Got skills? Prove it with competitive Tetris
Tetris is one of the most popular video games of all time. It’s simple, yet addicting gameplay has kept people coming back for more for over 30 years. But did you know that there is such a thing as competitive Tetris? That’s right, people actually compete against each other to see who can get the highest score, clear the most lines, or complete the longest tetris.
Where it all began
Tetris was created by a Russian programmer named Alexey Pajitnov in 1984. Pajitnov was working on a new computer system at the Soviet Academy of Sciences when he came up with the concept for Tetris. He based the game on an ancient Egyptian puzzle called Tetrominoes, which is where Tetris gets its name.
It’s no suprise then that competitive Tetris started in the early 1990s in Russia. There were no official tournaments or anything like that, it was just people getting together to see who could get the highest score. From there, it gradually grew in popularity and eventually made its way to America in the late 1990s. The first official competitive Tetris tournament was held in 1997 in Philadelphia and had a grand prize of $1,000.
How Is It Played?
Competitive Tetris is played just like the regular game, with a few small tweaks. First of all, most competitions use what’s called a “hard drop.” This means that instead of gently placing your pieces into place, you hit the down button as fast as possible to make them fall as quickly as possible. This gives you a slight advantage because it allows you to clear lines faster. Secondly, most competitions do not allow players to pause the game or take breaks. This is to level the playing field and make sure that everyone is playing under the same conditions.
What Equipment Is Needed?
All you need to play competitive Tetris is a computer or game console and a copy of Tetris. However, some people like to use special controllers that have been designed specifically for playing Tetris. These controllers usually have buttons that are placed in a different order than a normal controller so that your fingers don’t have to move as much when you’re playing.
NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) consoles, NES Tetris carts, and NES controllers are provided for competitors to play. Competitors can use the provided NES controller or bring their own controller. The controller can be any standard unmodified original NES controller, NES “dog bone” style controller, Hyperkin “Cadet” style controller, or “Goofy Foot” style controller. Tournament officials may disqualify any controller other than those listed here (including but not limited to other 3rd party controllers, controllers with turbo features, etc).
What Happens At A Tournament?
Tetris tournaments are usually pretty relaxed affairs. People of all ages and skill levels come together to compete and have fun. However, there are usually some pretty big prizes up for grabs so people do take it seriously! The format of the tournament depends on how many people are competing but generally speaking, everyone plays several rounds of Tetris and the person with the highest score at the end is declared the winner.
Some tournaments may use a points system wherein each completed line earns the player one point; others may use a time-based system where players compete against each other in order to see who can complete the most lines in the shortest amount of time; still others might just award prizes based on who can get the highest score overall. In any case, at the end of each round or match, points or times are tallied and used to determine which players move onto the next round or win prizes at the end of the tournament.
Who Is The Best In The World?
The best competitive Tetris player in the world right now is Jonas Neubauer from America. He has won 7 World Championships and has set several world records, including clearing 40 lines in under 20 seconds!
Some Fun Facts about Competitive Tetris
The first ever competitive Tetris tournament was held in Philadelphia in 1997 and had a grand prize of $1,000
The current world record for clearing 150 lines is held by Jonas Neubauer and is 5 minutes and 16 seconds
In 2014, there was an 8 hour long marathon match between Jonas Neubauer and Harry Hong which Neubauer won 3-0
The biggest ever prize money for a single Tetris tournament was $50,000 which was awarded at the Classic Tetris World Championship in 2010
You can find lots more fun facts on Tetris.com
And be sure to search competitive Tetris on You Tube – you’ll be amazed.
There’s a Tetris Movie coming on AppleTV – here’s the trailer!
