I'D JUST GOTTEN TETRIS.
AND I WASN'T THINKING
ABOUT PLAYING.
I WAS JUST KIND OF PLAYING,
YOU KNOW, 9 OR 10 YEARS OLD,
WHATEVER.
AND I PUT UP
LIKE 175,000 OR WHATEVER.
I TRIPLED MY HIGHEST SCORE
SINCE THEN.
IT WAS JUST KIND
OF LIKE AN EPIPHANY.
AND EVER SINCE THEN,
I'VE JUST BEEN KIND OF TRYING
TO RELEGATE THE PLAY
TO THE BACK OF THE MIND.
I PLAY BETTER WHEN I HUM A SONG
TO MYSELF.
RANDOM DAYDREAMING, YOU KNOW,
WHILE I'M PLAYING.
I ALMOST BELIEVE THAT THE MIND
KIND OF HAS, LIKE, A LITTLE,
LIKE A BUFFERING KIND
OF RAM SITUATION.
AND SO, IF YOU THINK ABOUT
A MOVE TOO MUCH,
YOUR NEXT MOVE SUFFERS.
LIKE, THERE'S SOME --
THERE'S A LOADING SCREEN
FOR THE MIND.
AND I HAVE DEFINITELY TESTED
MINE.
MAN, THE HEART RATE
STARTS INCREASING.
AT ONE POINT, I STARTED GETTING,
LIKE, TUNNEL VISION.
I THOUGHT I WAS,
LIKE, ABOUT TO PASS OUT.
PLAYING THAT MANY HOURS,
YOU GOT TO THINK STUFF.
YOU JUST THINK RANDOM
WEIRD THINGS.
WHEN I WAS LITTLE,
I JUST FIGURED THERE WAS
LITTLE ELECTRONIC DWARFS
IN THE SYSTEM.
AND THEY WERE JUST, YOU KNOW,
SADISTIC IN THE WAY
THAT THEY GAVE ME PIECES.
AND THAT WAS MY FIRST CONCEPT
OF THE TETRIS GOD.
>> SO, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF,
GIVE-AND-TAKE WAR
WITH THE GAME ITSELF.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO CONCEDE TO
IT.
IT IS VERY DIFFICULT
TO FIGHT THE GAME,
BECAUSE IT WILL WIN.
>> SOMETIMES I REALLY DO THINK
IT HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN.
YOU HAVE TO THINK FOUR OR FIVE
STEPS AHEAD IN ONE SECOND.
WHEN I'M IN THE ZONE,
IT FEELS LIKE I'M PRETTY MUCH,
LIKE, ONE WITH THE GAME,
IN SYNC, JUST FLOWING.
>> IT'S LIKE A CONSTANT FLOW.
YOU'RE JUST DOING THIS THING,
AND, LIKE, THINGS ARE CHANGING.
IT'S REALLY FLUID.
AND IT JUST IS ALWAYS,
LIKE, MORPHING INTO A NEW THING
THAT YOU'RE JUST
CONSTANTLY REACTING TO.
>> WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING TETRIS,
JUST PUT STUFF WHERE IT FITS.
IT'S THAT SIMPLE.
>> THE DEFINITION OF NP-COMPLETE
IS BASICALLY THAT WITH THE INPUT
SIZE OF THE PROBLEM,
THE TIME REQUIRED
TO CALCULATE THE ANSWER,
UM, BASICALLY INCREASES
FASTER THAN POLYNOMIAL TIME.
WITH A PROBLEM LIKE TETRIS,
IT'LL BECOME LONGER THAN WE,
LIKE, HUMANLY HAVE ON THIS EARTH
TO EVEN, LIKE,
CALCULATE THE PERFECT ANSWER.
THIS IS, UM,
TETRIS GRAND MASTER.
IT CAME OUT IN, UH, 1998.
I THINK I FIRST PLAYED BACK
WHEN I SAW,
UM, IT WAS ONE OF THOSE VIDEOS
THAT WENT AROUND ON YOUTUBE.
IT WAS I THINK, UH, TETRIS JAPAN
FINALS OR SOMETHING.
IT WAS WHAT WAS LABELED
AS A DEATH MODE VIDEO.
AND I JUST THOUGHT
THAT WAS REALLY COOL.
IT LOOKS REALLY,
UH, CHALLENGING.
IT LOOKS REALLY FUN.
>> TETRIS: THE GRAND MASTER 2,
A JAPANESE ARCADE GAME,
AWARDS GRAND MASTER STATUS
TO PLAYERS
WHO CAN SURVIVE INVISIBLE TETRIS
FOR AT LEAST ONE MINUTE.
IN INVISIBLE TETRIS, THE PIECES
DISAPPEAR ONCE THEY LAND.
ALEX IS ONE OF ONLY 30 GRAND
MASTERS IN THE WORLD.
>> I GOT
TO THE INVISIBLE CREDIT ROLL
AND SOMEHOW MANAGED
TO SURVIVE FOR LONG ENOUGH
TO ACTUALLY PULL IT TOGETHER
AND GET THE GRADE.
YOU HAVE TO LEARN THE GAME
ALL OVER AT A DEEPER LEVEL
IN ORDER TO SUCCEED.
WHERE YOU HAVE TO,
LIKE, REALLY KNOW HOW IS
THIS PIECE AFFECTING THE STACK.
AND THAT YOU HAVE
TO KEEP TRACK OF,
LIKE, HOW CAN I KEEP
THE STACK EASY TO REMEMBER?
I JUST HOPE THAT I CAN, YOU
KNOW, PLAY PRETTY CONSISTENTLY.
I DON'T WANT TO HAVE, LIKE,
A BAD DAY OR SOMETHING.
I DON'T HAVE
MANY OTHER EXPECTATIONS
FOR MYSELF OTHER THAN THAT,
JUST TO GO AND HAVE A GOOD TIME
PLAYING SOME NES TETRIS.
>> NINTENDO TETRIS ALLOWS
THE PLAYER TO START ON ANY LEVEL
UP TO 19.
STARTING ON 19 IS THE ONLY WAY
TO TRAIN TO BECOME A MASTER.
>> THE BASIC THING
YOU GOT TO DO WHEN YOU TRAIN IS,
YOU DO LEVEL 19.
AND YOU TRY TO TETRIS
CONSTANTLY.
YOU FAIL BECAUSE IT'S FAST.
>> NES TETRIS,
OR NINTENDO TETRIS,
THE SPEED PLATEAUS FOR 10 LEVELS
AT A SPEED THAT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE
TO MOST PLAYERS.
>> RIGHT WHEN I KNOW THE PIECE
IS DONE, AS THE NEXT PIECE --
I'M ALREADY PRESSING THE D-PAD.
SO, BY THE TIME IT COMES DOWN,
IT'S ALREADY MOVING
IN THAT DIRECTION.
>> ONCE YOU GET PAST THE PANIC
AND YOU REALIZE
THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY PUSHING WAY
TOO HARD ON THE BUTTONS,
I TRY REALLY HARD TO SHIFT
INTO MY PERIPHERAL VISION.
BECAUSE IF YOU FOCUS TOO HARD
ON THE ACTUAL SCREEN,
I FIND THAT FLUSTERS ME.
>> IT REALLY MAKES SORT
OF A RADICAL CERTAINTY
THE ONLY WAY TO GO.
IT'S BETTER TO PUT A PIECE
IN THE WRONG PLACE,
THAN TO CHANGE YOUR MIND AND TRY
TO PUT IT IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
SO, YOU HAVE TO GO
WITH YOUR FIRST INSTINCT.
AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE
THE SOFTWARE IN YOUR BRAIN
TO MAKE THAT FIRST PLACE
YOU THINK OF THE RIGHT PLACE.
>> THE LAST TIME I GOT
TETRIS EFFECT WAS WHEN I WAS,
UM...
SHOOT, I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
>> THE TETRIS EFFECT
REFERS TO PLAYERS HAVING DREAMS
OR MILD HALLUCINATIONS
ABOUT THE GAME.
>> I WAS DOING
SOME SPECIALTY STACKING.
LIKE, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT
SEGA TETRIS PLAYERS USED TO DO.
THEY WOULD DRAW A PATTERN
IN THE STACK.
THEY WOULD LEAVE HOLES TO MAKE
A, UH, GREATER THAN SHAPE
IN THE STACK.
AND SO, THE LAST TIME
I GOT TETRIS EFFECT REALLY BAD
WAS WHEN I STARTED DOING THAT.
AND I DID IT FOR, LIKE, AN HOUR
OR SOMETHING THE FIRST DAY.
AND THE NEXT DAY, I WAS
JUST LIKE, WANTED TO KILL MYSELF
BECAUSE I COULDN'T STOP THINKING
ABOUT MAKING THE STAIRCASE
AND, LIKE, PUTTING ALL THE
PIECES DOWN.
BECAUSE IT WAS SOMETHING --
IT WAS A TOTALLY NEW PROBLEM
FOR MY BRAIN TO CONSIDER.
>> WHEN I HAVE A SQUARE
OR RECTANGLE SHAPE
OR A BOX OF ANY SORT
AND I NEED TO PUT THINGS
INTO IT...
[ LAUGHS ]
IT GOES BACK TO --
IT'S WHAT EVERYBODY CALLS IT.
"THEY SAY, JESSE,
YOUR TETRISIZING."
I DAYDREAM DURING THE DAY.
I'LL SIT AND PLAY TETRIS
IN MY HEAD.
I HAVE TETRIS DREAMS AT NIGHT,
SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW,
IF I'M PLAYING RIGHT
BEFORE I GO TO BED.
>> THERE WAS
A VERY INTERESTING STUDY
BY SOME GUYS AT HARVARD
WHO WERE STUDYING SLEEP.
AND THEY DID HAVE PEOPLE PLAY
TETRIS BEFORE THEY WENT TO BED.
AND SURE ENOUGH,
THEY OFTEN DREAMED ABOUT TETRIS.
AND THE RESEARCHERS
CAME TO THE GENERAL CONCLUSION
FROM THIS AND OTHER DATA
THAT ONE OF THE PURPOSES OF
DREAMING IS MEMORY CONSOLIDATION
OF THINGS
YOU'VE LEARNED DURING THE DAY.
>> IN 1992, DR. HAIER
USED BRAIN SCANS TO SHOW
THAT TETRIS TRAINING CAN LEAD
TO INCREASED BRAIN EFFICIENCY.
THE BRAINS OF PEOPLE
STRUGGLING TO LEARN THE GAME
SHOWED HIGH LEVELS OF ACTIVITY,
INDICATED HERE
ON THE BRAIN SCAN IN RED.
BUT THE BRAINS OF PLAYERS
WHO HAVE MASTERED THE GAME
SHOWED VERY LITTLE ACTIVITY
AND APPEAR TO BE AT REST.
>> NOW, OF COURSE,
ON THE SECOND SCAN,
THE GAME IS FASTER.
THE GAME IS HARDER.
THEY'RE PROCESSING MORE.
AND THE QUESTION FOR US WAS, IS
THE BRAIN MORE OR LESS ACTIVE?
VIRTUALLY EVERYONE ASSUMED
THE BRAIN HAD TO BE MORE ACTIVE.
WE HAD THOUGHT THE BRAIN
ACTUALLY MIGHT BE MORE EFFICIENT
AS THE TETRIS PROGRAM
BECAME UNCONSCIOUS AND AUTOMATIC
AND WOULD REQUIRE LESS ACTIVITY,
LESS ENERGY.
AND SURE ENOUGH,
THAT'S WHAT WE FOUND.
>> THAT SOFTWARE, SO TO SPEAK,
IN YOUR BRAIN
CAN BECOME VERY POWERFUL.
SO MUCH AS YOU CAN GET
OUT OF ITS WAY,
YOU CAN BECOME,
WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING,
WHEN YOU CALM YOURSELF DOWN
ENOUGH, LIKE A HUMAN COMPUTER.
>> YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE --
I WALK AROUND IN THIS T-SHIRT
ALL THE TIME.
NO ONE GETS IT.
I'M LIKE, "GUYS, REALLY?"
TO GO ALONG WITH IT,
MY NINTENDO PANTS.
WE HAVE "MARIO IS MY HOMEBOY."
"CLASSICALLY TRAINED," WITH THE
ORIGINAL NINTENDO CONTROLLER.
SO, THIS WILL BE
MY OFFICIAL COMPETITION OUTFIT.
JUST BEING AT THE COMPETITION,
LIKE I AM SO STOKED ABOUT THAT,
THAT ALL I WANT TO DO IS JUST GO
PLAY WITH THESE GUYS, YOU KNOW,
THESE GUYS THAT ARE GREAT.
>> THE TOURNAMENT
AS I UNDERSTAND IT BASICALLY IS,
UH, THREE GAMES
AND YOU -- THE HIGHEST SCORE
GETS INTO THE FINALS.
IT'S REALLY GOING TO COME DOWN
TO WHO CAN SURVIVE TO LEVEL 29,
BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO GIVE YOU
ANOTHER 200,000 POINTS.
SO, IF I JUST
SURVIVE TO LEVEL 29,
I WILL BEAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE
WHO TRADITIONALLY ARE --
HAVE LOWER SCORES THAN ME.
>> LIKE PLAYERS
LIKE JESSE AND BEN,
THEY WILL -- I KNOW
THEY'LL PLAY SAFE ALREADY.
YOU MIGHT JUST GET A BAD SET
OF PIECES.
YOU NEVER KNOW.
SO, I THINK PLAYING A LITTLE
SAFE WILL BE THE BEST BET.
>> IT'S GOING TO KIND
OF BE A BALANCE.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO --
I'M GOING TO TRY TO TETRIS,
BUT TRY TO DO IT IN SUCH A WAY
THAT I DON'T KILL MYSELF.
>> I'VE KIND OF DESIGNED
IT TO SCORE CONSISTENTLY.
I DON'T WANT
TO PUT DOWN A 400,000.
THAT'S -- IF YOU SEE
ME PUT DOWN A 400,000,
LIKE, HIDE THE SHARP OBJECTS.
>> I'M HOPING ON SUNDAY,
IT'LL BE OVER.
LIKE, YOU KNOW,
I DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING LESS
THAN, YOU KNOW, A VICTORY.
SO, YEAH.
MAYBE I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID
THAT, BUT OKAY.
YEAH, WELL I'LL GUARANTEE
THE FINALS.
>> SO, YOU --
YOU ASKED ABOUT JONAS,
BUT YOU HAVEN'T ASKED
ABOUT THOR.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
ABOUT HIM?
>> FROM WHAT I HEARD,
I HEARD HE'S NOT PLAYING.
>> UH, ACTUALLY, WE THINK HE'S
GOING TO MAKE AN APPEARANCE.
HE'S DEFINITELY...
>> APPEARANCE, AS IN,
LIKE, PARTICIPANT OR A...
>> YEAH. YEAH.
>> HE'S SHOWING UP TONIGHT.
>> AND HE'S GOING
TO BE IN THE TOURNAMENT?
>> UH, YES.
>> MAN.
>> SORRY I DIDN'T TELL YOU.
>> NO, LAST I KNEW,
I THOUGHT HE WASN'T GOING TO BE.
I JUST, I FEEL ALMOST ANNOYED
THAT THOR HASN'T DONE ANYTHING
IN THE WAY
OF PROVING WHAT HE'S DONE.
HE RECENTLY HAD A FACEBOOK
UPDATE.
JUST GOT TO A MILLION POINTS
AND LEVEL 30
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS.
>> WELL, YOU GOT THE CELLPHONE,
JUST TAKE AT LEAST A CELLPHONE
PICTURE, SOMETHING.
>> HE FINALLY BROKE OUT
HIS NINTENDO,
AND HE SAYS THAT,
UH, HE GOT TO LEVEL 30.
>> HE SAYS THAT HE GOT TO 30.
>> THAT'S WHAT HE SAYS.
YEAH.
>> HE SAYS THAT IT, LIKE,
KILLED HIS THUMBS.
BUT IT HAS NEVER BEEN ON TAPE.
>> YEAH, I MEAN, IF HE RECORDED
IT AND SHOWED YOU SOME OF IT,
THEN YEAH.
BECAUSE I'M ALWAYS --
I WAS ALWAYS, LIKE...
>> SKEPTICAL?
>> YEAH, ABOUT THE WHOLE
PAST-LEVEL-30 THING.
I CAN'T IMAGINE IT.
UNLESS -- UNLESS HE'S, LIKE,
YOU NOW, A FINGER-TAPPING GOD.
BUT EVEN WITH THAT, I DON'T
THINK HE COULD MANEUVER THAT
WELL, TO GET RID OF 20-PLUS
PIECES IN THAT SPEED.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT I THINK.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, HONESTLY,
WHAT ARE WE, LIKE, FIVE DAYS
AWAY?
I MEAN, I REALLY HOPE
THOR PROVES ME WRONG.
>> ROBIN HAS JUST FOUND OUT
THAT THOR HAS FINALLY ARRIVED.
THEY'VE AGREED TO MEET FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS HERE
AT THE PRODUCTION'S HOME BASE
IN LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA.
>> WHERE IS HE?
>> 20 YEARS LATER.
>> OH, YEAH, BROTHER.
>> TURNED INTO A MAN.
HOW YOU DOING?
>> WE'VE BOTH GROWN A LITTLE
BIT.
>> YEAH. YEAH.
DO YOU FEEL ANY
RESPONSIBILITY TO LIKE PEOPLE
THAT LIKE SEE THIS GAME
AS A RELIGION
TO LIKE JUST SHOW
WHAT IS POSSIBLE?
>> WOW.
DO YOU THINK THAT AFFECTED YOUR
GAME AT ALL?
>> IT'S AN HONOR TO BE ABLE TO
ACTUALLY MEET SOME OF THEM
POPPING UP HERE TODAY, LIKE THOR
AACKERLUND AND BEN MULLEN,
PEOPLE I'VE JUST HEARD THE NAMES
OF, READ THE LEGENDS OF, SEEN
RANDOM FORUM POSTS FROM.
NOW, SEEING THEM LIVE TO LIFE,
IT'S, WOW, LIKE A MORTAL WALKING
AMONGST GODS.
DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH
MYSELF OTHER THAN SNAP PICTURES
AND HUMBLY STAY AWAY
UNLESS THEY BECKON ME.
>> WITH KELLY HANDY,
ROBIN DECIDES TO ATTEMPT
A WORLD RECORD ON TENGEN TETRIS.
BEN MULLEN CURRENTLY
HOLDS THE WORLD RECORD
WITH A SCORE OF 1.89 MILLION.
THE RECORD ON TENGEN TETRIS
IS KNOWN AS A MARATHON
BECAUSE THE DIFFICULTY PLATEAUS
AT A SUSTAINABLE LEVEL.
ROBIN HAS BEEN PLAYING
FOR ABOUT ONE HOUR.
>> OH, OKAY.
1.84.
>> WHOA!
>> THERE IT IS.
>> YEAH!
>> OH!
>> OH, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
LET'S SEE THE HIGH SCORE ON THE
SCREEN.
>> HAVING BEEN RELUCTANT TO PLAY
ANY TETRIS SINCE ARRIVING,
THOR SUDDENLY
DECIDES TO BREAK BOTH RECORDS.
>> KELLY, UH, THOR'S ABOUT
TO BREAK THE WORLD RECORD NOW.
>> WHAT IS -- I DON'T EVEN KNOW
WHAT MY RECORD IS.
>> ELEVEN --
>> TWELVE THIRTY-EIGHT.
>> I WILL NEVER GET THERE.
>> LET ME TELL YOU THE STORY
OF THE SIGNING
OF THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES.
IT ALL BEGAN WITH WORLD WAR I.
>> THOR HAS BEEN
PLAYING FOR OVER TWO HOURS.
HE HAS SMASHED
BOTH WORLD RECORDS.
>> CONGRATULATIONS.
>> GOOD WORK, THOR.
>> GOOD GAME, THOR.
>> IT'S DONE.
BROKE BOTH RECORDS.
>> SO, THOR, YOU JUST
BROKE THE TENGEN RECORD.
WAS THAT SOMETHING
YOU SAW YOURSELF TRYING
BEFORE YOU GOT HERE?
>> NO, IT JUST LOOKED LIKE FUN.
>> WAS IT A GAME
THAT YOU'D EVER PLAYED BEFORE?
>> YEAH.
IT WAS ACTUALLY THE ONE
THAT I COULD RENT.
SO, I PRACTICED THAT,
UH, BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE
A NINTENDO.
MY FRIEND, AARON, DID.
I WAS OUT OF SCHOOL BY THEN.
UM, MY LAST SCHOOL
WAS IN FIFTH GRADE.
SO, I WOULD HANG OUT WITH HIM.
HE WAS, LIKE, MY ONLY PEOPLE
THAT I KNEW IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND HE HAD
A NINTENDO POWER THING,
AND IT WAS TALKING ABOUT NWC.
HIS PARENTS TOOK HIM DOWN THERE,
AND THEY TOOK ME WITH HIM.
IT WAS FUN, BECAUSE SOCIALLY,
I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE
MUCH EXPOSURE TO ANYTHING,
BECAUSE I WAS EITHER AT HOME,
OR I HAD, LIKE, TWO FRIENDS.
YOU KNOW, UM, MY HOUSE
HAD BURNED DOWN IN '89.
AND MY MOM WAS IN THE HOSPITAL
FOR A LONG TIME.
SHE HAD A ATTACK OF SOMETHING
CALLED VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION.
IT'S A KIND OF, UH,
TACHYCARDIA ATTACK
WHERE YOUR HEART TRIES TO PUMP
TOO FAST FROM THE SIGNALS.
SHE HAD A LOT
OF FACIAL PARALYSIS,
LIKE A STROKE VICTIM.
AND, UH,
SO THAT WAS PRETTY HARD ON US.
SO, MY DAD, UM,
WASN'T REALLY HAVING ANY INCOME.
AND MY MOM WAS UNABLE TO WORK.
AND, UM, JUST BEING ABLE TO GET
THE PRIZES WAS HELPFUL.
>> WE'VE GOT SOME BIG WINNINGS
TONIGHT.
$10,000 U.S. SAVING BOND,
A LARGE-SCREEN PANASONIC TV,
A PAIR OF REEBOKS --
YOU CAN KEEP THOSE --
AND A BRAND-NEW GEO LSI
CONVERTIBLE.
>> LIKE, I WANTED
TO GIVE THE CAR TO MY BROTHER,
BUT WE HAD TO SELL IT.
UM, WE HAD CASH
IN THE SAVINGS BOND THEN
AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF.
SO, IT WAS MORE LIKE A RELIEF
THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
[ APPLAUSE ]
I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING
LEFT OVER FROM THE FIRE.
BUT I DID HAVE A LITTLE METAL
BOX THAT SURVIVED.
AND WHAT WAS IN IT
WAS MICRO MACHINES.
AND THEN, IN A COUPLE YEARS,
I WOULD BE ENDORSING
THE VIDEO GAME.
MICRO MACHINES FOR NINTENDO
IS ONE OF THE BEST, MOST
INNOVATIVE RACING GAMES EVER.
FROM THERE, I HAD, UH,
A SHORT CAREER ENDORSING THINGS.
AND MY FAMILY HAD A LOT
OF FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES.
AND, UH, FOR A WHILE,
THIS IS INTERESTING,
BUT MY INCOME FROM, UH, THE NWC
AND THE ENDORSEMENTS
FOR SEVERAL YEARS WAS
THE ONLY INCOME MY FAMILY HAD.
YOU KNOW, WE BASICALLY BECAME
PRETTY MUCH ALMOST HOMELESS.
IT LEFT ME WITH A REALLY BITTER,
UH, FEELING.
I THINK YOU CAN MAKE A LOT
OF PARALLELS
WITH LIFE PHILOSOPHY THAT WAY,
BECAUSE LIFE ISN'T FAIR.
AND ALL TETRIS SURE ISN'T FAIR.
YOU GOT TO DEAL
WITH WHAT THEY GIVE YOU.
AND, UH, SOMETIMES, THEY
GIVE YOU SOME REALLY
HARD-TO-SWALLOW GARBAGE.
BUT, YOU KNOW,
IF YOU CAN CHUG THROUGH IT,
THAT MAKES YOU A WINNER.
>> YOU WANT TO CALL HARRY, SAY,
WHERE ARE YOU?
>> ROBIN WAS WORRIED
YOU MIGHT HAVE CHICKENED OUT
BECAUSE YOU WERE AFRAID OF ME,
BUT...
>> RIGHT.
>> OH, I DIDN'T GET YOUR NAME.
GOOD TO FINALLY MEET YOU.
>> ALEX, JONAS.
IT'S A PLEASURE, MAN.
>> WHAT'S UP, YO?
>> HELLO.
GOOD TO MEET YOU.
>> YOU TOO, MAN.
>> WE HUNG AT A MALL
AND PLAYED MORTAL KOMBAT
FOR A COUPLE HOURS.
>> UGH!
>> REALLY?
>> WHOO!
>> YOU KNOW, THE TETRIS PLAYERS
THAT ARE HERE RIGHT NOW
ARE GOING TO SHATTER
ANY POSSIBLE IDEA
OF WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT
COULD BE OBTAINED IN TETRIS.
I USED TO PLAY
THE ORIGINAL ARCADE VERSION,
AND I USED TO BET MONEY
WITH GUYS AT MY HIGH SCHOOL.
WHOEVER COULD HOLD
THE REINS, YOU KNOW,
KING OF THE HILL
IN THE ARCADE LONGEST,
WAS SORT OF, YOU KNOW,
THE UNSPOKEN GOD OF TETRIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS THAT GUY.
AND TO COME HERE AND SEE
THESE GUYS JUST WAX THE FLOOR
WITH ME WAS SORT OF LIKE A LEVEL
OF INHUMAN.
IT'S MOVING
FASTER THAN ONLOOKERS
CAN ACTUALLY PERCEIVE THE GAME.
THESE GUYS ARE THINKING IT,
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THINKING
PIECES AHEAD AND MAKING
SURE THAT THEIR PLATFORM'S READY
FOR THE NEXT PIECE.
YOU KNOW,
IT'S REALLY SOMETHING TO WATCH.
I THINK ANYONE CAN APPRECIATE
TETRIS AT THAT LEVEL.
>> AH!
>> THE TETRIS COMMUNITY
IS A PHENOMENAL COMMUNITY.
AND IT JUST NEEDS TO BE EXPOSED
TO THE WORLD,
THE WORLD TO SEE,
YEAH, IT'S NOT JUST A GAME.
IT'S A HISTORY.
IT'S AN EVOLUTION.
>> YOU KIND OF, LIKE, SHAKE
THE WHOLE CONTROLLER WITH YOU.
>> IT'S NOT JUST YOUR THUMB.
KIND OF LIKE A DRUM.
IT'S, LIKE, YOUR WHOLE
HIGH SCHOOL DRUM MAJOR.
>> YEAH, EXACTLY, EXACTLY,
EXACTLY.
>> 'CAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN
TO LEVEL 30.
>> WHICH I HAVEN'T EVEN FLIRTED
WITH, I THINK.
>> YEAH, I THINK ALL OF US,
THAT'S KIND OF THE WHITE
ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, IS THAT
WE WANT TO SEE IT.
>> I'LL GIVE IT MY BEST.
>> IT'S -- IT'S SOMETHING
THAT I PROBABLY WON'T SEE.
BUT I WILL WATCH IN, LIKE,
REVERENCE.
>> I WAS WATCHING YOU EARLIER.
I THINK THAT YOU
COULD DEFINITELY
DO IT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY,
IF YOU DO THE CENTER WELL.
>> THE CENTER WELL?
>> YEAH.
>> CALL.
>> ONE DOWN, ONE UP.
TWO OVER.
>> SURVEY SAYS.
>> SIX OUT.
>> STICK A WHITE IN THERE,
KEVIN, IF YOU WANT TO STAY.
>> ALL OF A SUDDEN,
I'M JUST LOOKING, AND LIKE,
WOW, I'M UP AGAINST ROBIN.
HE'S DESTROYING EVERYONE.
HE'S WANTING
TO PUSH IT ALL IN HARD.
YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE.
AND I PUSHED IN
AND FIGURED, WHY NOT?
>> TURN CARD.
TRIPS.
>> SO DO I. KING HIGH.
>> AH!
>> BOOM, BABY!
BOOM!
THAT'S RIGHT,
YOU ARE IN MY HOUSE NOW, BITCH!
YEAH!
I COULDN'T CONTAIN
MY EXCITEMENT.
IT WAS AN ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE
MOMENT.
KIND OF FELT
LIKE SOME BASKETBALL PLAYER
THAT GOES OUT TO THE HOOP, BOOM,
DUNKS ON SHAQUILLE O'NEAL.
TAKE THAT.
THAT'S RIGHT.
IT'S MY HOME, NOW.
>> THEY'RE, LIKE, THE ONLY ONE
LEFT.
>> IF ANYONE WOULD BE TONYA,
IT WOULD BE BEN.
>> YEAH.
I'VE ALREADY ACTUALLY
BROKEN HARRY'S.
HE'S ON HIS WAY
TO THE DOCTOR RIGHT NOW.
>> SEE, YOU DON'T DO -- YOU
DON'T DO THE TWO BUTTONS YET.
>> WELL, I DO, NOW.
>> I THINK HARRY'S 808 VIDEO
ONLINE DOESN'T USE BOTH BUTTONS.
>> HE AND I TALKED ABOUT THAT.
>> I FIND IT --
I FEEL THE RIGHT SIDE.
I FIND THAT TO BE UNACCEPTABLE.
>> YOU MEAN, YOU LEAVE YOUR --
YOU LEAVE YOUR...
>> I MEAN, IT WORKS FOR HIM.
BUT I JUST, I WOULD NOT DO THAT.
>> YOU SAID WAS UNACCEPTABLE
TO GO TO THE LEFT?
>> NO, SEE,
FOR MY LEVEL 19-PLUS GAME...
>> NO, I KNOW THAT YOU...
>> I -- I SWITCHED BACK, YEAH.
THE REASON WHY I DID IT
TO THE LEFT, BEGAN ON THE LEFT,
WAS I SCORE HIGHER WHEN I GO TO
THE LEFT.
YEAH, I'VE DONE IT.
BACK IN THE DAY, I USED TO PLAY,
LIKE, HOURS AND HOURS
AND HOURS, LEAVING A GAP.
GOOD LUCK TOMORROW, MAN.
GOOD LUCK.
>> YOU'RE AWESOME.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT.
>> YOU'RE AWESOME, TOO,
YOU KNOW THAT?
>> WHY, THANK YOU.
>> THERE ARE EIGHT SPOTS
IN THE SEMIFINALS.
FIVE ARE RESERVED FOR PLAYERS
WHO HOLD PREVIOUS WORLD RECORDS.
THOSE PLAYERS ARE JONAS, HARRY,
JESSE, BEN AND THOR.
THE REMAINING THREE SPOTS
ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
THE PRELIMINARY ROUND IS
UNLIMITED ATTEMPTS AT HIGH SCORE
ON TYPE B TETRIS
WITH A 25-LINE LIMIT.
SEVEN TETRISES ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE 25 LINES.
DANA, ALEX AND TREY ALMOST
QUALIFY TO REACH THE SEMIS.
THEY'LL HAVE FROM NOON
UNTIL 2 PM TO POST A HIGH SCORE.
>> I'M NOT GONNA WISH HIM LUCK.
>> SHE DOESN'T EVEN LIKE ME,
DOESN'T WANT ME TO WIN.
>> IT'S GOT TO BE SKILL.
BUT I EXPECT TO WIN ON SKILL,
NOT ON LUCK.
>> YEAH.
UH, THIS IS MY MOTHER, DORIS.
>> YES. HELLO.
>> SHE'S THE BEST MOM
A TETRIS PLAYER COULD HAVE.
I'M ABOUT NERVOUS ENOUGH
TO THROW UP, BECAUSE EVERYONE
I KNOW IS EXPECTING ME TO WIN.
>> THERE ARE SOME TIMES
WHEN YOU'RE JUST IN A ZONE.
YOU KNOW WHERE TO PUT
EVERY PIECE.
YOU KNOW WHAT THAT'S GOING
TO LEAVE YOU WITH.
ANYWAY, I CAME OUT HERE, UH,
FROM NEW YORK.
I WAS JUST HOPING
TO MAKE IT TO THE SEMI ROUNDS,
MAYBE BE, LIKE,
THE UNDERDOG OR SOMETHING.
>> I THINK THE HIGHEST
YOU CAN GET IS SEVEN TETRISES.
AND AT THAT POINT, YOU'VE HIT
SORT OF THE 25-LINE LIMIT
AND THE GAME ENDS.
SO, I THINK IT WOULD BE COOL
TO PLAY IN THE SEMIFINALS,
ALTHOUGH I KNOW THAT I'LL JUST
GET DESTROYED THERE.
>> NOW I THINK I'M NUMBER TWO
NOW, BUT NOT FOR LONG.
>> DID ALEX...
>> ALL RIGHT!
SO, NO ONE'S DONE IT.
NO ONE'S DONE THE PERFECT.
>> NOPE, NOT YET.
>> DOOR'S STILL OPEN.
>> EVENTUALLY, I THINK PEOPLE
ARE GOING TO GET PERFECT ONES.
I THINK THE HIGHEST RIGHT
NOW IS 147.
>> THEN IT COMES DOWN
TO THE PUSHING IT DOWN.
>> IT COMES DOWN TO THE PUSH
DOWN.
>> 167,759.
>> HOW DOES IT FEEL? GOOD?
AFTER ALL THOSE REALLY BAD
GAMES, I JUST GOT ONE
WHERE EVERYTHING WAS CLEAN,
I DIDN'T PUSH IT TOO HARD.
AND I JUST, LIKE,
WENT FOR THE TETRISES,
AND THEY ALL JUST CAME TOGETHER.
SO, THAT WAS GOOD.
THERE WAS A MOVE AT THE END
WHERE I SAW --
I HAD TO MAKE A HOLE,
BUT I SAW IT WAS
ABOVE THE FOURTH ROW.
IT WAS AT THE SIXTH ROW,
AND I WAS ON MY LAST TETRIS.
SO, I WAS LIKE,
"THANK GOODNESS."
BECAUSE I COULD, LIKE,
YOU KNOW, MAKE THAT HOLE,
NOT WORRY ABOUT IT,
COMPLETE THE ROWS THAT I
NEEDED TO GO FOR THE TETRIS.
AND I JUST, LIKE, WENT FOR IT.
>> JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO,
I FINALLY GOT IT.
I GOT THE SEVEN IN A ROW.
SO, I SHOULD BE ABLE
TO MAKE IT THROUGH WITH THAT.
THERE'S ABOUT FOUR
OR FIVE PEOPLE
WHO COULD PROBABLY MATCH THAT.
AND THEN IT'S ALL ABOUT
HOW MANY TIMES YOU PUSHED DOWN
TO GET A FEW EXTRA POINTS.
>> I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA BE
LIKE WHERE TWO OR THREE PEOPLE
ARE JUST GONNA, LIKE,
COME IN AND GET PERFECT GAMES
AND, LIKE, PUSH ME OUT.
I THINK I HAVE A SPOT.
>> YES!
>> HOW ARE YOU FEELING, TREY?
>> UH, WELL,
MY HEART'S POUNDING NOW.
BUT DURING THE GAME, I WAS JUST
LIKE, I'LL EITHER GET THE PIECES
OR I WON'T GET THE PIECES.
I FIGURED, IF I JUST KEEP
PLAYING, EVENTUALLY,
I'LL GET SEVEN IN A ROW.
SO, I DID.
>> TREY'S NOW IN FIRST
WITH 167,911,
MAKING IT ALL LEVEL 18,
SEVEN TETRISES, UH,
AND PRETTY MUCH PUSHING DOWN
ON THE D-PAD TO GET EXTRA POINTS
IS SEPARATING THE TOP THREE
SCORES AT THIS POINT.
DANA'S STILL IN THERE.
>> I'M NOT DOING AS WELL
AS I CAN DO.
SO, IT'S A LITTLE BIT
DISAPPOINTING.
BUT HOPEFULLY, I CAN,
YOU KNOW, PULL IT TOGETHER.
>> SHE'S USUALLY REALLY
EVEN-KEELED, FOR THE MOST PART.
AND SO, IT KIND OF SURPRISES ME
THAT SHE'S HAVING
SUCH A HARD TIME RIGHT NOW.
>> DANA IS ONE OF THE MOST
KICK-ASS PEOPLE I KNOW.
SHE IS A GAMER AT HEART.
SHE AND BROOKE ARE JUST,
LIKE, MEANT FOR EACH OTHER.
I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK -- I THINK --
I THINK GIRLS IN GAMING
ADDS A REALLY, REALLY VALUABLE
PERSPECTIVE FOR, YOU KNOW,
A MALE-DOMINATED NERD-FEST,
YOU KNOW?
>> I THINK THAT'S SHE'S UNDER
THE MOST PRESSURE OF ANYBODY
HERE, BECAUSE THE CAMERAS
ARE FOLLOWING HER.
SHE KEEPS GETTING
INTERVIEWED BY NEWSPAPERS.
AND I KIND OF FEEL BAD FOR HER,
BECAUSE IT'S, LIKE,
A LOT OF ADDED PRESSURE
THAT'S OBVIOUSLY AFFECTING HER.
>> AH! WHAT HAPPENED?
OH, MAN.
STARTING TO GET PISSED.
>> GOD, IT'S GIVING ME HEART
PALPITATIONS JUST TO WATCH THIS.
>> DANA IS FORCED
TO BURN OFF HER LAST LINE,
JUST AS SHE RECEIVES
THE NECESSARY LONG BAR.
>> FUCK ME!
OH, MAN!
>> HOLY FUCK!
>> YEAH, LIKE,
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
IF IT DIDN'T EVEN...
>> YEAH, IF IT DIDN'T SHOW UP.
>> YEAH, IF IT DIDN'T EVEN SHOW.
>> IT WAS REALLY CLOSE TO SEVEN
TWICE.
I CAN'T GET SEVEN.
>> FUCK, YEAH!
>> HOW DO YOU FEEL?
>> FUCKIN' AWESOME!
>> DANA JUST EDGED OUT
HER FRIEND ALEX FOR THE LAST
SPOT.
>> I THINK
I'M IN FOURTH RIGHT NOW.
MIGHT JUST BE
THAT I GOT KNOCKED OUT.
>> HE'S SO CUTE.
HE'S THE LITTLE BABY
GRAND MASTER.
>> NO MORE TICKETS?
>> HEY, GUYS.
>> HEY. CONGRATULATIONS.
>> THANK YOU, ALEX.
YOU DID GREAT.
>> TOP THREE.
IT'S OFFICIAL.
AND WE HAVE OUR TOP EIGHT
FOR THE FINALS.
[ APPLAUSE ]
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
>> SO, WHEN I FIRST MET ALEXEY
IN 1989, IT WAS FEBRUARY OF
1989, HE SAID TO ME, "HANK, YOU
KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO GO BACK,
AND YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS
GAME."
AND I REALLY WANT TO FIND OUT,
UH, WHO IS THE BEST PLAYER
IN THE WORLD."
AND, UH, YOU KNOW,
WE REALLY HAVEN'T FOUND OUT
IN ALL THESE YEARS.
AND THE VERY INTERESTING THING
ABOUT ALL THIS IS THAT, WELL,
ROBIN'S THE GUY
WHO'S BEEN PUTTING
THIS TOURNAMENT TOGETHER.
AND WE REALLY NEED TO GIVE
HIM A HAND
IN MAKING THIS TETRIS WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIPS POSSIBLE.
IT COMES FROM HIS PASSION
AND FROM HIS LIFE EXPERIENCES,
HOW TETRIS AND THE NINTENDO
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
CHANGED HIS LIFE,
THAT NOW, WE'RE HAVING
THIS WONDERFUL TETRIS CLASSIC
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.
>> ALL RIGHT!
IT IS NOW TIME
FOR OUR SEMIFINALS.
EIGHT PLAYERS WILL COMPETE
IN THREE ROUNDS.
ROUND ONE WILL BE AN ATTEMPT
FOR THE MOST LINES.
AND ROUND TWO AND THREE WILL BE
ATTEMPTS FOR THE MOST POINTS.
AND THE TOP TWO PLAYERS WILL
ADVANCE TO OUR TETRIS FINALS.
ALL RIGHT.
LET'S START IN 10, NINE, EIGHT,
SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR,
THREE, TWO, ONE.
LET'S PLAY SOME TETRIS!
ALL RIGHT, WE START OFF HERE.
HARRY GETS A TRIPLE LINE SCORE,
FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER, I BELIEVE.
>> OH!
>> IT LOOKS LIKE JESSE IS OUT.
52,541.
THOR SETTING UP.
HE'S GOT HIS WELL SAVED,
JUST NEEDS A LONG BLOCK.
AND, WOW, AS WE SWITCH TO THOR.
OH, THOR, IT LOOKS LIKE...
OH!
THOR IS OUT WITH 89 LINES.
>> THOR HAS TOPPED OUT.
>> THE AUDIENCE IS SHOCKED
BY THOR'S EARLY TOP-OUT.
HE'LL HAVE TO DOMINATE THE SCORE
ROUNDS TO HAVE ANY CHANCE
TO MAKE THE FINALS.
>> NOW, REMEMBER, AT LEVEL 29,
THE SPEED INCREASES AGAIN,
BELIEVE IT OR NOT,
WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE KILL SCREEN
OR DEATH LEVEL.
>> WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO THAT
KILL SCREEN, HERE AT LEVEL 28.
>> JONAS IS AT 278.
>> LOOK AT THAT SPEED.
HARRY AT 290.
HARRY IS OUT.
290 FOR HARRY.
THAT'S THE LEADER RIGHT NOW.
JONAS AT 281.
CAN HE HIT 290?
DANA WAS OUT.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE DANA WAS OUT,
BUT DANA'S OUT.
>> 61.
LET'S GO BACK TO THE OTHER
SCREEN.
>> LET'S SWITCH THE VIDEO
BACK TO... THERE WE GO.
ALL RIGHT, JONAS, 29.
>> 294!
294 FOR JONAS!
THAT'S OUR LEADER!
>> JONAS SCORES 294 LINES,
THE SECOND MOST
IN RECORDED HISTORY.
>> BEN -- TWO PLAYERS LEFT.
BEN AT 280.
>> BUT THIS IS A GOOD SCORE,
AS WELL.
HE'LL BE IN THE TOP,
LOOKS LIKE THREE, FOR SURE.
OH, SINGLE LINE.
OH, HERE WE GO.
BEN, 290 AS WELL.
GREAT JOB, GUYS!
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
>> JONAS, BEN AND HARRY
ALL SUCCEED AT REACHING
THE LEVEL 29 KILL SCREEN.
MATT AND DANA POST
DECENT SCORES,
WHILE THE REST LAG BEHIND.
>> SECOND, LOOKS LIKE, TIED
FOR SECOND, IS HARRY AND BEN.
>> FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE, GO.
>> LET'S PLAY SOME TETRIS.
>> NOW, WE WILL BE LOOKING
FOR LOTS OF TETRISES HERE.
>> DANA'S -- DANA'S TRYING TO
WORK OUT.
SHE'S WORKING IT.
>> SHE'S DOING GOOD TO SURVIVE
THERE.
AWESOME BURNING, DANA.
>> SHE'S BACK THERE.
SHE BURNED IT OFF.
SHE'S WAITING FOR THE LONG --
THERE IT IS.
>> TETRIS!
>> THAT'S GOOD FOR A TETRIS.
TRIPLE-LINE SCORE
FOR THOR RIGHT THERE.
>> 134 FOR JONAS.
122, HARRY.
THOR AT 99,000.
BEN SETTING UP FOR A TETRIS!
BOOM, TETRIS FOR HARRY.
AND THOR!
>> THOR WITH A TETRIS!
THOR BURNS A DOUBLE LINE RIGHT
THERE.
HE'S WAITING FOR THE LONG PIECE.
HERE IT COMES, TETRIS!
207 FOR THOR.
>> DOUBLE LINE, JONAS.
TETRIS FOR HARRY.
>> 343 FOR HARRY, WOW.
THE LEADER LOOKS
LIKE IT COULD BE -- JONAS MIGHT
BE THE LEADER ON THIS ONE.
BEN IS OUT WITH 249,919.
THOR WITH A TETRIS.
DANA NEEDS A LONG PIECE.
DANA GETS IT!
TRIPLE-LINE SCORE FOR DANA.
DANA IN TROUBLE.
SHE SLIDES IT OUT.
DANA'S OUT.
DANA WITH 363,824.
DOUBLE LINE FOR JONAS.
>> HARRY'S AT 19.
THE END IS NEAR.
BUT HE'S GOING
TO COME AWAY WITH IT.
>> HARRY WITH 451,615.
THAT'S THE CURRENT LEADER,
BUT NOT FOR LONG.
>> LEVEL 19.
>> 348 FOR THOR.
HE JUST SLIDES A LONG BLOCK.
JONAS IS OUT, 453,378.
>> JONAS IS NOW THE TOP SCORE,
FOLLOWED BY HARRY.
>> WE'RE DOWN TO JUST TWO
PLAYERS, MATT AND THOR.
MATT IS STAYING ALIVE HERE.
MATT IS --
MATT IS OUT, 421,146.
DOWN TO THOR.
THOR IS REMAINING HERE.
I BELIEVE THOR HAS THE LEAD
FOR THE ROUND.
>> HIS VIBRATING THUMBS
ARE THE ONLY THING
THAT CAN KEEP YOU ALIVE HERE.
>> AND THOR IS OUT.
469,454.
>> GREAT ROUND, GUYS.
>> THOR NARROWLY WINS ROUND TWO,
BUT IT'S NOT QUITE ENOUGH
TO PUT HIM BACK IN THE RACE
FOR THE FINALS.
>> DID A LOT BETTER THIS ROUND.
YOU WENT FROM NEXT TO LAST
TO FIRST, I BELIEVE.
>> I'M SURROUNDED BY GREATNESS.
>> GREATNESS MAKES YOU GREAT.
451, NOT BAD.
YOU WERE THE LEADER FOR A WHILE.
>> I'LL DO BETTER.
>> HE'LL DO BETTER.
JONAS, 453.
THINK YOU COULD HAVE DONE
A LITTLE BIT BETTER, OR...
>> UH, I FEEL INSIDE THAT I HAVE
THE TETRIS MONSTER WITHIN ME.
>> UNLEASH IT!
UNLEASH THAT MONSTER, JONAS!
>> I'M JUST GOING
TO LET IT OUT NEXT GAME.
I'M JUST GOING TO OPEN THE CAGE
DOOR AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
>> THE LEADERS RIGHT NOW --
WOW, IT'S CLOSE.
IN FIRST IS JONAS NEUBAUER
WITH 196.6 POINTS.
>> THE TOP FIVE SCORES
ARE CLOSE.
A WEAK GAME FROM HARRY OR JONAS
IN ROUND THREE
COULD GIVE DANA OR MATT
A CHANCE TO MAKE THE FINALS.
IT WOULD TAKE
A NEAR MAX-OUT SCORE
FOR BEN OR THOR TO SNEAK IN.
>> THREE, TWO, ONE.
>> TETRIS TIME!
>> AGAIN, POINTS MATTER,
SO WE'RE LOOKING
FOR LOTS OF STRATEGY
TO TRY TO GET THOSE TETRISES.
BEN BURNS OFF A DOUBLE
AND FOLLOWS UP WITH A TETRIS.
BEAUTIFUL.
AND ANOTHER TETRIS FOR BEN, 221.
>> MATT AND DANA
ARE KEEPING A GOOD PACE
TO CHALLENGE HARRY AND JONAS.
>> DANA'S LIVING
A LITTLE DANGEROUSLY NOW.
>> ANOTHER TETRIS FOR DANA, 191.
>> BUT MIDWAY
THROUGH ROUND THREE,
HARRY AND JONAS ARE SHOWING
NO SIGNS OF LETTING UP.
>> SETTING UP FOR ANOTHER
TETRIS.
HERE IT COMES FOR BEN.
BEN BREACHES 300,000.
HE'S AT 331,000.
I BELIEVE THAT'S THE LEAD.
>> BEN IS ON PACE FOR A MAX-OUT.
A SCORE IN THAT RANGE
WOULD BE HIS ONLY CHANCE
TO MAKE THE FINALS.
>> AND ANOTHER TETRIS, 345.
>> THREE FORTY-FIVE FOR BEN.
JONAS, 302.
THOR, 229.
HARRY, 283.
REMEMBER, THE SPEED
WILL STAY ABOUT CONSISTENT,
UNTIL IT HITS LEVEL 19,
WHERE THE SPEED LEVEL JUMPS UP.
THOR IS WAITING FOR A LONG
BLOCK, AS IS JONAS, AS IS BEN.
>> THOR KNOCKS DOWN ANOTHER ONE.
>> BEN'S IN OVER... BEN
BURNS OFF A TRIPLE LINE SCORE.
THAT WAS KEY.
[ AUDIENCE GROANS ]
>> UH OH, BEN -- BEN'S
IN A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE.
COME ON, BEN.
>> OH!
>> BEN IS OUT.
>> BEN SUCCUMBS TO A 36-PIECE
LONG-BAR DROUGHT.
>> GOOD JOB, BEN.
>> JONAS IS NOW OUR CURRENT
LEADER.
>> DANA AT 314.
HARRY AT 495,431.
>> JONAS.
>> DANA'S OUT, 484,073 FOR DANA.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
>> JONAS SETTING UP FOR A TETRIS
ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
[ AUDIENCE GROANS ]
>> JONAS SLIPS A LITTLE BIT.
HE GETS IT BACK A LITTLE BIT.
JONAS IS OUT.
JONAS, 550,841!
>> JONAS TOPS OUT
WITH A 550,000,
LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN
FOR MATT AND THOR.
>> OH, MATT'S IN A LITTLE BIT
OF TROUBLE HERE.
GETS BACK A SINGLE.
TREY WITH A SINGLE.
MATT IS OUT.
GOOD JOB, MATT.
MATT, WITH 454,781.
>> THOR IS OUT!
THOR, WITH 506,084, 506,084.
>> HARRY'S GUNNING
TO TAKE THE LEAD FROM JONAS.
HE'S DOING A GREAT JOB KEEPING
IT LOW AND BURNING IT OFF.
>> OH, HE'S ALMOST
AT THE DEATH SCREEN HERE.
HE'S ALMOST AT LEVEL 29.
>> HARRY.
HARRY, 582,373.
>> HARRY FINISHES OFF ROUND
THREE BY ACHIEVING THE TOP SCORE
OF THE DAY OF 583,000 POINTS.
>> I JUST FELT SO GREAT
THAT THIRD GAME,
AND JUST TANKED ON LEVEL 13,
I THINK, OR SOMETHING.
>> WELL, WHERE'D YOU LOSE, 13?
>> YEAH.
>> OH, MAN.
I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW.
>> YOU CAN DO.
YOU CAN DO IT.
>> HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY.
JONAS IS TOUGH.
JONAS IS TOUGH, SO...
>> OH, I KNOW.
>> WE'LL SEE
WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
>> TOP TWO, HARRY HONG
AND JONAS NEUBAUER.
>> THE FINALS ARE A BEST
TWO-OUT-OF-THREE HEAD-TO-HEAD
MATCH FOR THE HIGHEST SCORE.
HARRY AND JONAS MADE IT HERE BY
PLAYING CONSISTENT, MISTAKE-FREE
TETRIS IN THE SEMIFINALS.
HARRY EXECUTES A DEATH-DEFYING
VERTICAL LONG BAR SLIDE,
BUT IT TURNS OUT
NOT TO BE ENOUGH TO SAVE HIM.
HARRY HAS HIS FIRST BAD GAME
OF THE NIGHT
WITH A PALTRY 302,000 POINTS.
JONAS WINS ROUND ONE,
MAKING ROUND TWO
A MUST-WIN SITUATION FOR HARRY.
>> HARRY, COME ON!
[ PEOPLE CHANTING "HARRY!" ]
[ PEOPLE CHANTING "JONAS!" ]
>> HARRY HAS TAKEN
CONTROL OF ROUND TWO
WITH A 50,000-POINT LEAD.
[ AUDIENCE GROANS ]
>> HARRY TOPS OUT WITH A SCORE
OF 517,000.
IT'S JONAS' GAME TO LOSE NOW.
JONAS PREVAILS,
SURPASSING HARRY'S SCORE
OF 517,000 WITH A TETRIS
ON LEVEL 23.
[ PEOPLE CHANTING "JONAS!" ]
>> JONAS NEUBAUER!
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
CONGRATULATIONS.
>> I'VE GOT TO TAKE THIS TIME
TO THANKS MY UNCLE BILL FOR
BRINGING ME INTO TETRIS WHEN I
WAS THE TENDER AGE OF 10,
SENDING ME DOWN THE PATH OF
ADDICTION.
>> ...FOR $1,000!
[ INDISTINCT TALKING ]
>> I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED
THAT, UH,
THOR WASN'T ABLE TO REALLY SHOW
WHAT HE'S CAPABLE OF,
BUT HE JUST HAD AN OFF DAY.
>> IT WAS FANTASTIC
BEING UP THERE.
IT WAS NERVE-RACKING,
AND IT WAS VERY LOUD.
AND IT WAS VERY HOT.
>> OH, IT WAS AN AMAZING
EXPERIENCE.
UM, OF COURSE, I WANTED TO WIN.
BUT JONAS, YOU KNOW,
HE'S PHENOMENAL.
SO, HOPEFULLY,
I'LL TRY IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
>> I REALLY WISH I'D HAVE WON
TODAY.
SO...
>> IT'S TETRIS, MAN.
>> YEAH.
>> ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.
TURNS OUT, IT'S PRETTY RANDOM.
>> YEAH. [ CHUCKLES ]
WHO KNEW?
TETRIS, OF ALL THINGS,
IS RANDOM.
>> KIND OF ROLLED THE DECIDE A
LITTLE BIT AND TRIED TO SET UP
THE -- SET UP THE TETRIS FOR THE
WIN.
AND I'M -- AND I'M GLAD
THAT THAT KIND OF --
I'M GLAD THAT THAT PLAYED OUT.
>> THAT WAS BALLSY.
>> LOOK WHO IT IS.
>> I -- I SAW YOU DO THAT.
THAT WAS BALLSY.
I WOULD NOT HAVE DONE IT.
>> I'M JUST SAYING
THAT THOR AACKERLUND,
OF ALL PEOPLE, TO DIE AT --
I DON'T KNOW
HOW MANY LINES HE DIED AT,
BUT IT -- THAT'S ODD, TO ME.
I THINK HE WANTED TO BE ABLE
TO DO WELL IN SCORE,
WITHOUT HAVING
TO BE AFRAID OF WINNING,
BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO WIN.
>> YEAH.
>> HE REALLY HAS SEEMED LIKE HE
DOESN'T WANT TO WIN THIS
TOURNAMENT.
>> THE NEXT DAY,
THOR ATTEMPTED TO REACH LEVEL 30
FOR THE CAMERAS.
HIS THUMBS COULD NOT VIBRATE
AS QUICKLY AS THEY HAD
IN HIS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DAYS.
AFTER DOZENS OF ATTEMPTS,
HE GAVE UP.
>> THAT FIRST ROUND,
WHEN I TOTALLY
GLITCHED ON THE LINES GAME, UH,
I WAS HAVING TROUBLE
WITH MY CONTROLLER, WHICH,
THAT WASN'T WHY I STACKED UP.
I STACKED UP BECAUSE I WAS
TAKING TOO MANY RISKS.
BUT THE CONTROLLER
WAS DISTRACTING ME.
AND I MENTIONED THIS TO,
UH, TO HARRY
AFTER HE WAS DONE WITH HIS GAME.
AND HE HAD BROUGHT
HIS OWN CONTROLLER.
HE STILL HAD HIS ORIGINAL
THAT WAS THERE,
PROVIDED FOR HIS STATION.
AND HE WAS LIKE,
"HERE, YOU CAN USE THIS ONE."
AND I PLUGGED IN.
AND SURE ENOUGH,
IT WORKED GREAT.
AND THAT'S -- THE VERY NEXT
ROUND, I GOT THE TOP SCORE.
SO, YOU KNOW, HE
WAS REALLY CLASSY AND FRIENDLY.
WHEN I WATCHED JONAS,
I WAS REALLY WORRIED,
BECAUSE I -- I KEPT
FOR PULLING FOR THE PERSON I WAS
WATCHING.
I WAS GOING BACK AND FORTH,
YOU KNOW, JUST STRESSING OUT,
ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT,
WATCHING THE FINALS.
UH, LIKE, AT ONE POINT,
JONAS HAD THIS CRAZY, UH,
YOU KNOW, LIKE, DOUBLE-WELL,
CRAZY CANYON-LOOKING THING
WITH ALL THESE WEIRD GAPS.
AND I WAS, LIKE,
ABOUT TO PULL MY HAIR OUT.
I WAS, LIKE, "OH, NO!"
I COULD SEE IT,
THE WAY I WAS LOOKING,
I WAS, LIKE, "YOU NEED, LIKE,
THESE SEVEN OR EIGHT PIECES
TO COME IN A SEQUENCES
TO MAKE THIS WORK."
AND NES TETRIS
IS INFAMOUSLY MALICIOUS.
BUT THOSE PIECES THAT HE NEEDED,
ALL CAME IN A SEQUENCE,
AND HE LOCKED THEM ALL TOGETHER.
IT'S ONE THING
FOR THE PIECES TO COME,
BUT ONLY A VERY SELECT
FEW PEOPLE IN THE WORLD
CAN TAKE THOSE PIECES AND PUT
THEM WHERE THEY NEED TO GO,
ALL IN A LINE, AT A HIGH SPEED.
SO, IT WAS REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
IT'S JUST BEEN AN ABSOLUTE HONOR
AND BLAST TO MEET ALL OF Y'ALL
AND BE INVOLVED IN THIS.
AND IT'S GONNA BE A MEMORY
THAT I'LL CHERISH, YOU KNOW,
FOR DECADES.
>> UPON RETURNING TO TEXAS,
THOR VOWED TO OFFICIALLY BREAK
OR MATCH ALL RECORDS
ON NES TETRIS IN A YEAR'S TIME.
THOR STARTS ON LEVEL 19.
JONAS IS THE ONLY PERSON
KNOWN TO HAVE MAXED OUT
STARTING ON THIS LEVEL.
THOR'S RENEWED ABILITY
TO VIBRATE HIS LEFT THUMB
IS EVIDENCED IN THE RAPID
SIDE-TO-SIDE MOVEMENT
OF THE PIECES.
THOR IS ON PACE TO MAX OUT.
THOR PREPARES A CENTER
WELL IN AN ATTEMPT TO SURVIVE
THE LEVEL 29 KILL SCREEN.
THOR REACHES EVERY MILESTONE
ACHIEVEMENT IN NES TETRIS:
MAX OUT STARTING ON LEVEL 19,
LEVEL 30...
ALL IN THE SAME GAME.