View source for Tetris (NES video game)

{{Short description|1989 video game}}
{{redirect|Classic Tetris|the DOS game|Tetris Classic}}
{{about|the Nintendo-developed NES game|the Tengen NES game|Tetris (Atari Games)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox video game
| title=Tetris
| image=Tetris NES cover art.jpg
| alt = A drawing of multicolored tetromino blocks falling down and stacking on top of each other. The words "The relentless block puzzle game. Tetris" are at the top. At the bottom is the phrase "From Russia with Fun".
| caption=North American box art featuring a drawing of the various tetromino blocks
| developer=[[Nintendo Research & Development 1|Nintendo R&D1]]
| publisher=[[Nintendo]]
| composer=[[Hirokazu Tanaka]]
| series=''[[Tetris]]''
| platforms=[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]
| released={{Video game release|NA|November 1989|EU|February 23, 1990}}
| genre=[[Puzzle video game|Puzzle]]
| modes=[[Single-player video game|Single-player]]
}}

'''''Tetris''''', also known as '''classic ''Tetris''''', is a [[puzzle video game]] developed and published by [[Nintendo]] for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES). Based on ''[[Tetris]]'' (1985) by [[Alexey Pajitnov]], it was released after a legal battle between Nintendo and [[Atari Games]], who had [[Tetris (Atari Games)|previously released a console port]] outside of the terms of their ''Tetris'' license.<!-- The license mentioned is for the Tetris intellectual property, not the license to publish for the NES --> [[Bullet-Proof Software]] had previously released [[List of Tetris variants|''Tetris'' for the Family Computer]] in December 1988,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bps.co.jp/04_products/index31.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000823075808/http://www.bps.co.jp/04_products/index31.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 23, 2000|title=Products: Family Computer|publisher=Bullet-Proof Software}}</ref> while Nintendo had released [[Tetris (Game Boy video game)|''Tetris'' for the Game Boy]] earlier in 1989.

Nintendo licensed exclusive home console rights for the ''Tetris'' [[intellectual property]] from [[Elektronorgtechnica|Soviet authorities]], leaving Atari unaware that they did not possess these rights from their license. As they were forced to quickly recall their version of ''Tetris'' for the NES, this was a major blow to Atari and their involved subsidiary [[Tengen (company)|Tengen]]. American reviewers held Nintendo's version to be an inferior product to Atari's recalled version.

This ''Tetris'' port is unusual because it was designed to end by becoming too fast to play after a certain amount of progress is made. Score must be accumulated through efficient play, rather than pure endurance, before the game ends. These characteristics have led to its use as an [[esports]] game. Although the highest game speed was intended to be unplayably difficult, it was shown to be manageable with [[#Speed techniques|novel button-mashing techniques]] developed in the 2020s.

Though initially overshadowed by its Game Boy counterpart, NES ''Tetris'' has had renewed media attention since 2018 after a resurgence in popularity and breakthroughs by young, high-level players, who are now playing for so long that the [[#Technical problems at very high levels|software behaves erratically]].

==Gameplay==
{{see also|Tetris#Gameplay}}
This version of ''Tetris'' has two modes of play: A-Type and B-Type. In A-Type play, the goal is to achieve the highest score. As lines are cleared, the level advances and increases the speed of the falling blocks. In B-Type play, the board starts with randomized obstacle blocks at the bottom of the field, and the goal is to clear 25 lines. The level remains constant, and players choose the height of the obstacle beforehand.<ref name="manual">{{cite book |title=Tetris Instruction Booklet |publisher=[[Nintendo of America]] |location=USA |year=1989 |url=https://www.gamesdatabase.org/media/system/nintendo_nes/manual/formated/tetris_-_1988_-_tengen_ltd..pdf |access-date=October 3, 2021 }}</ref>

[[File:Tetris NES play.png|thumb|left|Tetrominoes fill the playing field (center), which is surrounded by various game information and statistics. An A-Type game is shown; the goal is obtain a high score, which is tracked in the top right corner.]]
During play, the [[Tetris#Game pieces|tetrominoes]] are chosen randomly. This leaves the possibility of extended periods with no long bar pieces, which are essential because [[Tetris#Scoring|Tetrises]]{{efn|Scoring a ''tetris'' refers to the act of clearing four lines at once with a long bar piece.}} are worth more than clearing the equivalent amount of lines in singles, doubles, or triples. The next piece to fall is shown in a preview window next to the playfield. In a side panel, the game tracks how many of each tetromino has appeared in the game so far.<ref name="manual"/>

In A-Type, the level advances for every 10 lines cleared. Each successive level increases the points scored by line clears and changes the colors of the game pieces.<ref name="manual"/> All levels from 1 to 10 increase the game speed. After level 10, the game speed only increases on levels 13, 16, 19, and 29,{{efn|name=PAL killscreen|This is only the case on the [[NTSC]] version of the game. On [[PAL]] the last speed change happens at level 19, which is that version's "kill screen".}} at which point the speed no longer increases. On level 29, pieces fall at 1 grid cell every frame, which is too fast for almost all players, and it is thus called the "[[kill screen]]".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Trew |first=James |date=May 6, 2022 |title=How Gen Z is pushing NES Tetris to its limits |url=https://www.engadget.com/teens-tetris-and-rolling-130002013.html |access-date=2023-04-19 |website=[[Engadget]] |language=en-US |archive-date=January 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118231634/https://www.engadget.com/teens-tetris-and-rolling-130002013.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The developers of the game never intended anyone to play past the kill screen, as the game does not properly display the level numbers past 29,<ref name="good">{{Cite web |last=Good |first=Owen S. |date=2019-04-13 |title=Elite Tetris player takes the NES version where no one has gone before |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/13/18309474/tetris-kill-screen-level-33-record-joseph-saelee |access-date=2023-04-19 |website=Polygon |language=en-US |archive-date=April 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419002000/https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/13/18309474/tetris-kill-screen-level-33-record-joseph-saelee |url-status=live }}</ref> but with modern [[#Speed techniques|speed techniques]], skilled players can play past level 29.<ref name="sweet">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-revolution-in-classic-tetris |title=The Revolution in Classic Tetris |last=Sweet |first=Jacob |date=March 26, 2021 |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |access-date=October 3, 2021 |archive-date=January 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117033123/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-revolution-in-classic-tetris |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0" />

When starting a game, players can select a starting level from 0 to 9, but if the A button is held on the controller when selecting a level, 10 additional levels are added, raising the starting options to 0 to 19.<ref name="manual" /> When starting on a later level, the level is not supposed to advance until as many lines have been cleared as it would have taken to advance from level 0 to the starting level.<ref name="manual" /> Due to a bug, the levels will begin advancing earlier than intended when starting on level 10 or higher.<ref name="meatfighter" />

[[File:Moscow StBasilCathedral d28.jpg|right|thumb|[[Saint Basil's Cathedral]] appears in the title screen and ending, alluding to the [[Tetris#History|Soviet origin of ''Tetris'']].<ref name="sheff">{{cite book |last=Sheff |first=David |author-link=David Sheff |date=1994 |title=[[Game Over (Sheff book)|Game Over]]: How Nintendo Conquered The World |location=United Kingdom |publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group |page= |isbn=978-0307800749}}</ref>]]
At the end of an A-Type game, a substantial score yields an animated ending of a rocket launch in front of [[Saint Basil's Cathedral]]. The size of the rocket depends on the score, ranging from a [[bottle rocket]] to the [[Buran (spacecraft)|''Buran'' spaceplane]]. In the best ending, a [[Unidentified flying object|UFO]] appears on the launch pad and the cathedral lifts off.<ref name="meatfighter">{{cite web |url=https://meatfighter.com/nintendotetrisai |title=Applying Artificial Intelligence to Nintendo Tetris |last=Birken |first=Mike |date=January 28, 2014 |access-date=October 3, 2021 |archive-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924132553/https://meatfighter.com/nintendotetrisai/ |url-status=live }}</ref> After a high-level B-Type game, various Nintendo characters perform in front of the cathedral.<ref name="meatfighter"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com/mario-mania-game-cameos-for-the-fans-complete-collection-tetris-for-nes/ |title=Mario Mania: Game Cameos for the Fan's Complete Collection – Tetris for NES |last=Oxford |first=David |date=July 4, 2019 |work=Old School Gamer Magazine |access-date=October 3, 2021 |archive-date=October 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003135103/https://www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com/mario-mania-game-cameos-for-the-fans-complete-collection-tetris-for-nes/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The definition of "beating the game" has changed over time with the development of novel controller methods designed for high-level play. After clearing around 1550 lines, the game is at risk of crashing due to inefficient multiplication operations.<ref name="meatfighter"/> Crashing the game in this way is popularly considered "beating the game", a feat first achieved on 21 December 2023 by 13-year-old [[Willis Gibson]], known by his online alias "Blue Scuti".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://kotaku.com/twitch-youtube-blue-scuti-tetris-kill-screen-nes-1851134043 |title=Three Decades Later, Someone Has Finally Beaten ''Tetris'' On NES |last=Winslow |first=Levi |date=January 2, 2024 |work=Kotaku |access-date=January 2, 2024 |archive-date=January 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102191246/https://kotaku.com/twitch-youtube-blue-scuti-tetris-kill-screen-nes-1851134043 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.popsci.com/technology/tetris-beat-kill-screen/ |title=A 13-year-old wunderkind is the first human to 'beat' Tetris |last=Paul |first=Andrew |date=January 2, 2024 |work=Popular Science |access-date=January 2, 2024 |archive-date=January 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102175233/https://www.popsci.com/technology/tetris-beat-kill-screen/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67871775 |title= Tetris: US teenager claims to be first to beat video game |agency= [[BBC News]] |date= 3 January 2024 |access-date= 3 January 2024 |last= Ferreira Santos |first= Sofia}}</ref>

===Scoring===
The score received by each line clear is dependent on the level. Each type of clear, being a single, double, triple, or Tetris, has a base value which is multiplied by the number 1 higher than the current level. For any level <math>n</math>, a single will give <math>40(n+1) </math> points, a double will give <math>100(n+1)</math> points, a triple will give <math>300(n+1)</math> points, and a Tetris will give <math>1200(n+1)</math> points.<ref name="manual" /> The game also awards points for holding the down key to make pieces fall faster, awarding 1 point for every grid cell that a piece is continuously soft dropped.<ref name="manual" /> Unlike line clears, this does not scale by level.

This scoring convention makes scoring Tetrises much more efficient than scoring an equivalent amount of lines through smaller line clears. At level 0, a Tetris awards 300 points per line cleared, a triple awards 100 points per line cleared, a double awards 50 points per line cleared, and a single awards 40 points per line cleared. For example, a single in level 0 is worth 40 points and a Tetris worth 1,200 points. A single in level 9 is worth 400 points and a Tetris worth 12,000 points, and a single in level 29 is worth 1,200 points (same as a Tetris on level 0) and a Tetris on level 29 is worth 36,000 points.

==High-level play==
===Speed techniques===
[[File:Rolling grip.jpg|thumb|Inputs can be made rapidly by flicking the game controller from behind ("rolling") with as many successive fingers as needed to move the falling game piece to the desired location.]]
One of the most limiting factors in NES ''Tetris'' is the speed at which a tetromino can be moved left and right. On the NTSC version, when a movement key is pressed, the piece will instantly move one grid cell, stop for 16 frames due to delayed auto-shift, before moving again once every 6 frames, or 10 times per second.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 30, 2018 |title=What is DAS and Hyper Tapping in Tetris |url=https://simon.lc/what-is-das-and-hyper-tapping-in-tetris |access-date=2023-04-19 |website=Simon Laroche |language=en |archive-date=April 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419002001/https://simon.lc/what-is-das-and-hyper-tapping-in-tetris |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://meatfighter.com/nintendotetrisai/#The_Mechanics_of_Nintendo_Tetris |title=The Mechanics of Nintendo Tetris |access-date=June 14, 2024 |archive-date=December 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205023217/https://meatfighter.com/nintendotetrisai/#The_Mechanics_of_Nintendo_Tetris |url-status=live }}</ref> At higher levels, waiting for this delay is not feasible because the pieces fall too fast.

{{anchor|Hypertapping}}A technique known as "hypertapping" is used to circumvent this delay. When hypertapping, horizontal tetromino speed is maximized by rapidly tapping the [[D-pad]] more than 10 times per second.<ref name="kotaku">{{cite web |last=Gach |first=Ethan |date=October 22, 2018 |title=16-Year-Old Dethrones ''Tetris'' World Champion With Difficult Hyper-Tap Technique |url=https://kotaku.com/16-year-old-dethrones-tetris-world-champion-with-diffic-1829911215 |access-date=October 4, 2021 |work=[[Kotaku]] |archive-date=April 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407094312/https://kotaku.com/16-year-old-dethrones-tetris-world-champion-with-diffic-1829911215 |url-status=live }}</ref> The technique involves flexing the [[biceps]] until it [[tremor]]s, so that the high-speed tremor taps the thumb on the D-pad.<ref name="sweet" /> [[Thor Aackerlund]] was the first hypertapper,<ref name="sweet" /> but the technique was very rare until it was popularized by Joseph Saelee in 2018.<ref name="karnadi">{{Cite web |last1=Karnadi |first1=Chris |title=Teens are rewriting what is possible in the world of competitive Tetris |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=2022-07-21 |url=https://www.polygon.com/23269073/competitive-classic-tetris-ctwc-jonas-neubauer-andy-michael-artiaga |language=en-US |access-date=2022-08-01 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115233118/https://www.polygon.com/23269073/competitive-classic-tetris-ctwc-jonas-neubauer-andy-michael-artiaga |url-status=live }}</ref> Jacob Sweet of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' described hypertapping as "turning [the] thumb into a [[jackhammer]]."<ref name="sweet" />

In 2020, the "rolling" technique was developed by competitive NES ''Tetris'' player Chris "Cheez_fish" Martinez.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Bankhurst |first=Adam |date=April 29, 2021 |title=NES Tetris Players Are Using a Special Technique Called Rolling to Set New World Records |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/tetris-players-are-using-a-special-technique-called-rolling-to-set-new-world-records |access-date=July 19, 2022 |website=IGN |language=en |archive-date=July 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220719113449/https://www.ign.com/articles/tetris-players-are-using-a-special-technique-called-rolling-to-set-new-world-records |url-status=live }}</ref> When rolling, a stationary finger is placed on the D-pad, while the other hand's fingers are drummed across the back of the controller, pushing the buttons up into the stationary hand.<ref name="kotaku rolling">{{Cite web |last=Zwiezen |first=Zack |date=April 26, 2021 |title=NES Tetris Players Call It 'Rolling,' And They're Setting New World Records |url=https://kotaku.com/nes-tetris-players-call-it-rolling-and-theyre-setting-1846767518 |access-date=July 19, 2022 |website=[[Kotaku]] |language=en-us |archive-date=July 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220719113439/https://kotaku.com/nes-tetris-players-call-it-rolling-and-theyre-setting-1846767518 |url-status=live }}</ref> To reduce friction, a glove may be worn on the drumming hand.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marshall |first=Jessica |date=November 16, 2023 |title=Boy Wonder: Stillwater teen places third in Classic Tetris World Championship |url=https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/boy-wonder-stillwater-teen-places-third-in-classic-tetris-world-championship/article_0a390482-83ef-11ee-9d4d-b777b200f759.html |access-date=December 31, 2023 |website=[[NewsPress|Stillwater News Press]] |language=en-us |archive-date=January 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105085046/https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/boy-wonder-stillwater-teen-places-third-in-classic-tetris-world-championship/article_0a390482-83ef-11ee-9d4d-b777b200f759.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This technique is both much faster and less physically straining than hypertapping<ref name="kotaku rolling" />{{snd}}it allows pieces to be shifted horizontally up to 30 times per second, enabling play far past level 29. Since 2021, numerous world records have been achieved using the rolling technique, and rolling is used in tournaments such as the [[Classic Tetris World Championship]].<ref name=":1" />

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Hypertapper at Vegas qual.png|A hypertapper
File:Hypertapping and rolling.jpg|A hypertapper (left) competes with a roller (right)
File:SVNestris and Mleczak rolling during CTWC 2023.webm|Video of people rolling
</gallery>

===History of major achievements===
In 2009, Harry Hong became the first independently verified person to achieve 999,999 points on an unmodified cartridge, known as a maxout score.<ref name="sweet" /> Earlier plausible but unverified max-out scores were claimed by [[Thor Aackerlund]] {{circa|1990}} and [[Jonas Neubauer]] {{circa|2002}}.<ref name="sweet"/>

[[File:NES Tetris falling speed by level.jpg|thumb|In the North American release, level&nbsp;29 is associated with an extreme increase in piece gravity.{{efn|name=PAL killscreen}}]]
The game pieces reach their maximum falling speed on level 29 on the NTSC version and 19 on the PAL version,<ref name=":0"/> when the speed suddenly doubles.<ref name="sweet"/> According to ''[[The New Yorker]]'', level 29 "seems intentionally impossible—a quick way for developers to end the game."<ref name="sweet"/> Because of this "soft wall", efficient play was required to accumulate points before level 29 ended the game.<ref name=":0"/> In the 2000s, level 29 came to be known as the game's "[[kill screen]]"<ref name="sweet"/>{{snd}}though this label was found to be a misnomer when the level was passed in the 2010s.<ref name="good"/>

==== Progression beyond level 29 ====
Aackerlund, a hypertapper, first demonstrated that level 29 could be beaten in 2011; he is shown reaching level 30 in the documentary film ''[[Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters]]''.<ref name="sweet" /> From level 30, the game's level counter stops working correctly, further suggesting that the developers did not believe level 29 could be surpassed.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="good" /> Level 31 was first reached in 2018 by 15-year-old hypertapper Joseph Saelee who eventually cleared four more consecutive levels until level 35,<ref name="neumann">{{cite web | last=Neumann | first=Sean | website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] | date=October 19, 2018 | url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/5988gb/this-bartender-is-secretly-the-greatest-tetris-player-in-the-world | title=This Bartender Is Secretly the Greatest Tetris Player in the World | accessdate=January 4, 2024 | archive-date=February 9, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209090518/https://www.vice.com/en/article/5988gb/this-bartender-is-secretly-the-greatest-tetris-player-in-the-world | url-status=live }}</ref> and by 2020 hypertappers had gone as far as level 38.<ref name="orland">{{cite web |last=Orland |first=Kyle |date=January 2, 2024 |title=34 years later, a 13-year-old hits the NES Tetris 'kill screen' |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/01/someone-has-finally-beaten-nes-tetris/ |accessdate=January 4, 2024 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |archive-date=January 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104003422/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/01/someone-has-finally-beaten-nes-tetris/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Kyle Orland of ''[[Ars Technica]]'' explains that because of the rolling technique introduced by Martinez in 2020, "players were getting good enough to effectively play indefinitely on the same 'Level 29' speed that had been considered an effective kill screen just a few years earlier."<ref name="orland" />

The final matchup in the Classic Tetris World Championship in 2022 resulted in competitors Eric Tolt and [[Justin Yu]] both reaching two million points in a game and levels 73 and 69, respectively. To prevent extremely prolonged games, beginning in 2023 the CTWC uses a modified version that includes a "super killscreen" at level 39, where pieces reach the bottom of the well in only a sixth of a second - two blocks per frame.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiAb8sqrtDc |title=The Greatest Classic Tetris Game of All Time Just Happened |date=May 20, 2023 |language=en |time=1:57 |access-date=2024-01-16 |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref name="ctwc" />

==== Technical problems at very high levels ====
[[File:Tetris NES color glitch.jpg|thumb|right|The [[glitch]]ed [[Palette (computing)|palette]] of level 146{{efn|The level counter erroneously displays ''E9'' because level 146 is far [[Buffer over-read|outside the normal range]] of levels that were defined by the developers.<ref name="meatfighter"/>}} (the "dusk" level) is so low contrast that the blocks appear "nigh-invisible".<ref>{{cite web | last=Randall | first=Harvey | website=[[PC Gamer]] | date=January 3, 2024 | url=https://www.pcgamer.com/after-34-years-a-13-year-old-prodigy-has-become-the-first-person-to-beat-tetris-by-reaching-the-holy-grail-of-high-level-play-a-true-killscreen/ | title=After 34 years, a 13 year-old prodigy has become the first person to 'beat' Tetris by reaching the holy grail of high-level play: a 'true killscreen' | accessdate=January 4, 2024 | archive-date=January 4, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104025317/https://www.pcgamer.com/after-34-years-a-13-year-old-prodigy-has-become-the-first-person-to-beat-tetris-by-reaching-the-holy-grail-of-high-level-play-a-true-killscreen/ | url-status=live }}</ref> It&nbsp;was not beaten for over a year after it was first reached.<ref name="orland"/>]]
In 2014, computer researcher Mike Birken published an analysis of ''Tetris''<nowiki/>'s game code, including details on [[Undocumented feature|unexpected behaviors]] that occur at very high levels.<ref name="meatfighter" />

An [[Integer overflow|integer overflow bug]] is first encountered at level 138, where [[Palette (computing)|color palettes]] would be loaded from unrelated areas of memory, creating unusual and unintended game piece colors. In particular, levels 146 and 148, nicknamed "dusk" and "charcoal", feature black game pieces that are extremely [[Contrast (vision)|difficult to see]] against the black background, hindering further progression. Additionally, the score-counting code could [[Crash (computing)|crash]] the game after about 1550 lines are cleared, corresponding to level 155.<ref name="meatfighter" />

{{external media
| float  = right
| video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpEcjdr_YDo Explanatory video of the ''Tetris'' crash]
}}
In December 2023, 13-year-old roller [[Willis Gibson]] from [[Stillwater, Oklahoma]], was the first to complete the "charcoal" level 148.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Elmquist |first=Jason |date=January 3, 2024 |title=Wunderkind: Stillwater teen becomes first documented human to 'beat' Tetris |url=https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/wunderkind-stillwater-teen-becomes-first-documented-human-to-beat-tetris/article_17e0519c-aa8e-11ee-8520-938fc6bd229c.html |access-date=January 4, 2024 |work=[[NewsPress|Stillwater News Press]] |archive-date=January 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106000641/https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/wunderkind-stillwater-teen-becomes-first-documented-human-to-beat-tetris/article_17e0519c-aa8e-11ee-8520-938fc6bd229c.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He continued playing and reached a game crash at level 157.<ref name="Deb">{{cite web |last1=Deb |first1=Sopan |author-link1=Sopan Deb |date=January 3, 2024 |title=Boy, 13, Is Believed to Be the First to 'Beat' Tetris |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/03/arts/tetris-beat-blue-scuti.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106000503/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/03/arts/tetris-beat-blue-scuti.html |archive-date=January 6, 2024 |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Because ''Tetris'' had been considered unwinnable (due to games [[Tetris#Infinite game question|necessarily ending]] with "topping out"), Gibson is credited with being the first person to "beat the game" since its release in 1989.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Montgomery |first=Blake |date=2024-01-03 |title=Oklahoma 13-year-old believed to be first person ever to beat Tetris |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/jan/03/oklahoma-teen-beat-tetris-first-person-willis-gibson |access-date=2024-01-05 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=January 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106005134/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/jan/03/oklahoma-teen-beat-tetris-first-person-willis-gibson |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hVACOeb7OA |title=Oklahoma 13-year-old becomes first person to beat Tetris |date=January 3, 2024 |publisher=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=5 Jan 2024 |via=[[YouTube]] |archive-date=September 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913000459/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hVACOeb7OA |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Carroll |first=Rory |date=January 4, 2024 |title=Thirteen-year-old becomes first player to beat Tetris |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/thirteen-year-old-becomes-first-player-beat-tetris-2024-01-04/}}</ref> In a statement, [[The Tetris Company|Tetris Company]] CEO [[Maya Rogers]] congratulated Gibson for his "feat that defies all preconceived limits" of ''Tetris''.<ref name="hamilton">{{cite web | last=Hamilton | first=David | website=[[Associated Press]] | date=January 4, 2024 | url=https://apnews.com/article/tetris-win-kill-screen-blue-scuti-willis-gibson-df9325c62d42292e854cadb54d8f4cb3 | title=13-year-old gamer becomes the first to beat the 'unbeatable' Tetris — by breaking it | accessdate=January 4, 2024 | archive-date=January 5, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105160344/https://apnews.com/article/tetris-win-kill-screen-blue-scuti-willis-gibson-df9325c62d42292e854cadb54d8f4cb3 | url-status=live }}</ref> Co-founders [[Alexey Pajitnov]] and [[Henk Rogers]] met Gibson in January 2024, calling his playthrough an "amazing, amazing achievement."<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/13-year-old-meets-tetris-creator-after-beating-original-game-201427525828 |title=13-year-old meets Tetris creator after beating original game |date=January 5, 2024 |last=Castro |first=Valerie |publisher=[[NBC News]] |accessdate=January 5, 2024 |archive-date=January 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105194730/https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/13-year-old-meets-tetris-creator-after-beating-original-game-201427525828 |url-status=live }}</ref>

If one manages to avoid the conditions which crash ''Tetris'', completing level 255 would overflow the level counter back to level 0;<ref name="bailey">{{cite web |last=Bailey |first=Kat |date=January 2, 2024 |title='Impossible' Tetris NES Beaten for the First Time in 34 Years by 13-Year-Old Phenom |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/impossible-tetris-nes-beaten-for-the-first-time-in-34-years-by-13-year-old-phenom |accessdate=January 4, 2024 |website=[[IGN]] |archive-date=September 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913000429/https://www.ign.com/articles/impossible-tetris-nes-beaten-for-the-first-time-in-34-years-by-13-year-old-phenom |url-status=live }}</ref> a run that overflows the level counter in this way is called a "rebirth" game.<ref>{{cite web |last=Serin |first=Kaan |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/puzzle/35-years-after-the-iconic-puzzlers-release-someone-has-finally-beat-nes-tetris-255-levels-and-achieved-rebirth/ |title=35 years after the iconic puzzler's release, someone has finally beat NES Tetris' 255 levels and achieved 'Rebirth' |work=[[GamesRadar+]] |date=October 6, 2024 |access-date=October 7, 2024}}</ref> Before this level can be reached, players must contend with another bug first encountered at 2190 lines, where an integer underflow prevents the level counter from increasing. The next level is only reached after clearing an additional 810 lines.<!-- the bug causes the level counter to not increment for 800 lines, and clearing the level normally adds another ten lines --><ref name="meatfighter" /> On October 6, 2024, [[Michael Artiaga]], using a modified crash-resistant version of the game, became the first to complete level 255 and achieve a rebirth game, after which he cleared enough lines to reach what would be level 347 if the level counter had not reset to zero.<ref>{{cite web |last=Orland |first=Kyle |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/10/nes-tetris-first-ever-rebirth-loops-past-level-255-and-back-to-zero/ |title=Teen achieves first NES Tetris "rebirth," proves endless play is possible |work=[[Ars Technica]] |date=October 7, 2024 |access-date=October 7, 2024}}</ref>

===Esports===
[[File:CTWC 2023.jpg|thumb|People playing ''Tetris'' competitively at the [[Classic Tetris World Championship]] in 2023]]
The [[Nintendo World Championships|1990 Nintendo World Championships]] were based on A-Type ''Tetris'', ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', and ''[[Rad Racer]]''. In each round, contestants were given a total of six minutes to score as much as possible across all three games. As the ''Tetris'' score was multiplied 25 times in the final tally, the prevailing strategy was to rush through the other two games to spend all available time in ''Tetris''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.looper.com/296133/the-untold-truth-of-the-nintendo-world-championship/ |title=The Untold Truth Of The Nintendo World Championship |last=McGuire |first=Keegan |date=February 18, 2022 |website=[[Looper (website)|Looper]] |access-date=April 21, 2022 |archive-date=July 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716085121/https://www.looper.com/296133/the-untold-truth-of-the-nintendo-world-championship/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Nauert |first=Donn |date=June 1990 |title=The Biggest "Easter Egg" of All |url=https://archive.org/details/video-games-computer-entertainment-june-1990/page/38/mode/2up |magazine=[[VideoGames & Computer Entertainment]] |location= |publisher= |access-date=January 10, 2024}}</ref>

Since 2010, the NES version of ''Tetris'' has been featured in the annual [[Classic Tetris World Championship]] (CTWC), which consists of a one-on-one competition to score the most points. Specialized cartridges give both competitors the option to use the same piece sequence.<ref name="ctwc">{{cite web|url=http://thectwc.com/rules|title=Official Classic Tetris World Championship Site|access-date=October 22, 2023|archive-date=October 22, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231022175207/https://thectwc.com/rules/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Since 2017, the tournament Classic Tetris Monthly (CTM) has run monthly with the same one-on-one format as the CTWC. The CTM rules are more relaxed than those of the CTWC, allowing the usage of [[emulator]]s and third-party hardware.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bennett-Cohen |first=Justin |date=2021-12-16 |title=The Classic Tetris Monthly Tournament: What Is It and How Do You Compete? |url=https://www.makeuseof.com/classic-tetris-monthly-tournament-explained/ |access-date=2023-04-18 |website=MUO |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> In both the CTWC and CTM, there is a cap at level 39, either by stopping play once level 39 is reached, or by a [[Video game modification|mod]] which implements a "Super Killscreen", doubling the drop speed at level 39.<ref>{{cite web |title=2023 CTWC – Official Rules |url=https://thectwc.com/rules/ |website=Classic Tetris World Championship |access-date=2024-05-06 |archive-date=May 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513140457/https://thectwc.com/rules/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Rules |url=https://ctm.gg/rules/ |website=Classic Tetris Monthly |access-date=2024-05-02 |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430230741/https://ctm.gg/rules/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Development==
{{see also|Tetris#Creation (1984–1985)}}

===Licensing===
{{see also|Tetris#Legal battles (1988–1989)}}
{{multiple image
 | total_width = 230
 | image1 = Alexey Pajitnov January 2008 cropped.jpg
 | image2 = Henk Rogers face crop.png
 | footer = [[Alexey Pajitnov]] (left) created the original ''Tetris'' in 1985, and [[Henk Rogers]] (right) secured the international rights to Tetris for home gaming systems from the ELORG.
}}
By 1989, about six companies claimed rights to create and distribute the ''Tetris'' software for home computers, game consoles, and handheld systems.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=From Russia with Litigation|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=26|date=February 1997|page=42}}</ref> [[Elektronorgtechnica|ELORG]], the Soviet bureau that held the ultimate copyright, claimed that none of the companies were legally entitled to produce an [[Arcade game|arcade]] version, and signed those rights over to [[Atari Games]]. Non-Japanese console and handheld rights were signed over to [[Nintendo]].

''Tetris'' was shown at the January 1988 [[Consumer Electronics Show]] in Las Vegas, where it was picked up by Dutch-born American games publisher [[Henk Rogers]], then based in Japan. This eventually led to an agreement brokered with Nintendo where ''Tetris'' became a [[launch game]] for [[Game Boy]] and bundled with every system.<ref name=guardian020609>{{cite web | last=Johnson | first=Bobbie | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=June 2, 2009 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2009/jun/02/tetris-25anniversary-alexey-pajitnov | title=How Tetris conquered the world, block by block | access-date=January 11, 2024 | archive-date=March 29, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329135242/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2009/jun/02/tetris-25anniversary-alexey-pajitnov | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Implementation===
Pajitnov is credited for the "original concept, design and program"<ref name="manual"/> but was not directly involved in developing this version.<ref>{{cite web | last=Cohen | first=Rebecca | website=[[NBC News]] | date=January 5, 2024 | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tetris-creator-surprises-willis-gibson-teen-beat-game-rcna132387 | title=Teen who beat Tetris gets a surprise meeting with game's creator | access-date=January 7, 2024 | archive-date=January 5, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105215301/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tetris-creator-surprises-willis-gibson-teen-beat-game-rcna132387 | url-status=live }}</ref> According to the [[Video Game History Foundation]], the game's color palettes were selected by [[Howard Phillips (consultant)|Howard Phillips]].<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=ClassicTetris |number=1119009195997712387 |title=Did you know the person that chose the NES Tetris color schemes was former Nintendo spokesperson Howard Phillips? |date=April 18, 2019 |access-date=February 28, 2025}}</ref>

The NES does not have hardware support for generating random numbers.<ref>{{cite conference |url=https://pcgworkshop.com/papers/2022/pcg2022_full_paper_4435__Entropy_Lost_Nintendos_Not_So_Random_Sequence_Of_32767_Bits.pdf |title=Entropy Lost: Nintendo's Not-So-Random Sequence of 32,767 Bits |last1=Ngo |first1=Trang |author-link1= |last2=Williams |first2=Aaron |author-link2= |date=September 2022 |publisher=FDG '22: Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games |book-title= |at=Article 65, pp. 1-10 |location= |conference= |id= |access-date=January 12, 2024 |archive-date=January 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112224612/https://pcgworkshop.com/papers/2022/pcg2022_full_paper_4435__Entropy_Lost_Nintendos_Not_So_Random_Sequence_Of_32767_Bits.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> A [[Pseudorandomness|pseudo-random number generator]] was implemented with a 16-bit [[linear-feedback shift register]]. The algorithm produces a close, but slightly uneven distribution of the seven types of game pieces; for every 224 pieces, there is one fewer long bar piece than would be expected from an even distribution.<ref name="meatfighter"/>

The game's code includes an unfinished and inaccessible two-player versus mode, which sends rows of garbage blocks (with one opening) to the bottom of the opponent's board when lines are cleared. This feature may have been scrapped due to a rushed development schedule, or to promote sales of the [[Game Link Cable]] which enables a two-player mode in Nintendo's [[Tetris (Game Boy video game)|Game Boy ''Tetris'']].<ref name="meatfighter"/>

===Music===
The soundtrack was written by Nintendo composer [[Hirokazu Tanaka]], who also scored the Game Boy version.<ref name=guardian020609/> Focusing on [[Music of Russia#18th and 19th century: Russian classical music|Russian classical music]],<ref name="sheff"/> the soundtrack features arrangements of "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky]]'s ballet ''[[The Nutcracker]]'' and the overture from [[Georges Bizet]]'s opera ''[[Carmen]]''. The former replaces the arrangement of "[[Korobeiniki]]",<ref name="meatfighter"/> present in the Game Boy version, which has become strongly associated with ''Tetris''.<ref name=guardian020609/>

==Release==
{{Video game reviews
| ASM = 8.2/12<ref name="asm">{{cite magazine|last=Suck | first=Michael|url=https://archive.org/details/asm_magazine-1989-11/page/n71/mode/2up|title=Konvertierungen auf einen Blick: Tetris|language=de|magazine=[[Aktueller Software Markt]]|date=November 1989}}</ref>
| Allgame = 4.5/5<ref>{{cite web|last=Weiss|first=Brett Alan|title=Tetris|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1331&tab=review|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100216081022/http://allgame.com/game.php?id=1331&tab=review|archive-date=February 16, 2010|publisher=AllGame |url-status=dead|access-date=June 9, 2014}}</ref>
}}
''Tetris'' was marketed extensively for the 1989 [[Economics of Christmas|Christmas season]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Coffin |first1=Deborah |date=1990 |title=Tetris: A Metaphor for Life |journal=[[ETC: A Review of General Semantics]] |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=72–76 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42577174 |url-access=subscription |doi= |jstor=42577174 |access-date=January 7, 2024 |archive-date=January 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107053447/https://www.jstor.org/stable/42577174 |url-status=live }}</ref> Television advertising used the slogan "You've been Tetris-ized!", referring to the [[Tetris effect|''Tetris'' effect]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Higgins |first=Chris |date=June 6, 2015 |title=This Weekend in Recent History |url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/64756/weekend-recent-history |work=[[Mental Floss]] |access-date=January 5, 2024 |archive-date=January 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105085921/https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/64756/weekend-recent-history |url-status=live }}</ref> The tagline "From Russia with fun!" appears on the game's cover, referencing ''[[From Russia, with Love (novel)|From Russia, with Love]]'' by [[Ian Fleming]].<ref name="gibbons">{{cite journal |last1=Gibbons |first1=William |date=2009 |title=Blip, Bloop, Bach? Some Uses of Classical Music on the Nintendo Entertainment System |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/musimoviimag.2.1.0040 |url-access=subscription |journal=Music and the Moving Image |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=40–52 |doi=10.5406/musimoviimag.2.1.0040 |jstor=10.5406/musimoviimag.2.1.0040 |s2cid=246572636 |access-date=January 7, 2024 |archive-date=January 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107053446/https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/musimoviimag.2.1.0040 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="sbc">{{cite conference |url=https://www.sbgames.org/sbgames2013/proceedings/artedesign/46-dt-paper.pdf |title=Nationalism in an abstract game: How the Tetris soundtrack determines its cultural markedness |last1=Paiva de Oliveira |first1=Raul |last2=Bisoffi |first2=Rafael Augusto Bonin |date=October 16, 2013 |publisher= |book-title= |pages=386–394 |location=São Paulo |conference=Proceedings of SBGames 2013 |id= |issn=2179-2259 |access-date=January 5, 2024 |archive-date=January 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105085922/https://www.sbgames.org/sbgames2013/proceedings/artedesign/46-dt-paper.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Nintendo emphasized its exclusive home console license in [[Business marketing|marketing directed at retailers]], stating "No other company in the world is now, nor has ever been, licensed to market the ''Tetris'' home video game title."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gamehistory.org/nintendo-mario-tetris-flyer/ |title=When Mario Broke Through the Iron Curtain |last=Cifaldi |first=Frank |date=December 16, 2023 |publisher=[[Video Game History Foundation]] |author-link=Frank Cifaldi |access-date=September 10, 2024 |archive-date=September 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911004913/https://gamehistory.org/nintendo-mario-tetris-flyer/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In its first six months of release by 1990, Nintendo's NES version of ''Tetris'' had sales of {{nowrap|1.5 million}} copies totaling {{US$|{{#expr:1.5*34.95 round 0}} million|long=no}} (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|52000000|1989|r=0}}|long=no}} in {{Inflation-year|USD}}), surpassing [[Tetris (Spectrum HoloByte)|Spectrum HoloByte's versions]] for [[personal computers]] at 150,000 copies for {{US$|{{#expr:0.15*39.95 round 1}} million|long=no}} (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|6000000|1988|r=0}}|long=no}} in {{Inflation-year|USD}}) in the previous two years since 1988.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dvorchak |first1=Robert |title=Soviet Game Conquers the Free Market : Technology: Tetris, an electronic Rubik's Cube, proves to be addictive. Sales are sizzling. Sequel is coming from East Bloc. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-06-17-mn-164-story.html |access-date=February 20, 2021 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=June 17, 1990 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200110111330/www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-06-17-mn-164-story.html |archive-date=January 10, 2020}}</ref> {{As of|2004}}, {{nowrap|8 million}} copies of the NES version were sold worldwide.<ref name="bbc 2004">{{Cite episode | title = Tetris: From Russia With Love | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074pz0 | series = BBC Four | credits = Director/Producer: Magnus Temple; Executive Producer: Nick Southgate | network = [[BBC]] | station = [[BBC Four]] | date = 2004 | time = 51:23 | quote = The real winners were Nintendo. To date, Nintendo dealers across the world have sold 8 million ''Tetris'' cartridges on the Nintendo Entertainment system. | access-date = July 12, 2019 | archive-date = January 1, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160101183339/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074pz0 | url-status = live }}</ref>

In 1991, ''Tetris'' was included as a [[pack-in game]] with some European NES consoles.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/ClubNintendo1991German/Club_Nintendo_1991_6/page/n41/mode/2up|title=Der Videospielspaß für die ganze Familie!|magazine=[[Club Nintendo]]|pages=40–41|volume=3|issue=5|date=December 1991|access-date=August 13, 2024|language=German}}</ref> Unlike the Game Boy version,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vincent |first1=Alice |title=It's game over for Tetris on Nintendo 3DS |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturenews/11318682/game-boy-tetris-removed-from-nintendo-shop.html |access-date=January 6, 2024 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |date=December 31, 2014 |archive-date=December 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207000411/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturenews/11318682/game-boy-tetris-removed-from-nintendo-shop.html |url-status=live }}</ref> the NES release was not made available for purchase on Nintendo's [[Virtual Console]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamezone.com/originals/the-slow-decline-of-the-virtual-console/|title=The Slow Decline of the Virtual Console|website=GameZone|last=<!--no credited author; the name "kombo" given is an archived subsidiary-->|date=May 4, 2012|access-date=January 6, 2024}}</ref> In 2024 ''Tetris'' was released on [[Nintendo Switch Online]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=LetsPlayNintendoITA |first=LetsPlayNintendoITA |date=2024-12-02 |title=A puzzle classic returns! Tetris® for NES comes to Nintendo Switch Online on 12/12! |url=https://x.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1863750001781792782 |access-date=2024-12-02 |language=en-US }}</ref>

==Reception==
''[[IGN]]'' noted that "almost everyone" regarded Nintendo's ''Tetris'' as inferior to [[Tetris (Atari)|Atari's ''Tetris'']], which was pulled from shelves due to licensing issues.<ref name=IGN>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/top-100-nes-games/48.html|title=48. Tetris (Tengen) - Top 100 NES Games|first=Sam|last=Claiborn|access-date=February 14, 2013}}</ref> ''[[Computer Entertainer]]'' recommended Nintendo's ''Tetris'' only to consumers who had not played Atari's version, which it says has superior graphics, gameplay and options{{snd}}further calling its removal from stores "unfortunate for players" of puzzle games.<ref name="Entertainer">{{cite journal |title=The Video Game Update: Tetris |journal=[[Computer Entertainer]] |date=November 1989 |volume=8 |issue=8 |page=11 |url=https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-8-8/page/n9/mode/2up |access-date=January 10, 2024}}</ref> ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' called Atari's version "more playable and in-depth" than Nintendo's.<ref name="egm">{{cite magazine|last=Harris | first=Steve|url=https://archive.org/details/video-game-magazines/Electronic%20Gaming%20Monthly%20Issue%204%20(November%201989).cbr.rar/page/50/mode/2up|title=Nintendo Ignores 16-bit in '89|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=4|pages=50|date=November 1989}} See also p. 22.</ref>

The German gaming magazine ''[[Aktueller Software Markt]]'' considered the game a success, praising the adjustable starting level and music. The review held the graphics to be adequate, noting that they do not overwhelm the senses.<ref name="asm"/>

==Legacy==
''[[Tetris & Dr. Mario]]'' (1994) features an enhanced remake of ''Tetris''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/Nintendo_Power_Issue001-Issue127/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20070%20March%201995/page/n111/mode/2up?q=%22Tetris++Dr.+Mario%22|title=Now Playing|magazine=[[Nintendo Power]]|pages=102–107|volume=70|date=March 1995|access-date=June 30, 2021}}</ref> ''[[Tetris Effect#Connected|Tetris Effect: Connected]]'' (2020) includes a game mode that simulates the rules and visuals of ''Tetris'' for the NES.<ref name="viray">{{cite web |url=https://blog.playstation.com/2021/06/16/tetris-effect-connected-cross-platform-multiplayer-comes-to-ps4-this-july/ |title=Tetris Effect: Connected cross-platform multiplayer comes to PS4 this July |last=Viray |first=Aileen |date=June 16, 2021 |publisher=[[PlayStation#PlayStation Blog|PlayStation Blog]] |access-date=May 1, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=McWhertor|first=Michael|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/28/21538025/tetris-effect-connected-classic-competitive-score-attack-nes|title=Tetris Effect: Connected pays homage to classic NES version|date=October 28, 2020|access-date=November 10, 2020|website=Polygon|archive-date=November 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110222343/https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/28/21538025/tetris-effect-connected-classic-competitive-score-attack-nes|url-status=live}}</ref>

The events that lead to Nintendo acquiring the license to publish a ''Tetris'' game for consoles are explained in BBC's TV documentary ''[[Tetris: From Russia with Love]]'' (2004), as well as a dramatic retelling in ''[[Tetris (film)|Tetris]]'' (2023).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pingitore |first=Silvia |date=2023-03-19 |title=Interview with Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov |url=https://the-shortlisted.co.uk/alexey-pajitnov-tetris-interview/ |access-date=2023-07-04 |language=en-GB |archive-date=June 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230626233334/https://the-shortlisted.co.uk/alexey-pajitnov-tetris-interview/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Since 2018, Nintendo's ''Tetris'' has experienced a resurgence in popularity with a younger audience. In 2020, more people attained a [[#Competition|max-out score]] than from 1990 to 2019 combined.<ref name="sweet"/>

===Use in research===
In 2018, 11 classic ''Tetris'' experts were instructed to play with the next piece preview window disabled ("no next box"). Their average score was found to drop dramatically, from 465,371 in control games to 6,457 with no next box. The author notes that even though one participant went on to become that year's world champion, no player was recorded scoring a Tetris during any of the no next box games.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Berry |first1=Jacquelyn |date=June 2023 |title=No Next Box, No Experts: A Special Case of Epistemic Behavior in Extreme Tetris Expertise |url=https://www.journalofexpertise.org/articles/volume6_issue2/JoE_6_2_Berry.pdf |journal=Journal of Expertise |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=164–175 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111220314/https://www.journalofexpertise.org/articles/volume6_issue2/JoE_6_2_Berry.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

In a 2023 study, 160 people were recorded playing classic ''Tetris''. The recordings suggested that novice players [[Blinking|blink]] less than usual while playing ''Tetris'', whereas experienced players remained closer to their normal blinking rate. The study concludes that a person's ''Tetris'' ability can be assessed by their blink rate during the first minute of play.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Guglielmo |first1=Gianluca |last2=Klincewicz |first2=Michal |last3=Huis in 't Veld |first3=Elisabeth |last4=Spronck |first4=Pieter |date=October 13, 2023 |title=Tracking Early Differences in Tetris Performance using Eye Aspect Ratio Extracted Blinks |url=https://philarchive.org/archive/GUGTED#.pdf |journal=[[IEEE Transactions on Games]] |volume= 16|issue= 3|pages= 735–741|doi=10.1109/TG.2023.3324511 |s2cid=264117001 |issn=2475-1502 }}</ref> In contrast, seven-time world champion [[Jonas Neubauer]] manually suppressed his [[corneal reflex|blink reflex]] while playing, leading to health concerns and his regular use of [[eye drop]]s.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.dailybreeze.com/2017/11/25/seven-time-south-bay-tetris-world-champion-builds-internet-stardom-brick-by-brick-2/ |title=Seven-time South Bay Tetris world champion builds Internet stardom brick by brick |work=[[Daily Breeze]] |date=November 25, 2017 |access-date=May 30, 2024 |last=Green |first=Nick |archive-date=May 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530213246/https://www.dailybreeze.com/2017/11/25/seven-time-south-bay-tetris-world-champion-builds-internet-stardom-brick-by-brick-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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[[Category:Tetris (NES video game)| ]]
[[Category:1989 video games]]
[[Category:Esports games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Switch Online games]]
[[Category:Nintendo games]]
[[Category:Tetris games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Japan]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Hirokazu Tanaka]]
[[Category:Video games set in the Soviet Union]]