Racketboy

"Amazing skills" is *probably* an understatement here. Wait until the credits start rolling for the most insane part.

http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/16751

I've seen another guy (also Japanese) that was just as good, if not better.
Not sure what's up with that credits part though... invisible blocks?

No freaking way! I cant even think that fast let alone react to onscreen shapes and move the buttons like that.

Is there some secret to it, like memorising the sequence of blocks that come next (I have noticed in my days playing Tetris that there there seemed to be patterns to how the blocks come)

Whaaaaaaaa???

He watches the "next piece" part of the screen. Combine that with a weird ability to keep track of where you should put certain piece types.

I'm pretty sure it's invisible blocks during the credits. They start out visible and then disappear once they are stacked. (I think).

The only reason I don't like these videos of "grand master" tetris players, is that it's always on the new fandangle Tetris versions.

Notice the differences when you watch the vid.

1 - you can see up to 3 pieces ahead instead of only one like the original tetrises.
2 - there is a visual copy of the tetris piece floating over the place where it would land so you know where it is going.
3 - once it's landed you get a moment afterward to do some alterations to it such as give it one more turn, or slide it over a bit (even up hill)

add in this with the super tight control responses... meh.

I want to see someone do this with the older versions of Tetris (not just the NES version... but any of them from that time)

once I see that, then I'll give the guy a pat on the back! i.e. if you show me a video of a guy on level 31 in the Nintendo produced Tetris for the NES... I'll say wowser!

I collected some more clips:
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/puzzle/2 ... quate.html

And yeah, LoD, I kinda wondered about that as well. (Although, I'm not see the outlines you're talking about)