Format: Streaming video from Hulu on laptop.
This is the first in a monthly series of reviews suggested by Nick Jobe at YourFace.
It’s a not-very-well-guarded secret that I spent 12 years of my life deep in the world of video games. I spent a lot of time playing a lot of games from 1991 to 2003. One of those games was Tetris. I remember when Super Tetris was released for the PC. I remember the different variations (Welltris, Wordtris, Hatris, Faces…tris…). I met and interviewed the game’s creator, Alexey Pajitnov. When Nick suggested that I watch this, I was really interested. I was a decent Tetris player, but not world class. Having now seen Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters, I know that I’m nowhere near the class of the people shown here. I specialized in real-time military strategy and first-person shooters anyway.
The whole point of the film is the creation of a tournament to crown the world’s first Tetris world champion. Former video game champion Robin Mihara organized the tournament and sought out the best players of the game, including Thor Aackerlund, the first winner of the first Nintendo World Championship.
