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At 16, Michael “dogplayingtetris” Artiaga became the first player reported to achieve a “rebirth” in NES Tetris: he passed level 255, the counter rolled back to level 0, and the game continued. Ars Technica reported that the run took a little over 80 minutes and involved about 3,300 cleared lines. This was a different milestone from reaching the kill screen, where the game freezes.
What “rebirth” means in NES Tetris
NES Tetris tracks a player’s progress with a level counter. In Artiaga’s reported achievement, he continued beyond level 255 and the counter returned to level 0 while play went on. The NES Tetris community news page also calls this a “rebirth,” reporting more than 3,000 lines and nearly 29.4 million points; those figures come from the community page, not an official record certification.
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Ars Technica’s October 7, 2024 report describes Artiaga as the first player to loop past level 255 and return to level 0. It reports about 3,300 cleared lines and a little over 80 minutes for the run. The available reporting identifies the game as NES Tetris, but does not establish the precise console, cartridge revision, or controller used.
How the rebirth differs from the kill screen
Willis “Blue Scuti” Gibson’s December 2023 achievement involved a different endpoint. Guinness World Records says Gibson reached level 157 and scored 6,850,560 before the game froze. Artiaga’s reported rebirth, by contrast, passed the level counter’s 255 threshold and continued after the counter returned to zero.
#1 Best Overall
- Includes both classic games!
| Milestone | Player and date | Reported endpoint | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebirth | Michael “dogplayingtetris” Artiaga, 2024 | Passed level 255; counter returned to level 0 and play continued | Ars Technica |
| Kill screen | Willis “Blue Scuti” Gibson, 2023 | Game froze at level 157; 6,850,560 points | Guinness World Records |
Calling either result simply “beating Tetris” can blur the distinction. The rebirth refers to continued play after the level counter cycles; the kill-screen record refers to reaching a point where the game froze.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about the achievement
Ars Technica is the contemporaneous narrative source for Artiaga’s run and its reported duration and line count. The community page adds a score figure, but the sources cited here do not establish an official record body’s certification of the rebirth. It is therefore most accurate to call Artiaga the first reported player to reach the milestone.
Rank #2
- Includes both classic games!
The Tetris Company’s account of Gibson’s achievement provides context for the earlier kill screen. Its documentary page attributes this comment about Gibson to Maya Rogers, President and CEO of The Tetris Company: “Willis’s achievement is not only a milestone in the history of our game. It’s a reminder of the power of human potential.” The statement concerns Gibson, not Artiaga’s rebirth. The company says the feature-length documentary Blue Scuti: Tetris Crasher, directed by Chris Moukarbel, debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2025; a June 2026 press release says it was streaming on Amazon Prime Video, though availability can vary by region.
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Rank #3
- Magic at your fingertips - Utilize the intuitive touch screen to activate Magic Items during multiplayer games
- Free speech is good - Use the Nintendo DS microphone in Wi-Fi Battle lobby
- Sharing is fun - Local multiplayer games with up to 8 other players using one Game Card
- Take on the world - Nintendo Wi-Fi multiplayer World Battle with up to 6 players
- Play in six new game modes
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