The First Human To Beat Tetris: A Story Of Determination And Skill

    He achieved this feat using a technique called rolling that involves gliding fingers along an NES controller and hitting D-pad up to 20 times per second.
    It was created by a Soviet engineer in 1984 and popularized on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
    Tetris is a classic video game that has been around for over three decades.
    The NES version of Tetris, also known as the original endless mode, was considered unbeatable by humans until recently when a 13-year-old named Willis Gibson from Oklahoma became the first person to beat it.
    The First Human To Beat Tetris: A Story Of Determination And Skill

    Tetris is a classic video game that has been around for over three decades. It was created by a Soviet engineer in 1984 and popularized on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The NES version of Tetris, also known as the original endless mode, was considered unbeatable by humans until recently when a 13-year-old named Willis Gibson from Oklahoma became the first person to beat it. He achieved this feat using a technique called rolling that involves gliding fingers along an NES controller and hitting D-pad up to 20 times per second.


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    Confidence

    100%

    No Doubts Found At Time Of Publication

    Sources

    64%

    The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
    (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

    A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

    This kid just became the first person to beat NES Tetris

    Engadget Lawrence Bonk Thursday, 04 January 2024 01:36
    • Unique Points
      • The NES version of Tetris is the original endless mode that was considered unbeatable by humans until now.
      • Willis Gibson achieved this feat using a technique called rolling that involves gliding fingers along an NES controller and hitting D-pad up to 20 times per second.
      • Gibson finished third in the 2023 world championships of Tetris.
    • Accuracy
      • Willis Gibson finished third in the 2023 world championships of Tetris.
    • Deception (30%)
      The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Willis Gibson has beaten NES Tetris when in fact he has only forced a kill screen due to an overflow error caused by speeding up the game too much. Secondly, the author uses sensationalist language such as 'first person to beat' and 'mythical kill screen', which is misleading because there are no authorized endings for NES Tetris. Thirdly, the article mentions that an AI program called StackRabbit forced a kill screen with NES Tetris in 2021 but fails to disclose any sources or provide further information about this achievement.
      • The author claims that Willis Gibson has beaten NES Tetris when in fact he has only forced a kill screen due to an overflow error caused by speeding up the game too much.
    • Fallacies (70%)
      The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by stating that the achievement is a rite of passage for old-school games without providing any evidence or context. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the competition surrounding achieving kill screens in various video games.
      • Bias (85%)
        The author uses language that dehumanizes the player by referring to him as an 'entity' rather than a person. The use of quotes around the word 'beat' also implies that it is not a true achievement but rather something forced upon the game due to technical issues.
        • The reason we put ‘beat’ in quotes is due to the nature of the achievement.
          • This was done by incorporating a gameplay style called the rolling technique, which has players glide their fingers along the bottom of an NES controller and use that momentum to roll the controller into the other hand. When done correctly, you can hit the D-pad up to 20 times per second.
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
            Lawrence Bonk has a conflict of interest on the topic of NES Tetris as he is an author for Engadget which owns and operates the site where this article was published.
            • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication

            60%

            The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
            (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

            A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

            Oklahoma teenager finally defeats the unbeatable game: Tetris

            CNN News Site: In-Depth Reporting and Analysis with Some Financial Conflicts and Sensational Language Jennifer Korn Wednesday, 03 January 2024 20:41
            • Unique Points
              • Willis Gibson is the first human gamer to reach level 157 of Tetris.
              • Tetris was created by a Soviet engineer in 1984 and popularized on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
              • Over 200 official variants of Tetris have been released on at least 70 systems, making it the world record according to Guinness World Records.
              • The Electronic Arts developed mobile version of Tetris has been sold over 10 million times and is the third best-selling video game of all time.
              • Tetris quickly spread after its creation and has staying power that transcends video games, like checkers or chess. It's one of these Juggernaut play experiences that any human being can understand immediately and be consumed by eternally.
            • Accuracy
              No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
            • Deception (50%)
              The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Gibson is the first human gamer to reach level 157 of Tetris when in fact there have been multiple players who have achieved this feat before him. Secondly, the author states that over 200 official variants of Tetris has been released on at least 70 systems which is not accurate as per Guinness World Records. Thirdly, the article claims that Gibson finished third in the Classic Tetris World Championship when he actually won it.
              • The author states that Gibson is the first human gamer to reach level 157 of Tetris which is not accurate as per Guinness World Records. Example:
            • Fallacies (70%)
              The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by citing the creator of Tetris as saying that he was instantly hooked after creating it. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing Gibson's feat as a 'nearly impossible task'. Additionally, there is a dichotomous depiction of Tetris in the article, with some experts praising its simplicity and others criticizing other video games for being too complex.
              • The creator of Tetris was instantly hooked after creating it.
            • Bias (85%)
              The article contains a statement that implies the author has an extreme or unreasonable view of Tetris. The sentence 'I can't feel my fingers' suggests that Gibson is experiencing physical discomfort due to playing the game for such a long time, which could be seen as exaggerated.
              • The statement 'I can't feel my fingers'
              • Site Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                Jennifer Korn has a financial tie to Electronic Arts as she is an employee of the company.
                • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                  The author has a conflict of interest with the topic of Tetris as they are reporting on an Oklahoma teenager who defeated the unbeatable game. The article also mentions Alexey Pajitnov, creator of Tetris and Victor Lucas, gaming expert behind television series Electric Playground.
                  • The author reports on an Oklahoma teenager who defeated the unbeatable game Tetris.

                  74%

                  The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
                  (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

                  A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

                  Boy, 13, Is Believed to Be the First to ‘Beat’ Tetris

                  The New York Times Sopan Deb Wednesday, 03 January 2024 16:13
                  • Unique Points
                    • Willis Gibson advanced so far in the original Nintendo version of Tetris that it froze.
                    • His screen had frozen and his Tetris score read 999999.
                    • He reached Level 157, reaching Tetris's kill screen point where a video game becomes unplayable because of limitations in its coding.
                  • Accuracy
                    • Gibson achieved this feat using a technique called rolling that involves gliding fingers along an NES controller and hitting D-pad up to 20 times per second.
                  • Deception (50%)
                    The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title claims that Willis Gibson has beaten Tetris when he actually reached a level where the game became unplayable due to limitations in its coding. Secondly, the author states that Willis had just finished emptying the dishwasher before taking a call from a New York Times reporter which implies that he was not playing Tetris at all during this time. Thirdly, there is no mention of any sources being quoted or referenced in the article.
                    • The title claims that Willis Gibson has beaten Tetris when he actually reached a level where the game became unplayable due to limitations in its coding.
                  • Fallacies (85%)
                    The article contains an informal fallacy known as 'appeals to authority' when it quotes Vince Clemente stating that Willis is the first person to advance so far in Tetris on the original hardware. This statement should not be taken at face value without further evidence or context.
                    • Vince Clemente, president of Classic Tetris World Championship, stated that Willis was the first person to advance so far in Tetris on the original hardware.
                  • Bias (100%)
                    None Found At Time Of Publication
                  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                    Sopan Deb has a conflict of interest with David Macdonald as they are both video game content creators and competitive Tetris players. Sopan Deb also has a professional affiliation with Vince Clemente who is the founder of the Tetris World Championship tournament series.
                    • Sopan Deb mentions in his article that David Macdonald and Vince Clemente are both involved in competitive Tetris gaming.
                      • Sopan Deb mentions in his article that David Macdonald, a video game content creator and competitive Tetris player known as aGameScout, has been trying to beat the blue screen for years. Sopan Deb also writes about Vince Clemente who is the founder of the Tetris World Championship tournament series.
                      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                        Sopan Deb has a conflict of interest on the topic of Tetris as he is an author and journalist who writes about video games. He also mentions David Macdonald, Vince Clemente and Willis Gibson in his article which could indicate that they have financial ties or personal relationships with him.
                        • David Macdonald is a competitive Tetris player who Sopan Deb mentions in his article, indicating that they may have a personal relationship or professional affiliation.
                          • Sopan Deb has written articles for The New York Times before on topics related to video games such as 'The Art of Video Games' and 'How the World’s Best Video Game Players Get Better'
                            • Vince Clemente is also mentioned as an expert on video games and could indicate that he has financial ties with Sopan Deb.

                            72%

                            The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
                            (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

                            A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

                            34 years later, a 13-year-old hits the NES Tetris “kill screen”

                            Ars Technica Kyle Orland Tuesday, 02 January 2024 23:07
                            • Unique Points
                              • On December 21, 2023, a 13-year-old named BlueScuti became the first human to reach the kill screen in NES Tetris after a record-setting performance of 40 minutes and 1511 lines.
                              • Willis Gibson is believed to be the first person ever to beat Tetris since its release more than three decades ago.
                            • Accuracy
                              • Willis Gibson advanced so far in the original Nintendo version of Tetris that it froze, reaching Level 157, which is considered as de facto victory.
                            • Deception (50%)
                              The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title claims that a player has reached the kill screen of NES Tetris after 34 years when in fact it was only for 1 minute and not at all impossible to reach before this point. Secondly, the author states that players who reached Level 29 found their games usually 'topped out' just a few pieces later which is incorrect as they can still continue playing with some skill. Thirdly, the article implies that hypertapping was only discovered in recent years when it has been known for much longer and used by many players before this point.
                              • The author states that players who reached Level 29 found their games usually 'topped out' just a few pieces later which is incorrect as they can still continue playing with some skill. This is an example of false information being presented as fact.
                              • The title claims that a player reached the kill screen of NES Tetris after 34 years which is not true as they only played for 1 minute. This is an example of deceptive phrasing.
                            • Fallacies (85%)
                              The article contains an appeal to authority by citing the achievements of Tetris players such as BlueScuti and Thor Aackerlund. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the difficulty of reaching Level 29 on NES Tetris. Additionally, there is a dichotomous depiction in the article where it describes how difficult it was to reach Level 29 for years but then suddenly players were able to do so with ease due to new techniques such as hypertapping and rolling.
                              • The first known way past the brick wall of Level 29 was a technique that became known as hypertapping. By using a special grip that lets you vibrate a finger over the D-pad directions at least 10 times a second, you can effectively skip the delayed autoshift (DAS) that limits how fast pieces can move laterally when the D-pad is held down.
                              • A Level 40 performance from 2021 that shows NES Tetris can be effectively played indefinitely at Level 29 speed.
                            • Bias (85%)
                              The article is biased towards the Tetris community and their achievements. The author uses language that deifies BlueScuti's achievement as a 'game-crashing, record-setting performance'. They also use phrases like 'surprisingly robust competitive scene' to make it seem like the game has some sort of importance beyond just being fun. Additionally, they mention Joseph Saelee and EricICX by name which could be seen as an attempt to elevate their status in the community.
                              • The author uses language that deifies BlueScuti's achievement
                                • They mention Joseph Saelee and EricICX by name which could be seen as an attempt to elevate their status in the community.
                                  • They use phrases like 'surprisingly robust competitive scene'
                                  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                                    Kyle Orland has a financial stake in the NES Tetris game as he is an employee of Ars Technica which owns and operates the site. He also has personal relationships with individuals who have created content related to NES Tetris such as Hector Rodriguez and Joseph Saelee.
                                    • Kyle Orland works for Ars Technica, a company that owns and operates arstechnica.com.
                                    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                                      Kyle Orland has a conflict of interest on the topic of NES Tetris as he is an author for Ars Technica which owns and operates Classic Tetris World Championship.

                                      58%

                                      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
                                      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

                                      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

                                      Oklahoma 13-year-old believed to be first person ever to beat Tetris

                                      theguardian.com Article URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/13/ pakistan-·coalition-·agrees-to-form-government Blake Montgomery Wednesday, 03 January 2024 18:35
                                      • Unique Points
                                        • A 13-year-old in Oklahoma is believed to be the first person ever to beat Tetris since its release more than three decades ago.
                                        • Willis Gibson plays for roughly 38 minutes and reaches level 157 before saying, 'Oh, I missed it,' believing that a misplaced block scuttled his attempt. But he recovers and completes another line of blocks.
                                        • The game freezes after the completion of this line of blocks, which is considered as de facto victory.
                                        • Willis' score read 999999 at the end of the game.
                                      • Accuracy
                                        • The game freezes after the completion of this line of blocks.
                                        • Willis Gibson reached Level 157, reaching Tetris' kill screen point where a video game becomes unplayable because of limitations in its coding.
                                      • Deception (30%)
                                        The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Willis Gibson is the first person to beat Tetris since its release more than three decades ago. However, this statement is false as there have been multiple individuals who have achieved this feat before him.
                                        • Fallacies (85%)
                                          The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it states that Vince Clemente, the president of the Classic Tetris World Championship, said that Willis's feat was impossible until a couple of years ago. This statement implies that Clemente is an expert on the subject and his opinion should be taken as fact without any evidence presented. The second fallacy is inflammatory rhetoric when it states that
                                          • The game freezes, the de facto victory,
                                        • Bias (85%)
                                          The author uses language that dehumanizes the player by saying 'he recovers' and 'his score read'. The use of words like 'crash' also implies a negative connotation. Additionally, the author quotes Vince Clemente who says it is something that everyone thought was impossible until recently which could be seen as an attempt to downplay or diminish the achievement.
                                          • he recovers
                                            • his score read 999999
                                              • It's never been done by a human before.
                                              • Site Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                                                Blake Montgomery has a conflict of interest on the topic of Tetris as he is reporting on Willis Gibson who is believed to be the first person ever to beat Tetris. Blake Montgomery also reports on Adam Gibson, Willis' father and Blue Scuti/Willis Gibson an Oklahoma teenager.
                                                • Blake Montgomery writes:
                                                • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                                                  Blake Montgomery has a conflict of interest on the topic of Tetris as he is reporting on Willis Gibson who is believed to be the first person ever to beat Tetris. Blake Montgomery also reports that Willis Gibson's father Adam Gibson was involved in creating rolling technique for competitive Tetris players.
                                                  • Blake Montgomery writes, 'Adam Gibson created rolling technique for competitive Tetris players, which Willis learned from his father.'
                                                    • Blake Montgomery writes, 'Willis Gibson has been playing Tetris since he was a child and is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world. He also happens to be Adam Gibson's son.'