US Teen Achieves Historic 'Rebirth' in Tetris, Setting New Record

Michael Artiaga becomes the first known player to reset NES Tetris to Level 0 after completing Level 255, achieving a milestone once thought impossible.

Michael Artiaga, 16, known as 'dogplayingtetris,' completed Level 255 on NES Tetris, causing the game to reset to Level 0, a feat dubbed 'rebirth.'
Artiaga's record-breaking session lasted over two hours, during which he cleared 4,216 lines and scored 29.4 million points.
The achievement was made possible by using a modified version of the game designed to prevent crashes that typically occur after Level 155.
Prior to Artiaga's success, the highest level reached by a human was 157, achieved by 13-year-old Willis 'Blue Scuti' Gibson, which resulted in a game crash.
The accomplishment highlights advancements in competitive Tetris techniques, such as hypertapping and rolling, which allow players to surpass previous limits.